SITI NUR ALYA MAISARAH BINTI MOHD SHUKIMAN (2021687868)

TSL035 – LISTENING AND SPEAKING

INFORMATIVE SPEECH OUTLINE

Specific purpose: To inform my audience about Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).

Central Idea: It is important for the general public to know about what DID is, its symptoms
and how to treat it.

I. INTRODUCTION
A. Attention Material
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde is one of the first things that will come to mind
whenever we hear about a person with multiple personalities. The concept is
so well-known that there is an official definition for the phrase Jekyll and Hyde
in the Cambridge Dictionary which is for a person with two very different sides
to their personality that are good and evil. However, I would like to believe
that not many of us know that having multiple personalities is an existing
mental health disorder called Dissociative Identity Disorder, probably because
of how rare it is. Well, this disorder is not as rare as we originally thought. A
Clinical Psychology Professor, Dr. Brand and her team have stated that as of
2019, 1.5 percent out of 7.7 billion people on this earth have been diagnosed
with DID. At first glance, 1.5 percent may seem small to you but that is
actually 115 million people.

B. Tie to Audience
Thankfully, with the help of today’s technology advancements, we have been
discovering more crucial information regarding mental health disorders in
general. Although we might stumble upon other discoveries later, I think the
details we have today is sufficient for us to start educating ourselves on
mental illnesses, especially the ones that are not as overly common such as
DID.

C. Credibility Material
Personally, I have always been intrigued with DID to a point where I can
spend hours reading articles and research papers about it. Thus, it would be
 appropriate for me to share my understanding of DID as it will benefit both of
us.

D. Thesis & Preview

The three major points that my speech will be focusing on today are the basic
introduction to DID, the symptoms and the treatment plans for it.

Transition: Without further ado, let’s begin our journey on understanding the world of
DID.

II. BODY
A. Main point 1: Firstly, let me give you a basic introduction to DID.
B. Sub-point 1: Dissociative Identity Disorder was previously known as Multiple
Personality Disorder (MPD).
i. Sub-subpoint 1: But in 1994, the name was changed to Dissociative
Identity Disorder to give a better understanding of the condition.
ii. Sub-subpoint 2: DID is more to a fragmentation of different identities
instead of a rapidly increasing growth of separate personalities
(Psychology Today, 2021)
b. Sub-point 2: According to an article by WebMD (2022), DID is a severe
form of dissociation where there is lack of connection in a person’s
thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity.
i. Sub-subpoint 1: An excessive amount of traumatic experiences that
are repetitive during childhood, specifically before the age of 6, is said
to be one of the main reasons why dissociation occurs.
ii. Sub-subpoint 2: It works as a coping mechanism, a way for the person
experiencing trauma to dissociate themselves from the situation
because they cannot deal with it.
iii. Sub-subpoint 3: Some examples of traumatic events that can cause
dissociation are constant emotional, physical, or sexual abuse.

Transition: After understanding the simple explanation of DID and how it occurs, you
may now be wondering, what are the symptoms of DID?

C. Main point 2: Let’s discuss the signs of having DID.

 a. Sub-point 1: Firstly, a person with DID will have two or more separate
identities or personalities that can control the person’s behaviour and
thoughts (WebMD, 2022).
i. Sub-subpoint 1: The different identities are often called ‘alters’ and
some patients may have alters with their own age, sex or race.
ii. Sub-subpoint 2: Other than that, their way of talking and body
language can also be distinct from each identity.
iii. Sub-subpoint 3: It is also possible for them to have alters that are
animals or imaginary creatures.
iv. Sub-subpoint 4: For example, Encina Severa, who has been
diagnosed with DID, has stated in an interview with MedCircle that she
has 11 alters.
v. Sub-subpoint 5: Two of them are a 3-year-old girl named Minnie and a
fairy who is thousands of years old (MedCircle, 2018).
b. Sub-point 2: As stated in the Fifth Edition Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), it is also common for people with DID to
have memory gaps where they don't remember important details of their
personal histories.
i. Sub-subpoint 1: The memory disruption must be frequent so that it
cannot be mistaken for ordinary forgetfulness.
c. Sub-point 3: Moreover, most DID patients can also be diagnosed with
other mental health disorders.

i. Sub-subpoint 1: Since DID is caused by trauma, other additional

trauma-based disorders such as borderline personality disorder,
depression and more can also be found in a DID patient.

Transition: A famous Spanish writer named Miguel de Cervantes once said in his
works, “there is a remedy for all things except death”.

D. Main point 3: There are several treatment plans that can help DID patients.
a. Sub-point 1: As mentioned by WebMD (2022), it is important to keep in
mind that DID cannot be fully cured.
i. Sub-subpoint 1: There are no evidence-based guidelines that can be
followed to treat DID patients yet.
b. Sub-point 2: However, there are long-term treatment plans that may help
improve the patients’ mental health (WebMD, 2022).
 i. Sub-subpoint 1: Talk therapy and hypnotherapy can be effective in
deconstructing the multiple personalities and fusing them into one that
can independently manage the traumas without their alters’ help.
c. Sub-point 3: There is no specific medication for DID (WebMD, 2022).

i. Sub-subpoint 1: Despite this, DID patients will still receive medications

such as antidepressants to treat other mental health disorders that
come with DID.

III. CONCLUSION
A. Brake Light
Haddock (2001) once said in The Dissociative Identity Disorder Sourcebook,
“DID is about survival! As more people begin to appreciate this concept,
individuals with DID will start to feel less as though they have to hide in
shame.”

B. Summary
To sum up, we have now learned some of the important details about DID
such as the general explanation of how it works, its symptoms and the
treatment plans that can help.

C. Tie Back to Audience

Hence, it is always a good thing to acknowledge mental health issues as it
can create a bigger awareness on the importance of mental health.

D. Concluding Memorable Remarks

“I wish people understood that this isn’t just an alter-ego. This isn’t something
we just made up. These are other, actual people, with their own lives. Their
own likes, dislikes. Their own taste of music. Their own personalities. They all
look different. They just share one body.” This is what Encina Severa wants
us to remember whenever we talk about DID.

END
 REFERENCES

Brand BL, Schielke HJ, Putnam KT, Putnam FW, Loewenstein RJ, Myrick A, Jepsen EKK,
Langeland W, Steele K, Classen CC, Lanius RA. An Online Educational Program for
Individuals With Dissociative Disorders and Their Clinicians: 1-Year and 2-Year
Follow-Up. J Trauma Stress. 2019 Feb;32(1):156-166.

Cambridge Dictionary. (n.d.). Meaning of Jekyll and Hyde in English. Retrieved from
Cambridge Dictionary: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/jekyll-and-
hyde

Haddock, D. B. (2001). The Dissociative Identity Disorder Sourcebook. London: McGraw Hill
Education Europe.

MedCircle. (2018, July 8). What It’s Like To Live With Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0kLjsY4JlU

National Alliance on Mental Health. (n.d.). Dissociative Disorders. Retrieved from NAMI:
https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Dissociative-
Disorders

Psychology Today. (2021, September 21). Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple

Personality Disorder). Retrieved from Psychology Today:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/dissociative-identity-disorder-
multiple-personality-disorder#symptoms

WebMD. (2022, January 22). Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder).
Retrieved from WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/dissociative-identity-
disorder-multiple-personality-disorder