Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a mental disorder. It was once named as multiple personality disorder (MPD), a term that is still sometimes used to refer to it, though it is considered outdated and misinformative by many due to the media implications and ableist views that come from the MPD terminology. Not only this but DID has only been so recently validated through recent research, as past research not only gave the wrong idea, it promoted those with DID are "harmful" or "dangerous" which for the most part is inaccurate as a considerable portion of the DID community do not intend harm. While there are persecutor alters, persecutor alters commonly do not harm others around them but only the system as a way to protect from future traumas or abuse as stated in an article about alters and systems.
Definition and Symptoms[]
In order to suffer from DID, patients must have developed at least two or more other identities (also classified as alters) or dissociative state, which must be distinct and enduring.
There are other dissociative disorders that exist, and can be classified in other ways with other symptoms, but DID is specifically classified by the presence of another "being" or "alter" who can control the body, these alters are not however a separate personality but a separate person that may behave completely different to another. Once the host patient returns to the "front" (a common phrase used to describe an alter in control) their memory is impaired in a way that cannot be explained by ordinary "forgetfulness" and can be more akin to a wall of amnesia only the other alter can remember, and they cannot recall personal information when they weren't in the front control. In other words, the patient does not remember assuming the alternate identity or identities, also known as alters.
The degree of memory impairment varies from individual to individual; in a number of cases, the sufferer is not even aware of the existence of the other identities or dissociative states, unless informed otherwise, however, some may experience moments of being in one location to be in a completely different location which is a common sign in those who have a dissociative disorder. These symptoms are not influence by current substance abuse, seizures, or other medical conditions; and primarily come from childhood trauma of someone below ten years of age, this trauma generally is severe in order to trigger the brain into putting amnesiac walls and establish different identities/alters to protect itself from trauma and severe stress.
The number of alternate identities also varies with each body. Most have identified fewer than ten identities, but in at least one case, as many as 4,500 were recorded in one body.
Causes[]
As stated in an article made to research and inform others of this dissociative disorder:
It used to be thought that dissociative identity disorder is the result of a combination of self hypnosis, a fantasy prone personality, or a desire to escape and child abuse that caused a child to pretend that someone else was experiencing the abuse in their place until they were able to create an alter who could actually do that. Now, the theory of structural dissociation postulates that all humans are born as a collection of unintegrated self states that naturally integrate over time unless this process is disrupted by trauma.
Studies of children with DID have shown that alters are less differentiated and have less amnesiac barriers between them in younger individuals. It is thought that alters strengthen and become more individual as they are used more often and are exposed to more situations. This is reinforced by the differences between more developed alters and fragments.
Trauma that occurs later in life can worsen prognosis for individuals with DID.
On Criminal Minds[]
- Tobias Hankel ("The Big Game" and "Revelations") had two alternate identities: his father Charles (who was his first victim and abused him throughout his childhood) and the Archangel Raphael.
- Adam Jackson ("Conflicted") had a female alternate personality named Amanda, who he developed as a way to cope with the physical abuse inflicted by his stepfather.
- Bruce Morrison ("All That Remains") had a sadistic alternate personality named Johnny.
- DID became a prominent plot point in a Season Twelve story arc. Following his escape from prison, serial killer by proxy Peter Lewis targeted DID patients and created new alternate personalities for them through the use of torture, sevoflurane, and scopolamine. This method was successful, and he used Brian Phillips to commit a crime spree, and Desmond Holt to taunt the BAU. These people had DID prior, but were of no harm to anyone until subjected to the torture.