A brief on DID

Dissociative identity disorder might sound like a made up illness but in reality, it is quite real and could be a scary experience. This illness was formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder.

DID (Dissociative identity disorder) happens when someone suffers from two or more personalities inhabit a body. Their personalities can be either female, male or even an animal regardless of their own gender. These personalities alternate and switches anytime. These personalities could stay a second or days.

Each personalities have their own name, each of them are like a different person with their own postures and gestures. Each personalities usually play a role in the patient's life.

DID is caused by repeatedly childhood trauma (usually before the age of 9). In order to escape from these trauma, the dissociative aspect worked as a coping mechanism, struggling to get away from those memories.

Someone with DID tend to develop other mental illness symptoms such as depression and self abuse (eating disorder, suicide attempts). Other than that, DID patients also tend to have memory lapses where they don't recall a part of their life just because their personalities took over during that time.

They also encounter people who might recognize them and being called a different name. Some of the other signs of DID might include not recognizing themselves in the mirror, not recognizing their own handwriting, hearing voices in their head and feeling unreal.

There are three different types of treatment for DID:- through medication, hypnosis and psychotherapy. Although DID cannot be completely cured, it can however be controlled in order for the person to lead a normal life.

If DID is not treated, it could affect the patient's daily life. They become more violent and vulnerable to alcohol abuse. DID patients were also known to attempt suicide more than once.