Multiple personality is colloquially a split personality. This disorder is characterized by the presence in one person of at least two independent and different personalities, which alternately influence the patient's behavior. What are the causes of multiple personality disorders? How do you recognize the symptoms of this disorder? What is its treatment?

Multiple personality disorderis a mental disorder that is also known assplit personality, plural personality , alternating personality, and split personality. They are characterized by the presence of at least two independent and different personalities in the same person.

Multiple personality disorders are included in theDissociative Identity Disorder(DID), which is characterized by a partial or complete loss of correct integration between past memories, self-sense identity, direct sensations and control of the movements of any body.

Multiple personality disorder should not be confused with schizophrenia as it is a separate entity. While schizophrenia literally means "split mind," not in the sense of having more than one personality. Besides, schizophrenia is classified as an endogenous psychosis, not a dissociative disorder.

Multiple personality disorder (split personality) - causes

The most common causes of a split personality are deep childhood traumas (e.g. rape, sexual abuse, abuse, and also natural disasters). At some point, the traumatic experiences may be pushed back into the subconsciousness, from which, over time, a separate identity may arise. In this way, the proper personality is freed from dramatic events and has space for normal functioning - as if these events never happened. Therefore, the multiple personality is a defense mechanism against trauma hidden in the unconscious, a mental escape from the experienced fear.

Some associate the multiple personality disorder with post-traumatic stress disorder, which is often the result of a traumatic event.

Multiple Personality (split personality) - symptoms

People with multiple personalities experience dissociation, i.e. breaking the connections between thoughts, memories,feelings, actions and sense of your own identity. Then two (or more) separate personalities appear, which alternately take control of the patient's behavior, with only one of them being revealed at a time. These personalities may be aware of their presence (though not always), while the primary personality is most often unaware of their existence. It is worth knowing that these personalities usually differ drastically in character and more. Others may also have age, gender, IQ, or even sexual preferences.

The transition from one personality to another is usually sudden and occurs as a response to stimuli that evoke traumatic events, e.g. during a stressful situation or during therapy (e.g., hypnosis). This is most often manifested by sharp changes in mood. There may even be panic attacks or psychotic episodes (including visual and auditory hallucinations). In addition, a person with a split personality may suffer from:

  • auto-aggression;
  • depressed;
  • sleep disorders (insomnia, nightmares, maybe even sleepwalking);
  • drug addiction, alcoholism;
  • various compulsive behaviors;
  • severe headaches;
  • amnesia;

Multiple Personality (split personality) - treatment

In the case of multiple personality disorder, hypnosis therapy is used to open up an emotional state from the time of the traumatic experience. The patient has to confront the events that led to the split personality and incorporate them into real life events. Only in this way will he find connections between separate identities and unite them to form one identity, which is the goal of therapy.

In addition, the therapy should include learning to deal with stress, which is a frequent stimulus evoking dramatic experiences. Antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications are also helpful.

Category:

Psychiatry