What Is Dissociative Identity Disorder And How To Deal With It

What Is Dissociative Identity Disorder And How To Deal With It

Dissociative Identity Disorder (D.I.D.) is a health issue that is associated with a large number of people diagnosed with mental illness. Multiple Personality Disorder was the initial diagnosis and how it may be more commonly known. Those diagnosed with D.I.D. have more than one identity and no control over which one governs them or when each will emerge.

Discussing mental illness is difficult for many because of the negative stigma society has attached to it. Fear of the unknown can easily be combatted with education. Statistics show that 1 out of every 5 people we know are affected by some form of mental illness. These numbers bring this issue much closer to home.

Detecting that a loved one may have D.I.D. is less complex than suspecting you may be suffering from it. The switch of personalities usually occurs under the radar of the individual experiencing it. Learning what signs to look for would be helpful in either case to start receiving the necessary treatment to live with this disorder.

D.I.D. Warning Signs

Dissociation with what the majority views as reality

A form of disconnection from all that should be familiar

Time gaps with no recollection of what occurred during those intervals

Feeling as though you’re experiencing life from a window looking in

Encounters with people or places that associate you or your loved one with a different person, lifestyle or name

Becoming self-aware of more than one identity

Extreme self-criticism

Depression that may provoke suicidal tendencies

If any combination of the signs mentioned is present, it’s time to consult a mental health professional. Discovering the trigger or root cause of the health issue is crucial to receiving effective care. Awareness, discovery and treatment are the best weapons formed against any medical diagnosis.

The cause for Dissociative Identity Disorder has been linked to childhood trauma experienced under the age of 9. Females are statistically known to be more prone to this disorder according to reports of such trauma. Men have been more frequently known to suffer from pathological dissociation versus psychological. The average number of personalities identified range from 8-13. In some cases over a hundred personalities have been witnessed. (Positive Med)