Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)• Dissociative identity disorder is a mental

illness that involves the sufferer experiencing at least two clear identities or personality states, also called alters, each of which has a fairly stable way of viewing and relating to the world.

Why is the Disorder Considered:

• Maladaptive: People with a dissociative identity disorder are rigid and tend to respond inappropriately to problems. This inappropriate behavior affects relationships with family members, friends, and coworkers.

• Unjustifiable behavior: Most people with a personality disorder are distressed about their life and have problems with relationships at work or in social situations. Many people also have mood, anxiety, substance abuse, or eating disorders.

• Disturbing behavior: Most people with a personality disorder are distressed about their life and have problems with relationships at work or in social situations.

• Atypical behavior: anxiety, depression, or substance abuse are example that they tend to believe are caused by other people or by circumstances beyond their control.

Symptoms of Dissociative Disorder

Depression Mood swings lapses in memory (dissociation) experiencing blackouts in time Hallucinations (hearing voices inside their head that are

not their own) not recognizing themselves in the mirror; feeling unreal

(derealization); feeling like they are watching themselves move through

life rather than living their own life; and feeling like more than one person.

Causes Psychological theory says:how the condition develops is as a

reaction to childhood trauma.

Biological Perspective: As with other mental disorders, having a

family member with DID may indicate a potential vulnerability to developing the disorder but does not translate into the condition being literally hereditary.

Treatments

1. The first line treatment for a personality disorder is antipsychotic medication.

• It can reduce the positive symptoms of psychosis in about 7–14 days.

• Antipsychotics to significantly improve the negative symptoms and cognitive dysfunction.

2. Clozapine is an effective treatment for those who respond poorly to other drugs • it has the potentially serious side

effect of agranulocytosis (lowered white blood cell count) in 1–4%

• weight gain, diabetes and risk of metabolic syndrome.

Personal STORY!• I know someone

who is one year younger than me and has a personality disorder. He had two personalities. His real self and his alter ego “John”.

Good Website

http://psychcentral.com/disorders/sx18t.htm