According to the Diagnostic Statistics Manual version IV (DSMIV) which is the main book of reference, used by professionals in identifying Psychiatric disorders, Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder) is
� The presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states (each with its own relatively enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self).
� At least two of these identities or personality states recurrently take control of the person's behavior.
� Inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.
But what does that mean in everyday terms?
Basically DID/MPD is an innovative and highly individualist survival technique. It is the creative attempt of highly traumatized children to protect them selves from what's happening to them. (Example "This isn't happening to me.") When these children dissociate from the trauma, they become different personalities within one body. Only young children, around the age of eight and under have the flexibility and vulnerability to adapt to trauma by means of creating personalities. Each child is different; the abuse that causes one child to dissociate to the point of different personalities won�t be the same for another child.
DID is caused by trauma during childhood. There is a dissociative spectrum running from everyday dissociation (example daydreaming) all the way to the other end, which is, DID/MPD. It can occur when a child is traumatized by physical, sexual, emotional, and/or mental abuse. It can also occur by not having their basic needs met; i.e. food, shelter, and/or love. It can also be caused by extensive and/or invasive medical procedures such as transplants, being born premature, on a ventilator, separation from mom and dad. Any combination of this can start the child moving down the dissociative spectrum. The longer the trauma or combinations of traumas exist the further down the spectrum the child can move. Children are different meaning that for one child one instance of trauma is enough to move them all the way to DID while for another child the same trauma only moves them a little way. For other children it takes multiple traumas to move them down the spectrum. But the movement down the spectrum no matter how slow or fast the first instance of trauma must take place before the child is 8-9 years old.
In psychological terms dissociation means "that a person mentally distances themselves from traumatic situations or emotional distress." By using dissociation, a child can mentally remove him/herself from a dangerous, frightening and physically painful experience.
The more abuse the child experiences the more alters s/he may have. Each alter with its own "relatively enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self." Dissociation to the point of forming Dissociative Identity Disorder is a sane and healthy response to an insane and unhealthy situation.
DID/MPD was once thought of as a strictly rare disorder, but as more and more reports of severe early childhood abuse come in the easier it is to understand that it is not rare at all. In fact it is estimated that about every 3 in 5 (60%) of children who are severely abused have some degree of dissociation. Whether they move to DID depends on the child. All children are different so the abuse or stressors it takes to cause one child to go multiple would not necessarily cause another child to go multiple.
How does being DID/MPD help?
Being DID/MPD helps a child survive traumatic abuse by allowing the memories to be stored away until such a time as the child is able to deal with the memories. Multiples inside family/alters, for the most part, are their good friends. They have come to rescue the child, endured pain, and they have hidden lots of feelings when it wasn't safe for the child to have those feelings, for fear of further abuse or pain.
Is someone with MPD/DID crazy?
No, in fact it is the ability to dissociate which kept the child and then later the adult, sane. When someone is forced to endure trauma, dissociation is the normal thing to have happen.
Is DID/DID and Schizophrenia the same thing?
No, DID/MPD is a Dissociative Disorder, where as Schizophrenia is a Psychotic Disorder. People with DID/MPD hear real voices inside there head. Schizophrenics have delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech; grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior and they hear people outside their head.
What types of inside family/altars are there?
The typical family members/alters that are found in a person with MPD include:
- Core: Almost all families/systems have a core personality. It is usually the "original child" who went away during the act of abuse that caused the first family member/alter to come out.
- Host: Usually scared, depressed and has no clue s/he could be MPD.
- Protectors: Strong, angry family members/alters some have the responsibility to keep the children family members/alters safe. Others have the task of keeping the secret of the abuse.
- Internal Self-Helper (ISH): Who knows a lot about the internal family/system and wants to help everyone for the greater good of all. Sometimes they know a great deal of information about each family member/alter and are usually great help in the therapy process.
- Fragments: Not fully formed alternate personalities. They only have a single memory or two about specific abuse acts.
- Child Members/Alters: Range in all ages from an infant to age eight or so. Child members/alters behave like children. They want to play, color and watch cartoons. Those that suffered abuse are often times destructive and depressed.
- Preteen (Tweens): Range in age from 9-12.
- Teenager: Members/alters are between 13 and 19 years of age. They are typical teenagers, smacking bubble gum, listening to loud music, wanting to go to parties and hanging out with other teens.
- Adults: Members/alters in the family/system over 20 years old. They are very individualistic and may have many talents the host does not have.
Within the categories of Child, Preteen, Teen and Adult members/alters they can be sub groupings of personalities that can be any of the following;
- Artistic/music: Members/Alters who enjoy music and artistic pursuits often times create beautiful works of art that the host has no idea where they come from. The host also has no talent him/her self to ever create such a thing.
- Cross-gender: Members/Alters who are the opposite sex of the physical body. They may or may not have a different sexual orientation than the host.
Do alters ever have different physical characteristics?
Yes, it is not uncommon for alters to have different, eye site, eye color, sense of smell, foods they like and don�t like, amount they eat, amount of energy they have, hand that is dominate, educational knowledge. When body scans are done of a multiples body it shows physical differences when they switch as well as different pathways for accessing information in the brain.
Helping Littles learn to Heal.
One of the biggest problems with helping littles and teenage family members/alters is trying to undo the conditioning and the confusion it caused, as well as learning to give and expect nurturing, love and help. Many MPD/DIDs have trouble forming attachments to healthy people. Being able to form attachments is part of having a healthy childhood.
A little's time out needs to be fun, encouraging and healthy to allow healing to progress. They need love, understanding, nurturing, time to play, time to cry and time to talk. Allow them the time out to play and do the things they need to do.
Interaction with your therapist and other adults whom you trust is important. How else is a little going to undo all the years of being taught they were bad, touch was bad, and other such conditioning.
