You suddenly find yourself in an unfamiliar neighborhood. You don't know how you got there and you don't know how to get home. Strangers approach you, calling you by someone else's name. You try to tell them they're mistaken, but they don't believe you.
This may sound like a bad dream or a scary movie. But it can be a real-life event for someone with dissociative identity disorder.
Multiple personalities
People with this disorder have two or more personalities ("alters") who control their behavior. Some have as many as 100 alters, but the average is 10. Each alter usually has different traits.
The "primary personality" has that person's given name, while the others have their own names. Each alter may or may not know about the others. The voice, mannerisms, age and even gender of each alter may vary. One may need eyeglasses, but the others may have good eyesight. Another may have allergies, while the others do not. One may be a lefty, but the others are right-handed. Of most concern, one or more alters may be violent toward other alters or people they know.
Often related to child abuse
Dissociative identity disorder occurs mostly in females. It starts between the ages of 5 and 6, on average.
Often, it is linked to sexual or physical abuse in childhood. The child "dissociates" from the abuse, and makes believe that it happened to someone else. It is a way to block painful memories and escape from a traumatic past. The child becomes unable to remember details from the past.
Symptoms
Most people with this disorder do not know they have it. They usually seek professional help because they have periods of amnesia. They may not be able to remember what they've been doing or where they've been. They may find possessions in their home that they can't remember buying.
Symptoms may include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Substance abuse
- Thoughts of suicide
- Eating disorders
- Trouble sleeping
- Amnesia
- Hearing voices or seeing things
- Trances
- Self-mutilation
Diagnosis and treatment
In young children, a dissociative disorder is often mistaken for schizophrenia. When these children reach puberty, it is easier for a mental health professional to recognize the symptoms.
The most successful treatment is usually a combination of psychotherapy and hypnosis. Medication may also be used.
Using hypnosis, the therapist tries to communicate with the alters to understand the role of each one. He or she tries to form a relationship with alters who are violent or self-destructive, then change their behaviors. The therapist also tries to make contact with the primary personality - the one who remembers the abuse or trauma. Once this happens, the therapist can help the patient merge all of the alters into one identity.
If you have periods of amnesia, see your doctor right away for a full checkup. If you know someone who you think may have this disorder, encourage him or her to seek medical advice.
