Tens of thousands of men and women from all over the world suffer from one another form of mental disorders. Some of these tend to be unnoticeable and do not show any symptoms while others are serious and often left untreated leading to terrible results. Mental experts from all corners of the globe are hence stressing the importance of recognizing the signs of mental disorders and ensuring that the patient gets the best treatment promptly.

Multiple personality disorder is one such mental disorder which is being reported at an alarmingly increasing rate.

What is Multiple Personality Disorder?

Multiple personality disorder is today called Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). It is a complex psychological disorder that mostly results from extreme psychological, physical, or sexual trauma during childhood.

In simple words, multiple personality disorder is an extreme type of dissociation. It is identified as a mental process that makes the patient lose connection with feelings, memories, thoughts, and eventually their sense of identity.

Research studies have shown that multiple personality disorder cases are caused by several different factors, but mainly from the trauma that has been experienced by the patient. The resulting dissociation is thought to be a coping mechanism developed by the patient to help curb the pain of the trauma.

Hence, a person suffering from multiple personality disorder tends to shut themselves away or dissociate themselves from an experience or a situation that they feel to be painful, traumatic, or too violent.

How to Identify Multiple Personality Disorder?

Now that you have an idea about what is multiple personality disorder, you should also need to know how to identify multiple personality disorder cases as well.

Studies have shown that multiple personality disorder is most likely a safety process developed by the patient to deal with environmental or interpersonal stress, especially if the patient has experienced emotional abuse while in their developmental stage during childhood.

These studies have noted that 99% of multiple personality disorder cases report personal histories of extreme and recurring trauma, usually before they were 6 years old. Also, many of these cases reportedly experienced only constant emotional neglect, without any significant physical or sexual trauma that led to the development of multiple personality disorder symptoms. Research has shown that children whose parents scare them or show unpredictable behavior are more likely to develop multiple personality disorder symptoms.

Overall, multiple personality disorder cases account for around 1% of the population, however, this does not make the problem any less significant for society as a whole. It is strongly recommended that we need to identify the effects of multiple personality disorder and be able to know how to cure multiple personality disorder effectively.

Symptoms of Multiple Personality Disorder

Multiple personality disorder cases are distinguished from other similar psychological disorders by the presence of one or more additional personalities that the patient develops. These personalities reside in the same person but are noticeably different in mannerisms and mentality. The different personalities in a person suffering from multiple personality disorder tend to perceive and react to outer stimuli in their distinct ways.

Here are the major multiple personality disorder symptoms that are seen in most cases of DID:

  • Unable to remember vital personal information
  • Different personalities retain unique and specific memories
  • Different personalities develop distinct ways to behaving and talking

Also, some of the other major multiple personality disorder symptoms are:

  • Depression
  • Headaches
  • Anxiety
  • Amnesia
  • Sleep problems
  • Time loss
  • Out-of-body experience
  • An inclination to be violent 
  • Mood swings
  • Suicidal tendencies

The most prominent multiple personality disorder symptoms are the visible switching between one alternate personality to another. This is most often characterized by:

  • Depersonalization – It makes the patient feel detached from themselves, often referred to as the “out of body experience”.
  • De realization – This makes the patient look at the world from away as if truly dissociated from everything that is happening around them.
  • Amnesia – This causes the patient to be unable to recall and remember important personal information. It can also cause micro-amnesia which results in the patient forgetting even the context of the conversation they are having.
  • Identity Confusion / Alteration – These conditions make the patient confused about their sense of identity. This is often characterized by the patient’s inability to name their favorite food, their opinions, and even their sexual orientation in many cases.

Research has shown that the different and alternate personalities developed by people suffering from the effects of multiple personality disorder are not complete but rather fragmented senses of identity.

How can Multiple Personality Disorder be treated?

If you or any of your loved one seems to suffer from the above mentioned multiple personality disorder symptoms, then it is important to consult with a reputed and trained psychologist to know how to cure multiple personality disorder successfully.

The diagnosis of multiple personality disorder symptoms takes time and requires patience from the patient’s end as well as the willingness to get treated. The psychologist will take into account the distinct aspects of the different personalities present in the patient, the frequency and severity of amnesia, major aspects where the patient finds difficulty to function in normal life, along with a history of reaction to alcohol or substance abuse.

After careful consideration of the above-mentioned signs and symptoms, the psychologist or mental health experts will recommend on how to cure multiple personality disorder in a particular patient.

The main aim of treatment of this condition is to relieve the effects of multiple personality disorder in the patient, apart from ensuring their safety and helping to join their different, fragmented personalities into a single, solid one. The treatment for multiple personality disorder involves helping the patient to cope with the Panic disorder, painful memories, develop new skills to handle the traumatic experiences, resume maximum function, and eventually improve relationships with those around them. 

Conclusion

It is highly recommended to seek professional help if you or your loved ones experience signs and symptoms of multiple personality disorder. Remember, despite being a severe mental condition, the effects of multiple personality disorders can be successfully treated.