What is Dissociative Identity Disorder?
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:
Dissociative Identity Disorder is the more modern term for what was previously called Multiple Personality Disorder or split personality. These people cope with internal splits in their sense of self that feel like different identities, which also known as “alters”. A single person can have many alters, with one being the “dominant” personality. These alters have different memories, consciousness, behaviors, and personalities, all of which develop from severe trauma early in life. The symptoms usually begin in childhood or adolescence, though sometimes they can lie dormant for years before being awakened by more trauma in adulthood.
Although dissociation is not an uncommon disorder, most of these people are quite efficient at hiding their symptoms. Outside observers can only very rarely identify an obvious ‘switch’ in personalities. Dissociative symptoms usually hide among many other issues, such as depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and self-harm. These other disorders usually come to medical attention first, while the dissociation issues and trauma history can be missed easily.
Hidden trauma
Most people do not volunteer information about past trauma or dissociative experiences to therapists or doctors, let alone friends and family. Additionally, many of the symptoms people experience are largely internal and have few observable aspects. These include internal struggles between the alters, flashbacks, and disconnections from some of their actions and emotions.
The most outwardly obvious signs usually relate to lapses in memory and changes in behavior. After one alter takes control for a brief period, the person may travel to a new place, meet new people, or buy new items, but the other alters sometimes lack memories of these events. They find themselves suddenly in strange areas, unsure of how they got there. People they met during these episodes feel like strangers to the other alters, which can be frightening to say the least. Friends and family can notice unusual behaviors during these times as well. Other alters bring out different tones of voice and manners of speaking, which are telling for any observer.