top of page
Yujia Ding

The Split Mind

Written by: Yujia Ding

Edited by: Karishma Trejo


Dissociative identity disorder (DID), once known as Multiple Personality Disorder until 1994, is a rare condition marked by severe mental health symptoms, affecting about 1.5% of people globally. Individuals with DID often need urgent care due to self-harm or substance use. DID has been recognized worldwide. The connection between DID and past trauma became clear, and how it's understood and treated (Mitra and Jain).

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) often results from long-term, severe trauma, especially from bad experiences in early childhood. It's frequently misunderstood and wrongly represented in movies and TV. Dissociation, or feeling disconnected from oneself or surroundings, is a way people might handle trauma. This could be from a single scary event or ongoing situation. When someone is too upset by these experiences, they might "disconnect" or dissociate, which helps them feel distant from the trauma they went through("Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder"). 

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a rare and complex condition characterized by the presence of multiple personality structures within a person. Often, individuals are not aware of these alternate identities, which others may identify. Each identity has distinct patterns of thought and behavior that can differ significantly from the person's usual behavior. ("Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand"). Individuals with DID may suffer from depression, experience rapid mood changes, endure anxiety and panic attacks, harbor suicidal thoughts and feelings, engage in self-harm, suffer from headaches, experience loss of time, enter trances, hear voices, struggle with sleep disorders, face phobias, misuse alcohol and drugs, exhibit obsessive-compulsive behavior, and encounter various physical health issues. It can be troubling for them to discover items they do not recognize or to learn about actions they do not remember taking. Occasionally, they may find themselves in unfamiliar places.("Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand"). Individuals may experience a range of sensations including feeling emotionally numb and detached from their surroundings, as if observing their life from a distance or through a movie. They might perceive the world as distorted or feel as though they are living a life that isn't theirs.

Memory issues are common, with notable gaps and lost periods, alongside flashbacks and an urge to self-harm. Unexpected mood swings, such as unexplained sadness, can occur, as well as auditory, olfactory, or visual hallucinations not shared by others. Memories may feel alien, as if one remembers them without having lived them, contributing to a sense of internal division or the presence of multiple identities. Some might use “we” instead of “I” when referring to themselves, struggle to recognize their reflection, or experience significant memory lapses, forgetting vital personal information. There can be knowledge of things they don’t recall learning or losing previously acquired skills, and not recognizing familiar places or people is also a symptom ("Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand").

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) usually starts in children who've faced ongoing trauma, including different types of abuse or unpredictable care. These kids might separate their traumatic experiences into different parts of themselves to mentally escape the pain. This process allows them to live without being constantly reminded of their trauma.("Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder") This trauma makes the child mentally "disconnect" from their experiences to cope. Nearly all people with DID have faced such traumas. As they grow, their different identities might not merge, leading to difficulties in understanding their experiences and the world around them.("Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand") Children use their imagination to deal with trauma, pretending things like superheroes are real. They might also pretend their toys or imaginary friends feel scared or sad instead of them. This helps them handle feelings that are too hard to face like pretending something bad happening to them is happening to someone else instead. This way of coping helps kids keep going despite tough times, but if they keep doing this into adulthood, it can make healing from their past harder ("Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder").  

During the steps to recovery, it's really important to build a strong and trusting relationship between the therapist and the patient. The most common way to help is through a type of therapy that looks into emotional and relationship patterns.  The first thing to do when helping someone with DID is to make sure they are safe, especially because they might think about harming themselves or even suicide. The next step is to help them deal with their traumatic memories. This means learning how to handle, understand, and accept these past events by revisiting these memories in a controlled way to share and process them. The last step is about helping the person feel whole again and connect better with themselves and others. Newer methods include therapies focused on trauma and learning new ways to handle emotions and stress. There aren’t many strict studies on these therapies for DID, but they use techniques from therapies proven helpful for other issues that share symptoms with DID, like borderline personality disorder. The main goals are to teach the person more about their condition, help them control their emotions, deal with stress, and improve their daily life (Mitra and Jain).


References:

Dissociative Identity Disorder: What You Need To Know | McLean Hospital. (2022, August 29). Www.mcleanhospital.org. http://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/did

Mitra, P., & Jain, A. (2023). Dissociative Identity Disorder. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK568768/

Comments

bottom of page