Dissociative Identity Disorder

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is classified as a mental health disorder that causes a person to have two or more separate, unrelated personalities. This looks like two or more people inside of one person, with each having their own biography, characteristics, tastes, moods, and interests. Throughout the disorder’s history, it’s been called split personality disorder and multiple personality disorder. You may recognize these names more easily. 

The disorder seems to primarily disrupt how a person interprets and connects with reality, with amnesia and hallucinations often occurring when other personalities take over. DID is particularly rare, with less than 1% of the population–most of that group being female–receiving a diagnosis. Here are some of the most common DID symptoms:

• A person has a core or main personality/identity and one or many alternate personalities that are often radically different from each other. This can mean that the core personality identifies as a shy Black adult woman who is a physicist, for example, but has other personalities that may be extroverted, Caucasian, male, teenaged or younger, averse to mathematics, or multilingual.
• Substance use disorder or addiction may be present.
• Suicidal ideation and/or self-harm may be present.
• Anxiety and depression may be present.
• Delusions, disorientation, and memory loss are also common. 

What Causes DID and How is it Treated?

Typically, DID occurs in people who experienced ongoing abuse and neglect as children. 

For the brain, one of the most viable ways of surviving trauma is dissociating from it. As a result, many people dissociate in self-defense when they are sexually, physically, or emotionally abused both as children and as adults. 

When someone has DID, the trauma they experience causes their personality to splinter into different fragments, allowing some alternate personalities to bear the weight of certain memories while the core personality has no access to or recognition of them. This also helps explain why most people who seek help initially do so for another disorder. The nature of DID causes them to forget when and how their other personalities come to the surface. Usually, people who are undiagnosed with DID are not aware that they’re dealing with the disorder. 

DID can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) techniques. At Miramont, we tailor our therapeutic approach to each individual client. 

Get Help For Dissociative Identity Disorder in Wisconsin 

At each of our facilities in Middleton and Waukesha, we open our doors to anyone seeking dual-diagnosis treatment and/or mental health support. We understand that people can develop mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, and dissociative disorders out of an involuntary trauma response. 

Most importantly, we understand that dissociative disorders are treatable and manageable with the proper tools and environment. There are effective and supportive communities that can assist you in daily functioning so that you can enjoy life as much as possible. We take on this role of supportive community by centering on the following:

• Trauma-informed treatment and scientifically supported therapeutic options
• Customized treatment plans after a thorough assessment
• Around-the-clock nursing support, supervision, medication monitoring, and mental health education
• Individual and peer therapy, along with family engagement services and education
• Aftercare coordination and discharge treatment plans

If you or someone you love has recently been given a DID diagnosis, don’t panic. Miramont Behavioral is well-equipped to provide care and support. Talk with us to learn whether our inpatient treatment option or mental health outpatient program will work best for you and your needs.