Facts about Dissociative Identity Disorder

• Patients with DID have often dealt with violent and traumatizing experiences in the past. These experiences could include witnessing someone die or undergoing physical abuse. Because these moments are too stressful to remember, these patients tap into their dissociation to escape. When a moment triggers a traumatic memory, these patients might cope by daydreaming or acting differently.
• Due to their dissociation, or separation from their sense of self, a number of DID patients are likely to struggle with memory issues. Often times, they may even fail to remember key pieces of personal information. They might recall something scary that happened to them but forget normal, everyday events, such as things that happened at work or in their personal lives.
• In cases of dissociative identity disorder, a person can experience one or more other identities. Although it’s not always going to be as obvious as you would think, each separate identity may have its own name, personal history, sometimes voice, gender and other specific characteristics.
• Dissociative disorders can be found in people of all ages, races, ethnicity, and backgrounds. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) estimates that about 2 percent of people experience dissociative disorders.

How to cope

Learning new coping skills is an important aspect of managing symptoms of dissociative identity disorder. Some strategies that can help include:

• Meditation: Practicing meditation may help people become more aware of their own internal mental states.7
• Relaxation techniques: Such strategies can help people better cope with stress and learn how to better manage dissociative symptoms.
• Mindfulness: This practice can help people gently bring themselves back to the present moment when they begin to experience flashbacks or dissociative symptoms.2
• Using reminders: Writing things down can provide a useful visual reminder when people find themselves experiencing periods of forgetfulness or dissociative amnesia.

Although we may typically see dissociative identity disorder portrayed a certain way, it is important to know the facts, and remove any stigmas attached to mental health disorders so those who are dealing with the issue feel the freedom and encouragement to seek the help they need.

In many cases, DID stems from childhood trauma, so psychotherapy and even family therapy is highly suggested. In terms of medication, there is currently no medication that’s specifically used to treat it. Instead, some people may be prescribed medication to help deal with mood disorders such as depression or anxiety. If you or someone you know may be dealing with symptoms associated with dissociative identity disorder, seeking help from a therapist is a great first step to help better cope.

When to see a psychologist

• You are aware or others observe that you involuntarily and unwillingly have two or more personalities or identities that have a distinctly different way of relating to you and the world around you.
• You experience beyond ordinary forgetfulness, like extensive gaps in your memory for important personal information, skills, and events.
• Your symptoms aren’t caused by a medical condition or from the use of alcohol or drugs.
• Your symptoms are causing you problems or stress in important areas such as your personal life and at work.