Dissociative Identity Disorder, also known as Multiple Personality Disorder is an illness in which there is a presence of at least two or more clear personality states known as alters, which may have different reactions, emotions, and body functioning.
Signs And Symptoms Of Multiple Identity Disorder
Lapses in memory
- Forgetting life events like birthdays, weddings or birth of a child.
- Asking the same questions repeatedly.
- Forgetting common words when speaking
Having blackouts in time
- The person is unaware of their surroundings and struggles to recall them later.
- Resulting in finding oneself in places but unable to recall how he or she travelled there.
- Often accused of lying when they do not believe they are lying, for instance being told of things they did but do not recall.
- Finding items in one's possession but unable to recall how those things were acquired.
Hearing voices
- Hearing voices inside their head that are not their own.
Super weird behavior
- Being called names that are completely unlike their own name or nickname.
- Not recognizing themselves in the mirror.
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Unusual feelings
- Feeling unreal.
- Feeling as though they are watching themselves move through life rather than living their own life.
- Feeling like more than one person.
If you think you have observed these symptoms in you or someone, it may be the onset of multiple personality disorder, so please consult your doctor or mental health professional for diagnosis.
Can someone with multiple personality disorder lead a normal life?
Dissociative Identity Disorder is not exactly as portrayed in the movie Split. This identity disruption involves behavioral changes, perception, reasoning, memory, and functional ability. It is possible to lead a usual life after suffering from a mental health issue like dissociative identity disorder. Learning healthy coping mechanisms for dissociative disorders can improve a person's chances of living a normal life.
Treatment
Research indicates that people with DID have an opportunity for living a well adjusted life if they receive comprehensive treatment.
This disorder is generally diagnosed nine times more often in females than in males. There are no specific test for DID. But, most people are able to manage the disorder for the rest of their lives.
Debunking A Major Myth
Dissociative identity disorder patients are violent or dangerous.
False. DID doesn't make anyone violent. In fact, many DID patients themselves have a history of severe childhood abuse, which may have caused them to dissociate from their bodies in order to cope with overwhelming trauma.
Seek Professional Help
Depression and anxiety are two DID symptoms that some medicines may help with. But psychotherapy is the most successful kind of treatment.
Mental health professionals perform a mental health interview, ruling out other mental disorders and refer the client for a medical evaluation to further rule out physical cause for symptoms.
