From the Research
A person with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) would typically present with distinct alternate identities or personality states that take control of their behavior, often reporting gaps in memory for personal information and everyday events, as well as for traumatic experiences, as seen in a recent case report 1. In a clinical setting, these individuals may appear confused about their identity, show sudden changes in behavior, speech patterns, or mannerisms during sessions, and sometimes refer to themselves in the third person or by different names. Some key features of DID include:
- Gaps in memory for personal information and everyday events
- Sudden changes in behavior, speech patterns, or mannerisms
- Referring to themselves in the third person or by different names
- Feeling detached from themselves (depersonalization) or their surroundings (derealization)
- Experiencing time loss, finding possessions they don't remember acquiring, or encountering people who recognize them when they have no recollection of meeting DID typically develops as a response to severe childhood trauma, particularly repeated abuse or neglect, as the mind compartmentalizes traumatic experiences to protect itself, as confirmed by both the literature and research findings 1. Treatment generally involves psychotherapy approaches like cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and trauma-focused therapies rather than specific medications, though medications may be prescribed for co-occurring conditions like depression or anxiety, with a recent study suggesting the efficacy of Dissociation-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (DF-CBT) in reducing dissociative symptoms 2. Building therapeutic trust is essential as patients often have complex trauma histories and may be reluctant to disclose their experiences or symptoms, and a staged approach to treatment, beginning with the creation of a safe therapeutic frame, is crucial 3.