Multiple personality disorder is now known as dissociative identity disorder. It is a rare psychiatric illness characterized by the presence of two or more personalities. The subpersonalities are usually quite different from the primary personality and may be a different age, sex and race as well. The primary personality is unaware of the subpersonality and feels quite confused about lost amounts of time. This disorder is difficult to treat, but an experienced mental health professional may be successful at integrating the personalities over several years of therapy. A combination of several factors is thought to cause dissociative identity disorder.
Severe Childhood Abuse
Many cases of dissociative identity disorder stem from severe childhood abuse. This abuse may have been physical, psychological or sexual. Often, early childhood is when several types of abuse begin. Some examples of the abuse published in a 2006 issue of "Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing" are being buried alive, being forced to participate in murder or incest, being beaten and being totally neglected. Typically, the abuse is ongoing for years, causing the child's mind to develop an alternate personality who is strong enough to handle the abuse, leaving the primary personality free of it.
Genetic Predisposition
"Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing" indicates that dissociative identity disorder is more common in people who have a parent, sibling or child with the illness. This may be due to a genetic predisposition; further research is needed in this area.
Inadequate Childhood Caregiver
A person with dissociative identity disorder may have had an inadequate childhood caregiver who did not help the child develop healthy coping mechanisms. "Merck Manual" explains that this caregiver, usually a parent, may not have nurtured the child or offered protection from the abuse she suffered. A typical scenario involves one abusive parent and the other enabling the former by remaining silent. Mysticism or hyperreligiosity is occasionally a significant factor in these highly dysfunctional families.
Unknown Cause
While most cases of dissociative identity disorder have discernible causes, a few cases appear within people who have no known history of abuse, genetic predisposition or history of an inadequate childhood caregiver.
References
- "Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing": Concepts of Care in Evidence-Based Practice;" Mary C. Townsend, MN, APRN; 2006
- National Alliance on Mental Illness: Dissociative Identity Disorder
- "The Merck Manuals": Dissociative Identity Disorder
