Dissociative identity disorder (DID) was once known as "multiple personality disorder." It is a controversial personality disorder popularized in Robert Louis Stevenson’s "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," where the main character, Dr. Jekyll, had a "split personality" in the evil Mr. Hyde. A common misconception about DID is that it is synonymous with schizophrenia. On the contrary, schizophrenia pertains to a severe impairment in brain functions, and not as multiple personalities.
Symptoms and causes of dissociative identity disorder
Patients with DID usually exhibit the following signs and symptoms:
Body pains like headaches and lower back pain
Loss of counsciousness of, or unawareness of, time and place (amnesia)
The patient perceives himself to be "detached" from his or her body
Depression
The most important symptom of DID is that the patient has two or more distinct personalities that often control the individual’s behavior. Most DID patients are not aware of the existence of their alter-egos or multiple personalities. For the patient to be properly diagnosed as DID, they should not be under the influence of drugs or other substances that may alter their perception (like LSD, marijuana, or cocaine).It is not clear what causes DID, but there are many theories posited for it. One theory is that a person may be genetically predisposed to have DID. Another is that too much stress, or the inability to handle stress, may lead to the development of the disorder. A consistent theory in the development of many personality disorders is childhood abuse and neglect. Still other psychologists and psychiatrists claim that DID can be traced to some physical brain functions, like blood flow and smaller volumes of amygdala (a group of neurons found deep within the brain).
Treatment of dissociative identity disorder
Multiple identities possessed by a DID patient can be cured through psychotherapy, where psychiatrists and/or mental health professionals can trace harmful identities and real identities. Support and intervention by family members and mental health care professionals is necessary for DID patients to come to terms with their illness and be grounded back on reality. The harmful effects of DID can also be alleviated through medicaton and hospitalization.