Dissociative Identity Disorder Essay

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Dissociative Identity Disorder

Dissociative Identity Disorder also known as Multiple Personality Disorder
Melody Ayach –
Psychology & Criminology –
2013-22-10

Dissociative identity disorder is hard to understand and even harder to believe. This mental disorder basically splits your personality. It is nothing like the bipolar disorder where you have intense ‘mood swings’ but it is when you have two or more very different personalities, different names to go along with these personalities; basically different identities. While the distinct personalities have taken over your body, your true self is usually not aware nor has any control of the situation. Symptoms of dissociative identity disorder may include trances, headaches, amnesia and time loss. Amnesia and time loss are caused during the victims transformation into their other personality. They’re true self is usually unaware of the process and lose track of time and have no recollection of the incident causing time loss and amnesia. [This mental disease can bring about a character in the victim that is dangerous causing them to do things they wouldn’t normally do] yet they feel they are being compelled to do it. Some describe this feeling as being a passenger in their body rather than the driver. In other words, they truly believe they have no choice. (WebMD, n.d.) They can become a threat to themselves and others. Victims of dissociative identity disorder also tend to self-persecute. Their ‘other-selves’ implicate mental and physical harm on their true selves.
Dissociative identity disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder) is an effect of severe trauma during early childhood, usually extreme, repetitive physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. (WebMD, n.d.) Scientist Sigmund Freud believed that our unconscious thoughts or mind stored hurtful or traumatic memories and experiences that we are not able to reach into. These thoughts are repressed in our brains for our protection. Dissociative identity disorder is known to be caused by traumatic experiences at a young age which was stored away in our unconscious mind and forgotten about. People who suffer from this multiple personality disorder are unaware that their bodies are just finding a way to let out these experiences and lashing out in a way that they cannot control also known as a “Freudian slip”. Close to 100% of the victims of this disorder suffered from a traumatic experience in the early ages of childhood. At times victims also may not have suffered from any physical experience but an emotional neglect from their guardians which created a covert damage.
The main scientific theory of the cause of D.I.D (Dissociative identity disorder) or formerly known as M.D.P (Multiple personality disorder) is an overwhelming trauma that occurs during the victim’s childhood. The main cause of DID is believed to be severe and prolonged trauma experienced during childhood, including emotional, physical or sexual abuse. (Pais, n.d.) A person is more sensitive at a young age. When dealing with unbearable experiences such as sexual, emotional and physical abuse for a lengthened period
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