Multiple Personality Disorders

Multiple Personality Disorder: An Overview

Multiple personality disorder (MPD) also known as Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a mental disorder which causes the sufferer to develop and experience at least two or more different and distinct personalities. Each of these personalities usually differs in opinions, point-of-views as well as the way they perceive the world. These personalities also differ in their reactions as well as emotions as well a gender; alters of different genders can exist within in the same body.

What is Multiple Personality Disorder?

In our daily lives most of us sometimes experience a ‘gap’ or ‘blank’ spot in our thought process when we lose the thread of a conversation or thought. Similarly, many people also find themselves in a daydream like state while at work, in school, taking the subway or while watching the TV. Those suffering from MPD have such strong dissociative powers that they can breakaway completely from their thoughts, emotions, feelings, surroundings as well as their current lifestyle.

What Causes Multiple Personality Disorder?

It is thought that, because no clear scientific proof has yet been observed, that MPD is a result of severe childhood trauma and abuse. Children usually get over their trauma by a coping mechanism which allows them to disassociate from the hurt and the pain. This walling off of feelings and emotions creates a disorder where these victims reserve an entire part of their personality to solely deal with emotions linked to the trauma.

Is it real?

People, researchers and certain psychologists are often skeptic of the existence of this disorder. The main reason being that there have not been any major breakthroughs as to what exactly its causes are. Moreover, certain inconsistencies between different cases of split personalities raise question towards what really causes it and if it is a cultural or social myth. For example, not everyone suffering from MPD has experienced an abusive or traumatic childhood. Similarly, many people who have experienced a traumatic childhood do not develop MPD. However, MPD cases are very much real and so are the people suffering from it.

Symptoms of Multiple Personality Disorder

Some major symptoms of MPD are memory lapses where the person does not recall major life events or what they did on a particular day or at a particular time as well as having no recollection of how they got where they found themselves sitting, standing or walking. Encountering strangers who the person does not know but they seem to know them. Not recognizing their surroundings or possessions from time to time. Mood swings, depression, eating disorders, hallucinations as well as compulsive behavior are some signs and symptoms of those suffering from MPD.

Diagnosing MPD

While there is no definitive manner of diagnosing MPD like running blood tests or x-rays, psychologists run various ‘mental’ health tests by asking questions about the person’s background, life, childhood and all the while looking for the symptoms described before.

A long term treatment is required for those suffering from MPD. There is no medicine or tablet that a person can take and simply ‘erase’ their alters. Suggested treatments include hypnotherapy, psychotherapy as well as medications to control Multiple Personality Disorder’s various symptoms.