![]() When you dissociate during a traumatic experience, it feels like someone else is having that experience - not you. In fact, the American Psychiatric Association reports that 90% of people with DID have a history of childhood abuse and neglect, based on research from the United States, Canada, and Europe.ĭissociation - a major part of DID - is a defense mechanism the body uses to reduce your awareness during overwhelming trauma.ĭissociation feels like a detachment or the feeling of being outside your own body. They have physical neurological differences and clear differences in cognitive function that are distinct from individuals who don’t have DID.ĭID is usually associated with adverse experiences in someone’s past and traumatic memories. People with DID aren’t simply suggestible or taking on social roles. They might have different opinions or a different gender identity, and even physical differences - like left- or right-handedness, or the need for a glasses prescription. For instance, one alter may speak with a different accent or have a softer way of speaking. In fact, it’s common for people with DID to report amnesia or a loss of time.Īlters can show striking differences. You may notice odd gaps in your memory from when a different alter was in control. You might not be aware alters exist - but others around you may have noticed them. The average number of alters is believed to be around 10. ![]() If you have dissociative identity disorder, you have two or more separate personalities or “alters” that control your behavior at different times. It occurs in women 9 times more often than in men. People of all ethnicities and income levels may have it. There are often differences in each identity’s awareness and relationship - or lack thereof - to the other identities.Some research states that up to 1.5% of community samples had DID, though research is limited due to the condition being so underrecognized. Some might even have individual physical characteristics such as a limp or poor vision that requires glasses. They’ll each commonly have an unrelated detailed background with obvious differences in age, gender, voice, and mannerisms. Often, each identity will have their own name and characteristics. If you believe someone you know has DID, you may get the impression that you’re communicating with not one, but several different people, as the person switches between personalities. Interacting with someone with dissociative identity disorder This isn’t considered a dissociative disorder. It’s important to note that according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, many cultures around the globe include possession as part of a normal spiritual ritual or practice. You might even feel like you’re possessed by one of several other identities. This occurs when you feel like there are two or more people talking or living in your head. ![]() It may include wandering off or a detachment from emotion. ![]() A dissociative fugue is an episode of amnesia that involves not having memory of certain personal information. This is a type of memory loss - beyond forgetfulness - that’s not associated with a medical condition. The most recognizable symptom of dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a person’s identity being involuntarily split between at least two distinct identities (personality states). What are the symptoms of dissociative identity disorder?
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