Dissociative Identity Disorder

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, in Dissociative Identity Disorder, an individual's identity dissociates, or fragments, creating additional identities that exist independently of each other within the individual, with each personality specifically distinct from the other in such characteristics as tone of voice, mannerisms, vocabulary, and posture. The author points out that the main personality, the one seeking psychiatric help, is called the 'host', although it generally is not the individual's original personality, but rather one developed along the way. The paper reports that treatment mainly consists of psychotherapy using outpatient hypnosis with the goal to deconstruct the different personalities and to unite them into one, which takes from a minimum of three to five years, or six or more years for more complex patients.

From the Paper:

"Treatment of DID is a long and difficult process and success, the total integration of identity, is rare. One 1990 study found that roughly one-fourth, five of the twenty patients studied, were successfully treated. Treatment involves having DID patients recall childhood memories and often includes hypnosis to help the patient remember because the memories are often subconscious. There is need for caution however, as recovered memories can be so traumatic for the patient that they may cause more harm."

More papers on Dissociative Identity Disorder:

• Research Paper # 102621 : "Diagnosing Dissociative Identity Disorder"
• Term Paper # 115072 : "Symptoms and Treatment of Dissociative Identity Disorder"
• Term Paper # 95853 : "Dissociative Identity Disorder"

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