FREE ESSAY ON MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER

MULTIPLE PERSONALITY DISORDER

Multiple Personality Disorder More than two million cases can be found altogether in
psychological and psychiatric records of multiple personality disorder also called
dissociative identity disorder. It is often thought that multiple personality disorder is
a trick, a bizarre form of play-acting that is committed by manipulative,
attention-seeking individuals. It is not. Multiple personality disorder is a disorder of
hiding wherein 80-90% of multiple personality disorder patients do not have a clue that
they have the disorder. Most know that there is something wrong with them; many fear that
they are crazy, but few know that they have a disorder. What is Multiple Personality
Disorder? Multiple personalities is a dissociate reaction to stress in which the patient
develops two or more personalities. Each personality has a distinct, well-developed
emotional and thought process and represents a unique and relatively stable personality.
The individual may change from one personality to another at periods varying from a few
minutes to several years. The personalities are usually very different and have different
attitudes; one may be happy, carefree and fun loving, and another quiet, studious, and
serious. People can have up to fifty personalities or more. All personalities usually
will have their own name and their own role. For example one personality can be the
keeper of pain, his role is to take and feel all the pain that the other personalities
come in contact with. The personality also can have their own appearance, but this does
not mean the person changes its outer image it is just the way he/she sees inside his/her
head. The personalities will also have different ages, talents, and likes and dislikes.
For example: In the novel, The Minds of Billy Miligin, there was a man who had
twenty-four personalities. All of his twenty-four personalities were different. They had
different ages, their own appearance, and some were of the opposite sex. The
personalities all had their own role and their own talents. There was one personality
that was right handed all others were left handed, only one smoked, one had a British
accent another Slavic. Many used their own talents some liked to paint, one was an escape
artist, one was a karate expert and another a sculptor. Various types of relationships
may exist between the different personalities. Usually the individual alternates from one
personality to the other, and can not remember in one, what happened in the other.
Occasionally however while one personality is dominant and functions consciously, the
other continues to function sub-consciously and is referred to the co conscious
personality. Relationships may become highly complicated when there is more than two
personalities. In many cases of multiple personalities the personalities will talk of a
spotlight. The spotlight is how they come into the conscious world. All the personalities
live around the spotlight whoever stands on it finds himself or herself in the conscious
world leaving the other personalities unaware of the personality's actions. This leaves
the next personality that comes into consciousness in total amnesia. Causes of Multiple
Personality Disorder Multiple personality disorder often forms with a person who has been
deprived of love and friendship and with a person who has been abused. These people make
up friends for themselves, but not just and imaginary friends these friends form there
own personalities. These people may also make up other people who are not scared or
people, who can not feel pain to turn deal with abuse, which also turn into separate
personalities. These people usually deny what is happening and may live their lives
without anyone finding out about their disorder. The degree of vulnerability of the child
has a great impact on the amount of personalities the person will have. The typical
female multiple has about 19 personalities; male multiples tend to have less that half of
that. For example a male multiple from ages 7 to 10 who was sexually abused a half-dozen
times by a distant relative is going to have far fewer personalities than a female
multiple who was severely physically, sexually, and emotionally abused by both parents
from infancy to age 16. The female could easily develop 30 to 50 (+) personalities, even
in the hundreds. Although its important to remember that every person is different so
there may be some people with many personalities and not that much abuse. Or allot of
abuse and not that many personalities. Some signs that a person has multiple personality
disorder are: 1. History of depression or suicidal behavior. 2. Childhood history of
physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological abuse... reports one parent was very cold
and critical reports of wonderful parents by a person who is clearly emotionally
troubled. 3. Abusive relationships in adulthood 4. Strong attacks of shame; sees self as
bad or undeserving sacrifices self for others feels does not deserve help; is a burden,
reluctant to ask for help is sure you do not want to be troubled with seeing him or her
5. Reports being able to turn off pain or put it out of my mind. 6. Self-mutilation or
self-injuring behavior. 7. Hears voices. 8. Flashbacks (visual, auditory, somatic,
affective, or behavioral) 9. History of unsuccessful therapy. 10. Multiple past diagnoses
(e.g.: major depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality
disorder, and substance abuse). 11. History of shifting symptom picture. 12. Reports of
odd changes or variations in physical skills or interests. 13. Described by significant
other as having 2 personalities or being a Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. 14. Family history of
dissociation. 15. Phobia or panic attacks. 16. Substance abuse. 17. Daytime enuresis or
encopresis. 18. History of psychophysiological symptoms. 19. Seizure-like episodes. 20.
History of nightmare and sleep disorders. 21. History of sleepwalking. 22. School
problems. 23. Reports psychic experiences. 24. Anorexia or Bulimia. 25. Sexual
difficulties. Cures of Multiple Personality Disorder There is treatment for multiple
personality disorder, but the disorder usually can not be cured completely. The
personalities can be combined to form one core personality the original person. This
process of integrating all the personalities into one is complicated and does not work in
several cases. The personalities will fuse together for awhile, but than break apart when
put in a stressful or unsafe situation. Recovery from multiple personality disorder and
childhood trauma takes of five years or more. It is a long and difficult process of
mourning. The important thing to remember is that recovery does and can happen.
Conclusion For many observers, multiple personality disorders are a fascinating, exotic,
and weird phenomenon. For the patient, it is confusing, unpleasant, sometimes terrifying,
and always a source of the unexpected. The treatment of multiple personality disorder is
excruciatingly uncomfortable for the patient. Their childhood traumas and memories must
be faced, experienced, digested, and integrated into the patient's view of him/herself.
Similarly, the nature of one's parents, one's life, and the day-to-day world must be
re-thought. As each issue or trauma is dealt with the alter personality that deals with
it can disappear. The personality is no longer needed to contain undigested trauma. In a
sense we are all multiple personalities in that we have many conflicting tendencies and
frequently do things that surprise both others and ourselves. This is illustrated by
common sayings such as, I don't know why I did it or I didn't think he had it in him. But
most of us do not develop distinct separate personalities. Bibliography Specific Neurotic
Patterns, pg. 245 - 247 The Minds of Billy Miligan, Keyes, Daniel Mental Disorders,
Martin, Ruth, Crowell Co. 1992, pg. 23 - 25 The Voices Within Movie
http://www.dhearts.org http://www.aniota.com/~anita/desire.html FIRST PERSON PLURAL: My
Life as a Multiple Cameron West, Ph.D Silencing the Voices Jean Darby Cline, Berkley June
1997 http://www.asarian.org/~astraea/household/manifest.html I Never Promised You a Rose
Garden Movi