 Have you ever had an out-of-body experience or a daydream while you were driving and didn't realize it? Having a dissociative identity disorder is a lot like that, but far more frequent and intense. Psych2Go shares with you four facts that you need to know about dissociative identity disorder. 1. What is dissociative identity disorder? Dissociative identity disorder, or DID, was formerly known as multiple personality disorder, and is a condition in which the individual's identity is fragmented in two or more personalities. DID is often caused by many factors, such as trauma from severe childhood abuse or similar scenarios, and dissociative disorders serve as a coping mechanism. The individual experiences fragments of their identity rather than separate personalities truly. People with dissociative identity disorder experience an overall lack of connection in their actions, feelings, memories, and their identity. 2. What are the symptoms of dissociative identity disorder? People with DID often describe this condition similar to being possessed. They may hear voices in their head and experience sudden or impulsive emotions that they have no control over. In other words, it's like not having a power or option to choose who you want to be, which is what makes it both terrifying and difficult experience to really recover from. The individual's identity involves constant change through their behavior, consciousness, memory, perception, and motor function. There are also many gaps in their memories of their personal history, whether it's from early childhood or even very recently. As a result, people with DID often experience a lot of distress in their lives when the condition impacts their ability to connect socially. It's important to be aware too that more than 70% of those diagnosed with DID have attempted or thought about suicide, which is why treatment for it is crucial. 3. How does DID affect the way people experience life? People with DID can experience an out-of-body experience called depersonalization, which is when the individual's body feels detached from reality. People with DID also experience derealization, which is when they believe the world isn't real or is very far away from them. This is why DID often exposes people to depression and anxiety, because it can cause deep alienation from the rest of the world inflicting loneliness and feelings of deep misunderstanding. People with DID also experience amnesia. They have trouble recalling past events that goes well beyond ordinary forgetfulness and identity confusion, which can cause them to have trouble choosing what interests them, like political or religious beliefs or career ambitions. 4. How can dissociative identity disorder be treated? DID can be treated with long-term psychotherapy in which the patient learns to deconstruct their different personalities until they all come together and unite as one. So, to really make progress, the person must work towards becoming home. Currently, there are no medications that exist that specifically treat this disorder. However, there are antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs that people can be prescribed in order to alleviate some of the symptoms associated with DID. What do you think about dissociative identity disorder? Do you know someone who may have it? Psych2go would love to hear your thoughts. Please be sure to leave a comment down below.