Multiple Personalities Support Group

Dissociative identity disorder is a diagnosis described as the existence in an individual of two or more distinct identities or personalities, each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment. At least two of these personalities are considered to routinely take control of the individual's behavior, and there is also some associated memory loss,...

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The prevalence of DID

Wheezie
Wheezie
So my husband and I were watching "Heroes" on Netflix recently and one of the main characters in the first season was diagnosed with DID.Then I believe in the 3rd or 4th year of the series the main villian "Sylar" gets kidnapped and traumatized and the police find him all dirtied with dissociative amnesia.They again speak of dissociation and how this has affected his memory. My point to this thread is the psychiatric community downplays the prevalence of dissociation as a natural coping mechanism for trauma.There have been studies done with animals that prove they dissociate as a result of fear and trauma.You want proof of that all you have to do is turn on National Geographic and watch lions hunt.They will catch a zebra it will fight and struggle until it knows it can not overcome then it will dissociate and go still to not feel the pain any longer.The preverbial "deer in the headlights" if you will. My husband spoke to my therapist about the Heroes show and her response was "yeah DID and dissociation is everywhere".The only logical reason other than denial I can see why the psychiatric community would downplay the prevalence of DID is because they know that medicines are not recommended for the treatment of DID.In fact most psychotropic medications are counterproductive when healing from trauma.I will never buy into the illusion that DID is rare.Many of my family and friends show the symptoms of it and signs of multiplicity are peppered throughout our culture.For example stars like Beyonce and Britney Spears have been documented as having "alter egos".Even the book Resurrection after Rape hints to multiplicity.In one of it's questions posed to it's readers it asks "What do you remember about your rape?" It is a multiple choice and one of those choices is "Do you hear voices in your head telling you about the rape?" I think it is high time that society accepts that multiplicity is a normal and natural reaction to trauma and not treat us as if we are insane for developing this coping mechanism.
john12as
john12as
Great point wheezie! Many "professionals" are still uneducated about DID.
there is still much to learn about dissociation so I think we still hear a lot speculation out there. Most of us have all heard the spectrum analogy to dissociation, where you have things like day dreaming on one end, and DID on the other end. That means there's lots of in between about how the human brain works with this coping mechanism, and to what degree.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I agree, I especially agree about your point that meds don't help and that may be a cause for lack of acceptance. Medication means money to doctors, sorry just sayin. And not all doctors are this way I know several who are very nice and truly do care. Society as a whole is in denial, of another issue just because its different and they don't understand. I personally get very tired of trying to deal with this on my own because others cannot accept that it is a real problem that many of us face daily.
loum50
loum50
Thank you for that. I know when I was a child I was able to dissociate to the point of not feeling any physical pain. I am fortunate to have a therapist that specializes in dissociation.
tyzz27
tyzz27
I think when we look at the statistics that 1-3% of the population have severe dissociation symptoms that still adds up to thousands upon thousands of people with one if the major forms if dissociation. Unfortunately because if the way we are treated people are less likely to talk about their experiences and therefore the prevalence of DID tues untold.
deleted_user
deleted_user
I think a sad fact is, the stigma of any mental health issue is bad enough. But, when movies like Sybil are sold as "true", but later admitted as "made up", those of us who actually have those voices living inside of us are left to 'defend' the diagnosis. Like we'd choose any of the things that made DID a necessity in the first place. The producers of movies like that would do us a favor to sell it as fiction right up front.
stephanietram
stephanietram
Heroes was actually a big help to me when I was diagnosed. My kids could see how it was portrayed on the show and they would ask questions about it. It gave us a common starting point and language we could use to help promote understanding. They were greatly relieved to find I was not like the blonde who was so violent when she switched. Of course, that is TV and we know that statistically DID people are much less violent (according to the numbers) than singular people in general. Still, it helped open a dialogue.
deleted_user
deleted_user
my friend is a doctor she has it and she flourishes with it it makes her able to do her job I was a band director my brain is a middle school band LOL yes it is God given everybody has it we live in a very trauma oriented world ,, what is grief if not for God given or universe gfven natural response to trauma and we can only cope with so much at one time it is not a rare thing at all,, that does not mean all have been brutalized in childhood it would not be right to take anything away or minimize that however some of the most amazing people most creative most doctors etc can relate to trauma ,,, I am proud God gave me this way to survive and it made me a very gifted musician it is all about perspective,, Dont tell me all those folks on reality tv dont have an alter that wants fame any way they can get it ,, just read Herschell walkers book!!!
tyzz27
tyzz27
I agree every disociates to some degree in their life. I think we need to be careful that we try and find major forms of dusociation in everyone just because we don't want to,be seen as different. While it us difficult at times having DID I am also truly thankful for my alter personalities who make my life unique. Unfortunately I can't tell everyone about my dx but this does not mean I am not entitled to everything that other people are. I am slowly learning who u can come out to so u can start changing the way people see DID
Wheezie
Wheezie
I have had multiple people in my life once they found out my diagnosis admit to having DID themselves.Then when I speak to them on different occasions they do not remember admitting to me because the alter that did admit it took their awareness of that away.That is not looking for symptoms in someone because I feel alone in my diagnosis.Also everyone I know has been abused.To think that I am the only one to deveope this disorder and DID as rare with abuse being that rampant is illogical and unrealistic.