Dissociative Identity Disorder: Myths vs. Facts

Have you ever driven home without remembering how you got there? Or daydreamed your way through an entire conversation with someone? Almost all of us have experienced this feeling of detachment at some point or another. But have you ever felt so disconnected from reality that you seem to lose your sense of identity? Or even take on a totally different one? Well for people with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) this can be a daily experience.DID, previously referred to as multiple personality disorder is a disorder primarily characterised by the presence of two or more distinct identities. Each personality may have a separate, name, age, history, gender, mood etc. People experiencing DID may also experience memory loss or confusion due to fluctuating between two or more different personality states. DID is one of the most controversial and misunderstood mental illnesses to date with a range of misconceptions and misrepresentations surrounding it. So let’s take a look at some of the common myths of DID and the facts behind them.Myth 1: DID isn’t realDespite its recognition in the DSM-5, many people still believe that DID isn’t real and that people experiencing it are just making it up. The truth is DID is real, and is often brought on by childhood trauma. In one study it was found that out of 100 DID patients, 97 had experienced major trauma early on in life, with the common form being sexual abuse. Essentially the child is unable to cope with the trauma and in a form of denial creates another personality whom which the abuse/trauma is happening to. While this may serve as a useful coping mechanism in the moment, they may become problematic as these personalities carry on later into life.Myth 2: People with DID are dangerousHave you seen the movie Split? How about Psycho? While these films do provide some insight into DID there is often a lot of misinterpretation and inaccurate portrayals within the media of this disorder – particularly regarding their supposed violent and psychopathic tendencies. The truth is, people with DID are no more prone to violence than anyone else is; while some may be, it is the minority rather than the norm, just like in society.Myth 3: DID is extremely rare While DID was often thought to be very rare, it seems that approximately 1% of the population may be affected. The DSM-5 estimates the prevalence of DID at 1.5% making it a lot more common than once thought.Myth 4: DID = Schizophrenia A recent survey has found that 50% of people believe that schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder are the same when in fact they are two very different disorders. Schizophrenia is primarily characterised by delusions and hallucinations, often accompanied by paranoia, or disorganised speech or thought. People with DID do not hallucinate their alters; their alters are internal and involve a dissociation of identity not a hallucination of another person.Myth 5: The switch is obviousAnother common media portrayal when it comes to DID is that the switch in alters is extreme and very obvious. A lot of the time however these changes may be very slight such as a slight change in posture or tone of voice, something a casual observer could very easily miss.Myth 6: People with DID can’t lead a normal life How can someone live a normal life if they are constantly fluctuating between personalities? Well it is possible. For some, this may be by learning ways to accept, understand and control these multiple personalities. For others a process of fusion, by learning to combine aspects from all their different personalities into one complete identity, may be an option. And for some CBT may help them to manage these different dissociative states. While each person is different, living a normal life and achieving ones goals and aspirations with the presence of DID is a very rational outcome.