Whitney Giesler

Psychology
Mrs. Moylan
May 19, 2014
Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a severe condition in which two or more
distinct identities, or personality states, are present inand alternately take control ofan
individual. The person also experiences memory loss that is too extensive to be explained by
ordinary forgetfulness. (Psychology Today) The symptoms may include depression, mood
swings, suicidal attempts, sleep disorders, anxiety, substance abuse, hallucinations, and eating
disorders. (WebMD)
DID may be caused from an extreme and repeated trauma. Normally during an important
childhood developmental period. This could be an emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. The loss
of a parent might also trigger this disorder. The people who go through this endure a lot of stress,
and in order to block out this stress, they separate their thoughts, feelings, and memories about
the specific event that is causing all this stress. (Cleveland Clinic)
There is no actual treatment for DID, in order to control this disorder, doctors aim to treat the
symptoms. It is very difficult to put a label on this disorder, doctors evaluate your symptoms and
may do X-rays and blood tests in order to rule out physical illness or medication side effects as
the cause of the symptoms. If they dont find any physical illnesses, then they will go to the next
step. The doctor may refer the patient to a psychiatrist or psychologist. These people are
specialized to diagnose and treat mental illnesses. (Cleveland Clinic)
Since there is no true treatment, doctors try to relieve symptoms. Their goal is to help the
person regain the memory that is triggering the disorder, and develop a different way of coping
with the event. They have figured out a few different ways in order to do this. (Cleveland Clinic)
Psychotherapy: This kind of therapy for mental and emotional disorders uses psychological
techniques designed to encourage communication of conflicts and insight into problems.
Cognitive therapy: This type of therapy focuses on changing dysfunctional thinking patterns.
Medication: There is no medication to treat the dissociative disorders themselves. However,
a person with a dissociative disorder who also suffers from depression or anxiety might benefit
from treatment with a medication such as an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medicine.
Family therapy: This kind of therapy helps to educate the family about the disorder and its
causes, as well as to help family members recognize symptoms of a recurrence.
Creative therapies (art therapy, music therapy): These therapies allow the patient to
explore and express his or her thoughts and feelings in a safe and creative way.
Clinical hypnosis: This is a treatment technique that uses intense relaxation, concentration
and focused attention to achieve an altered state of consciousness or awareness, allowing people
to explore thoughts, feelings and memories they might have hidden from their conscious minds.
(Cleveland Clinic)
There are many ways to keep you busy if you have this disorder. Doctors encourage you to go
out and try new things. Like even writing with your nondominant hand. They believe little things
like journaling and writing poetry can help you cope with this disorder, or even bring out each
personality and help you connect with them. Which is why they think that if you are at a store
and you feel the urge to buy a certain toy, you should do it. Having this toy will encourage your
personalities to come out and show themselves. Sometimes they are just afraid and need an extra
little shove. (MPD)
Works cited
"Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder): Signs, Symptoms,
Treatment." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 16 May 2014. (WebMD)
"Dissociative Identity Disorder." Psychology Today. N.p., n.d. Web. (Psychology Today)
"Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)." Cleveland Clinic. N.p., n.d.
Web. (Cleveland Clinic)
"Dissociative Identity Disorder (D.I.D.) Multiple Personality Disorder (M.P.D.)."
Dissociative Identity Disorder: Finding and Speaking to Alters / Insiders/ Parts. N.p., n.d. Web.
19 May 2014. (MPD)