Dissociative Identity Disorder Analysis

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Pages: 3

Kihlstrom's article on dissociative disorders, highlights the problems with the diagnosis and the assessment of of these disorders, focusing on dissociative identity disorder. Using the 1970's “epidemic” of dissociative disorders, he reveals the flaws and complications in diagnosing a patient with dissociative identity disorder. This article points out that the methodology of trauma being attributed to dissociative disorders is gravely flawed as well as the implications that this would have on the legal system. He also goes on to state that the next “epidemic” of dissociation will be depersonalization disorder. Dissociative identity disorder, referred to as multiple personality disorder in the past, is when a patient seems to possess and show two or more distinct identities, also known as alter egos or ego states. These identities can alternate control over the consciousness, thoughts, and actions of the “host”. There is usually a form of amnesia that separates the experiences of the alter egos. Often in the past dissociative disorders where labeled as a form of “hysteria.” They also used to be known as the rarest form of psychopathology. …show more content…
In the DSM of 1987, the diagnostic feature of multiple personality disorder known as inter-personality amnesia was removed. This was an error that was later corrected in the fourth edition of the DSM. Without amnesia being a criteria that is needed for diagnosis it was difficult to differentiate between the different types of dissociative disorders. With amnesia reinstated as a criterion, there can still be difficulty with discriminating between the dissociative, bipolar, and borderline personality disorder as well as sometimes schizophrenia. This difficulties in really being able to differentiate between disorders is believed to lend a hand in many cases of