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“Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder).” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 6 Mar. 2018, www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder.

Natasha, Tracy. “ DSM-5 Criteria.” Edited by Harry Croft, HealthyPlace, Healthy Place, 13 May 2015, www.healthyplace.com/abuse/dissociative-identity-disorder/dissociative-identity-disorder-did-dsm-5-criteria.

Natasha, Tracy. “Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder Alters.” Edited by Harry Croft,HealthyPlace, Healthy Place, 13 May 2015, www.healthyplace.com/abuse/dissociative-identity-disorder/understanding-dissociative-identity-disorder-alters.

“DID Research.” Types of Trauma, 11 May 2016, did-research.org/did/basics/dsm-5/index.html.

Muller, Robert T. “Talking About Trauma.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 27 Dec. 2013, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-about-trauma/201312/understanding-dissociative-identity-disorder-in-children).

“DID Research.” Types of Trauma, 22 Apr. 2015, did-research.org/controversy/children.html.

“DID Research.” Types of Trauma, 16 July 2016, did-research.org/did/basics/prevalence.html.

Natasha, Tracy. “Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder Alters.” Edited by Harry Croft,HealthyPlace, Healthy Place, 13 May 2015, www.healthyplace.com/abuse/dissociative-identity-disorder/understanding-dissociative-identity-disorder-alters.
“Guidelines for Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder in Adults, Third Revision.” Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, 21 Oct. 2011, www.isst-d.org/downloads/guidelines_revised2011.pdf.

Bressert, Steve. “Dissociative Identity Disorder Treatment.” Psych Central, 17 Dec. 2017, psychcentral.com/disorders/dissociative-identity-disorder/treatment/.

Comer, Ronald J. (2016). Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology (8th ed.). Worth: New York, NY.

“Dissociative Disorders.” NAMI, www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions/Dissociative-Disorders/Treatment.

Kcpsychotherapy. “Kansas City Resources.” Kansas City Psychotherapy, 16 June 2016, kcpsychotherapy.wordpress.com/2016/06/16/kansas-city-resources/.
Scroppo, J. C., Drob, S. L., Weinberger, J. L., & Eagle, P. (1998). Identifying dissociative identity disorder: A self-report and projective study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology,107(2), 272-284. doi:10.1037//0021-843x.107.2.272
Brand, B. L., Armstrong, J. G., Loewenstein, R. J., & Mcnary, S. W. (2009). Personality differences on the Rorschach of dissociative identity disorder, borderline personality disorder, and psychotic inpatients. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy,1(3), 188-205. doi:10.1037/a0016561
Brand, B. L., Tursich, M., Tzall, D., & Loewenstein, R. J. (2014). Utility of the SIRS-2 in distinguishing genuine from simulated dissociative identity disorder. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy,6(4), 308-317. doi:10.1037/a0036064

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Dissociation Discussion BLOG- written and created by Kathy Brody, MSW a clinical social worker and a DID trauma specialist. Readers can comment on her posts, watch her Videos related to posts and even contact her for a consultation.

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All dissociative trauma survivors have their own unique system, of course. However, there are some common types of alters that exist in most DID survivors. This is a non-exhaustive list.

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All dissociative trauma survivors have their own unique system, of course. However, there are some common types of alters that exist in most DID survivors. This is a non-exhaustive list.

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Documentary: I Am Not One - short and powerful documentary that provides a visual perspective of what an individual with DID may have experienced and how they've learned to cope with it.

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I Am Not One - Documentary about Dissociative Identity Disorder

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First Person Plural: My Life as a Multiple - The book shares a true story of a recovery and encouragement both for the family and an individual with DID.

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first person plural: my life as a multiple

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biography & autobiography / medical (incl. patients)

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family & relationships / abuse / general

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First Person Plural: My Life As a Multiple

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A psychologist presents a memoir of his personal struggle with Dissociative Identity Disorder, describing the sudden onset of symptoms when he was in his thirties and the emergence of twenty-four separate personalities, offering insight into this rare and fascinating affliction. 35,000 first prin...

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Resolve Counseling, James McMillan- cognitive-behavioral therapy, emotion focused therapy, and experiential therapy.

Discounted therapy– Resolve interns overseen by 2 licensed clinicians.

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Counseling/Wellness Services | Prairie Village, KS

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Resolve offers counseling, coaching, and wellness services in Prairie Village, KS. We offer play therapy, individual counseling, life coaching, marriage counseling, and addictions therapy.

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Open Path psychotherapy collective Open Path is a non-for-profit organization, that helps to find an affordable therapist after a one time $49 membership fee. Session costs range from $30-$50.

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Affordable Counseling | Affordable Therapy | Open Path Collective

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Open Path connects clients in need with mental health professionals who offer affordable therapy for $30-50 per session. If you're seeking affordable counseling, Open Path can help.

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Kids

Prevalence in children appears to be unreported.

Misdiagnosis with depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is common.

Forms in childhood, cannot form after ages 6-9.
**no discrepancy in diagnoses between genders in children

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National Alliance of Mental Illness - NAMI provides Education, Advocacy and Personalized support for every case of mental illness nationwide.

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Dissociative disorders are characterized by an involuntary escape from reality characterized by a disconnection between thoughts, identity, consciousness and memory. People from all age groups and racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds can experience a dissociative disorder.

Its estimated that 2% of people experience dissociative disorders, with women being more likely than men to be diagnosed. Almost half of adults in the United States experience at least one depersonalization/derealization episode in their lives, with only 2% meeting the full criteria for chronic episodes.

The symptoms of a dissociative disorder usually first develop as a response to a traumatic event, such as abuse or military combat, to keep those memories under control. Stressful situations can worsen symptoms and cause problems with functioning in everyday activities. However, the symptoms a person experiences will depend on the type of dissociative disorder that a person has.

Treatment for dissociative disorders often involves psychotherapy and medication. Though finding an effective treatment plan can be difficult, many people are able to live healthy and productive lives.

Symptoms

Symptoms and signs of dissociative disorders include:

Significant memory loss of specific times, people and events

Out-of-body experiences, such as feeling as though you are watching a movie of yourself

Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and thoughts of suicide

A sense of detachment from your emotions, or emotional numbness

A lack of a sense of self-identity

The symptoms of dissociative disorders depend on the type of disorder that has been diagnosed. There are three types of dissociative disorders defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM):

Dissociative Amnesia. The main symptom is difficulty remembering important information about one's self. Dissociative amnesia may surround a particular event, such as combat or abuse, or more rarely, information about identity and life history. The onset for an amnesic episode is usually sudden, and an episode can last minutes, hours, days, or, rarely, months or years. There is no average for age onset or percentage, and a person may experience multiple episodes throughout her life.

Depersonalization disorder. This disorder involves ongoing feelings of detachment from actions, feelings, thoughts and sensations as if they are watching a movie (depersonalization). Sometimes other people and things may feel like people and things in the world around them are unreal (derealization). A person may experience depersonalization, derealization or both. Symptoms can last just a matter of moments or return at times over the years. The average onset age is 16, although depersonalization episodes can start anywhere from early to mid childhood. Less than 20% of people with this disorder start experiencing episodes after the age of 20.

Dissociative identity disorder. Formerly known as multiple personality disorder, this disorder is characterized by alternating between multiple identities. A person may feel like one or more voices are trying to take control in their head. Often these identities may have unique names, characteristics, mannerisms and voices. People with DID will experience gaps in memory of every day events, personal information and trauma. Women are more likely to be diagnosed, as they more frequently present with acute dissociative symptoms. Men are more likely to deny symptoms and trauma histories, and commonly exhibit more violent behavior, rather than amnesia or fugue states. This can lead to elevated false negative diagnosis.

Causes

Dissociative disorders usually develop as a way of dealing with trauma. Dissociative disorders most often form in children exposed to long-term physical, sexual or emotional abuse. Natural disasters and combat can also cause dissociative disorders.

Diagnosis

Doctors diagnose dissociative disorders based on a review of symptoms and personal history. A doctor may perform tests to rule out physical conditions that can cause symptoms such as memory loss and a sense of unreality (for example, head injury, brain lesions or tumors, sleep deprivation or intoxication). If physical causes are ruled out, a mental health specialist is often consulted to make an evaluation.

Many features of dissociative disorders can be influenced by a person's cultural background. In the case of dissociative identity disorder and dissociative amnesia, patients may present with unexplained, non-epileptic seizures, paralyses or sensory loss. In settings where possession is part of cultural beliefs, the fragmented identities of a person who has DID may take the form of spirits, deities, demons or animals. Intercultural contact may also influence the characteristics of other identities. For example, a person in India exposed to Western culture may present with an "alter" who only speaks English. In cultures with highly restrictive social conditions, amnesia is frequently triggered by severe psychological stress such as conflict caused by oppression. Finally, voluntarily induced states of depersonalization can be a part of meditative practices prevalent in many religions and cultures, and should not be diagnosed as a disorder.

Treatment

Dissociative disorders are managed through various therapies including:

Psychotherapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)

Medications such as antidepressants can treat symptoms of related conditions

Related Conditions

Because dissociative disorders appear on the trauma spectrum, many patients may have conditions associated with trauma, as well as additional trauma-based conditions.

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Dissociative disorders are characterized by an involuntary escape from reality characterized by a disconnection between thoughts, identity, consciousness and memory. People from all age groups and racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds can experience a dissociative disorder. Its estimated that 2% of people experience dissociative disorders, with women being more likely than men to be diagnosed.

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Patients with DID, although may seem confused and trapped in their own alters and self, showed tendency to collaboration, relationship development, ability to self-reflect and organized thinking.

DID patients showed higher social characteristics against Border Personality Disorder group.

Despite reality perception through fantasy and cognitive distortion manifesting in alters, most severe DID patents with highest dissociation experienced less distortion in their reality. It appears that the “complete formation” of the secondary identities, provided a clearer life picture.

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Research Psychiatric Center (HCA) , Journey Program- individualized stabilization and trauma processing in individual and group therapy.

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Behavioral health care for individuals suffering from trauma-related symptoms and diagnoses. Visit Research Psychiatric Center. Call for an appointment.

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Do not recover without treatment. Treatment is a long process, likely lifelong process
Psychotherapy - is the primary treatment modality.
Three types of psychotherapy used for treating DID:
1.     Cognitive-behavioral therapy(CBT) - helps to recognize negative thoughts, teach coping strategies.

2.     Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) - teaches coping skills, regulating emotions, improve relationships and add validation through mindfulness techniques (meditation, regulated breathing).

3.     Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) – helps with symptom reduction. Combined with CBT techniques of re-learning thought patterns.
Supportive treatments for DID:
Hypnosis - used for calming, soothing, containment, and ego strengthening.
Psychotropic medications - antidepressants, anti anxiety, and mood stabilizers.

A desirable treatment outcome is Integration among alternate identities, later Fusion and Final fusion can be achieved when patient’s sense of self shift to being a unified self.

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Main cause of DID is thought to be a repeated or long-term childhood trauma, most frequently child abuse or neglect.

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Adults
12-month prevalence of DID as 1.5% of the population
Study results vary for males and females.

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Primary identity - individual's given name is passive, dependent, and depressed.
Secondary identities- experience history, self-image, name, reported age and gender,
and predominant mood

**Certain circumstances or stressors can cause a particular alter to emerge.

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is a severe condition in which two or more distinct identities/ personality states alternately take over an individual.
DID is characterized by fragmentation of identity rather than by a proliferation or growth of separate identities.