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Is a dissociative disorder where a person's identity has been splintered and two or more distinct personality states have been created.
The personalities take control of the individual at different times depending on the situation.
DID usually occurs as an aftermath to experiencing a traumatic event. A person's identity will fragment to create different identities to cope with the situation.

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DID is one of three dissociative disorders.
For it to be diagnosed it must meet the following criteria:
1.Two or more distinct identitities or personality states are present. These must have their own consistent patterns of perception and thoughts.
2. They must experience amnesia in the form of forgetting everyday events.
3. The person must feel distressed by the disorder or have trouble functioning in one or major life areas.
4. The disturbance is not part of normal cultural or religious practices.
5. The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance.

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Signs:
- Being found in places without explanation

Symptoms:
- Lapses in memory, particularly of significant life events.
- Finding items in one's possession but not recalling how they were acquired.
- Hearing voices inside their head that are not their own.
- Not recognising themselves in the mirror.
- Feeling detached from oneself, like they are watching themselves move through life rather than living their own life.

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Whilst social factors are the most significant cause of DID, there are biological and psychological factors that can increase the likelihood of a DID episode.

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Social Factors are the most significant causes of DID.

- Research has found approximately 90% of DID cases involve a history of abuse. This can include severe emotional, physical and sexual abuse.

- It can also be triggered by severe trauma such as early loss of a family member, isolation due to illness, accidents, natural disasters and war.

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DID is a way of a person coping with a traumatic experience. Therefore how a person's feelings and thoughts prior to the trauma may increase the likelihood of the development of DID.

The trauma can cause a person's sense of self and metamemory to separate; both important aspects of psychological functioning.

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1. Medicine Net
https://www.medicinenet.com/dissociative_identity_disorder/article.htm#what_are_the_treatment_methods_for_dissociative_identity_disorder

2. Cleveland Clinic
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9792-dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder

3. The Healthy Place
https://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/dissociative-identity-disorder/dissociative-identity-disorder-did-dsm-5-criteria

4. Pods
https://information.pods-online.org.uk/what-causes-dissociative-identity-disorder/

5.

Şar, V., Dorahy, M. J., & Krüger, C. (2017). Revisiting the etiological aspects of dissociative identity disorder: a biopsychosocial perspective. Psychology research and behavior management, 10, 137.

6. Psychology Today

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder

7. American Psychiatric Association
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/dissociative-disorders/what-are-dissociative-disorders

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Biological factors are not the main cause of DID, however biological factors can make a person more likely to acquire this mental illness.
- Our genetic makeup and personality traits may make a person more likely to want to dissociate from their experiences.
- Depending on how developed our brain is (due to age) depends on how well a person can process trauma.

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Psychologists often recommend a combination of treatment options. These include targeted therapies and medication.
- Group/Family Therapy:
This social therapy option is designed to improve the individual's relationship with others and to express feelings that they have not been able to discuss before.

- Dialetical Behaviour Therapy:
This is a form of cognitive behavioural therapy which emphasises mindfulness and creates strategies for the individual to soothe themselves when faced with stress.

- Hypnosis:
It can be used to help the individual learn about their other identities by letting them communicate with one another.

- Medication:
Different types of medication are used to help treat other mental illness that tend to occur concurrently with DID. The most common ones being depression and anxiety.

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There is no major support organisations for those with DID but there are several website and only support communities.

1. The Dissociative Initiative:
https://di.org.au/tag/dissociative-identity-disorder/

2. Health Direct:
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/dissociative-identity-disorder

3. The Healthy Place:
https://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/dissociative-identity-disorder/dissociative-identity-disorder-did-treatment-challenging