Sunday, February 20, 2011

The Interesting but confusing phenomena of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) formerly known as multiple personality Disorder (MPD), is a dramatic dissociate disorder in which a patient manifest two or more distinct identities that alternate in some way in taking control of behavior.

The person may also be unable to recall important personal information which cannot be explained by ordinary forgetting. Each identity that the person manifest may appear to have a different personal history, self image, and name, although there maybe some identities that are only partially distinct and independent from other identities.

In most cases the one identity that is most frequently encountered and carries the person’s real name is the host identity. The host identity in many cases is not the original identity. The alter identities may differ in striking ways involving gender, age, handedness, handwriting, sexual orientation, predominant affect, foreign languages spoken, and general knowledge.

Needs and behaviors inhibited in the primary or host identity are usually liberal displayed by one or more alter identities. Roles like that of a child and someone of the opposite sex are extremely common.

Alter identities take control at different points in time and the switches typically occur very quickly (matter of seconds). There are however also cases of gradual switches of identities. When switches occur, it is often easy to observe the gaps in memories for things that have happened to other identities.

In reality DID is a condition in which normally integrated aspects of memory, identity, and unconsciousness are no longer integrated. The presence of more than one identity and significant amnesia for what alter identities have experienced are not the only symptoms of DID.

Read more: http://healthmad.com/mental-health/the-interesting-but-confusing-phenomena-of-dissociative-identity-disorder-did/#ixzz1EXX2SA1U

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