Dissociative Identity Disorder

About Dissociative Identity Disorder

Dissociative identity disorder is characterized by a disruption of identity involving two or more distinct personality states, accompanied by changes in sense of self and agency, along with related changes in behavior, memory, perception, thinking and consciousness. It also involves recurrent gaps in memory for everyday events, important personal information or traumatic experiences that go beyond ordinary forgetting. The symptoms cause significant distress, are not part of accepted cultural or religious practice, and are not explained by substances or a medical condition. In some cultures the presentation may be described as possession. It was called multiple personality disorder until DSM-IV renamed it in 1994. The condition is strongly associated with severe and repeated trauma in early childhood, such as abuse and neglect, and is often understood as a developmental response in which a coherent sense of self does not fully integrate. People with the disorder frequently have co occurring conditions such as PTSD, depression, self harm and substance use, and diagnosis is often delayed for years. The diagnosis has long been the subject of debate, including about the role of suggestion and media portrayals. Treatment is typically long term psychotherapy organized in phases, beginning with safety and stabilization, followed by processing of traumatic memories and later integration or improved cooperation among identity states.