Health Topics for Mental and Emotional Health

Department of Psychiatry

Multiple Personality Disorder

Few psychological disorders have interested people as much as multiple personality disorder. Movies like Sybil and The Three Faces of Eve have been very popular. Multiple personality disorder is now known as dissociative identity disorder.

Everyone has different sides to their personalities. Sometimes we may be serious and sometimes playful. Some people may show a change in their personalities when they are drinking or using drugs. Dissociative personality disorder is different. In it, more than one distinct identity exists within a person's body. These identities control behavior. The person has an inability to remember important personal information. This problem is too severe to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.

The person with a dissociative identity disorder has a primary identity that usually carries the individual's given name. This identity is usually depressed, guilty, passive, and dependent. Other identities, or personalities, generally have their own names, likes, dislikes, and skills. Different personalities may act like they have different ages, genders, or races. There may be as few as two identities or more than one hundred. The personalities may or may not have knowledge of the others. Stress tends to bring on changes in personalities.

The cause of this disorder remains unknown. Some professionals believe it is related to severe physical or sexual abuse in childhood. Many people with dissociative identity disorder also have depression, sexual disorders, eating disorders, or sleep disorders. Many have post-traumatic stress disorder.

This disorder appears to be more common in females than in males. There has been a sharp rise in reported cases in recent years. Individuals who are highly suggestible may be misdiagnosed. Some people who enjoy attention or seek profit may fake this disorder. People in legal trouble may try to use this as a defense.

No one should try to diagnose themselves or someone else with this disorder without the help of a professional. Children often have imaginary playmates. This is normal and is not related to this disorder. Amnesia can be related to many physical factors and these must be ruled out before this diagnosis can be made.

If you have episodes of amnesia, consult your primary healthcare provider for a full checkup. If someone you know has been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, they should seek help from a mental health professional with experience in this area.

Last Reviewed 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

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