Dissociative identity disorder (DID), previously known as multiple personality disorder (MPD), and colloquially known as split personality disorder, is a mental disorder characterized by the maintenance of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.The disorder is accompanied by memory gaps more severe than could be explained by ordinary forgetfulness. The personality states alternately show in a persons behavior; however, presentations of the disorder vary. Other conditions that often occur in people with DID include post-traumatic stress disorder, personality disorders (especially borderline and avoidant), depression, substance use disorders, conversion disorder, somatic symptom disorder, eating disorders, obsessive–compulsive disorder, and sleep disorders. Self-harm, non-epileptic seizures, flashbacks with amnesia for content of flashbacks, anxiety disorders, and suicidality are also common. Overview
The following three subsections give brief overviews of the proposed cause of dissociative identity disorder (DID) and how it is recognized; conventional treatment of DID, and how frequently it occurs; and finally how it is perceived in present western culture. All of the topics are treated in greater detail in later sections. Cause and diagnosis
DID is associated with overwhelming traumas or abuse during childhood. (p 294) In about 90% of cases, there is a history of neglect or abuse in childhood, while other cases are linked to experiences of war, or severe medical procedures during childhood. Genetic and biological factors are also believed to play a role. The diagnosis should not be made if the persons condition is better accounted for by substance use disorder, seizures, other mental health problems, imaginative play in children, or religious practices.
The primary dispute is between those who believe DID is caused by traumatic stresses forcing the mind to split into multiple identities, each with a separate set of memories, and the belief that the symptoms of DID are produced artificially by certain psychotherapeutic practices or patients playing a role they believe appropriate for a person with DID. The debate between the two positions is characterized by intense disagreement. Research into this hypothesis has been characterized by poor methodology. Psychiatrist Joel Paris notes that the idea that a personality is capable of splitting into independent alters is an unproven assertion that is at odds with research in cognitive psychology.Some believe that DID is caused by health care, i.e. symptoms of DID are created by therapists themselves via hypnosis. This belief also implies that those with DID are more susceptible to manipulation by hypnosis and suggestion than others. The iatrogenic model also sometimes states that treatment for DID is harmful. According to Brand, Loewenstein and Spiegel, "[t]he claims that DID treatment is harmful are based on anecdotal cases, opinion pieces, reports of damage that are not substantiated in the scientific literature, misrepresentations of the data, and misunderstandings about DID treatment and the phenomenology of DID".