Multiple personality disorder

The Multiple personality disorder, or scientifically called Dissociative identity disorder, is that mental illness in which affected individuals have personality changes that happen without warning and that remain long enough to establish themselves as full identities.

It is remarkable when a different personality takes control of the body and begins to act. Meanwhile, the affected subject is not aware of the actions that this alternate personality performs, and of course, he is unable to remember what that one did. That is why this disease is usually very dangerous for the people around the affected person.

One hypothesis about the existence of this Disorder is that those affected seek mental refuge from traumatic experiences or existential voids in different personalities, which complement what they feel.

For example, if it is a sensitive person who has gone through a situation of violence that violated them at the time, it is likely that an alternate personality of aggressive character, who is able to cope with the new difficult situations that the person.

Alternate personalities can be from one to a crowd, with cases of up to 23 personalities contained in a single person. Each personality has its own memories, experiences and psychology, the most complete being those that acquire control of the individual's body; They are the dominant identities, and they help the person to fulfill certain objectives.

There are authors who consider that we all have potential for multiple personality, but that in the course of normal development we manage better or worse to consolidate and integrate them all, within a sense of individuality, of I.

The interaction between the two or more personalities can be affected by bouts of amnesia. These episodes are the ones that mark the division between one identity and another, to take over. Furthermore, they affect some identities more than others.

There are personalities who are aware of the thoughts, actions and memories of others, while those of less impact are not aware of the others and live isolated in the mind of the individual.

This disorder is chronic and can be life-threatening.

Causes of Multiple Personality Disorder

Multiple Personality Disorder or Dissociative Identity Disorder is a defense mechanism designed by the body to be able to bear the pain, fear and, in most cases, the trauma generated by an abusive situation experienced during childhood. The violent circumstance can range from physical attacks, psychological abuse by parents towards their children, to more severe causes such as rape.

It is in these situations maximum psychological tension that the subject's personality dissociatesIn other words, it divides itself from reality, creating a new personality that is capable of coping, overcoming and handling the traumas that are being generated.

As the stage of childhood is the most vulnerable psychologically, there are more cases that have their origin in this, and it is rare that there are some that have arisen in the adult stage.

Not all people are capable of dissociating their personality, or rather, of creating an alternate personality that protects them from traumatic situations. But those who have this ability are those who develop Dissociative Identity Disorder during childhood.

There are several characteristics that define a person as susceptible to developing this Disorder. First of all, there must be a Psychobiological predisposition to generate dissociation as a Defense Mechanism. Of course he must occur a traumatic event, which causes this dissociation. It's necessary that the trauma is repetitive over time.

On the side of the people who are not capable of making a dissociation of the personality, what occurs in severe cases is the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, frequent depression, suicidal intent or psychosis. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder occurs in response to a single incident of abuse. Recurrent depression and suicidal behavior are frequently signs of repetitive sexual abuse in children, adolescents, and adults.

Traits of Multiple Personality Disorder

What represents this Disorder is that each personality has a way of being and behaving, well defined and an individual memory and history, which is usually distinguished from the rest of the personalities.

The control of the subject's body is transferred from one personality to another, but the individual as a whole is never out of touch with reality.

In a person who does not suffer from the Disorder, the personality is always unique and constant, although it can be altered by emotions. Of course there are modifications in the way you act when you are happy or angry.

As many relatives and friends of the patient come to distance themselves due to the effects of this Disorder, loneliness begins to accentuate the presence of personalities. People who suffer from it also suffer from anxiety and depression.

It is essential not to say to alternate personalities what social relationship do you have with them. If the patient is cared for by the couple and an alternate identity appears that is a child or someone who is homosexual, it should not be said, as there would be confusion.

There must always be someone near the subject with the Disorder, since many patients turn to drugs and alcohol, which increases the danger that the changes will be radical and more frequent.

Since good physical health contributes to good mental health, the patient is required to exercise and eat well.

Example of People with TPM

Multiple Personality Disorder has very interesting cases in real life, and it has also been reflected in literature and cinema for its chilling nuances.

1.- Dr. Jekyll: In the literary work "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", the protagonist shows a different identity at night.

2.- Norman Bates: In the movie "Psycho", the character harasses the protagonist with the identity of her own mother.

3.- Kevin: In the movie "Split", the protagonist carries 23 different identities on his body, some more evil than others.

4.- Louis Vivet: With ten different personalities, he was the real subject that inspired the novel "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde".

5.- Lurancy Vennum: Also called "Watseka Wonder", or "The wonder of Watseka", she was a woman who was said to be possessed by the daughter of a family, with whom she lived for a while until she married. A miniseries was made in 2009 based on his case, broadcast on the SyFy channel.

6.- Judy Castelli: Real woman with 44 personalities who had strong artistic tendencies, among them there were writers, sculptors, musicians.

7.- Herschel Walker: He is an ex-athlete, and owner of a food business. He has 12 personalities within him, and like many subjects with Dissociative Identity Disorder, he wrote the experience of it.

8.- Truddi Chase: A woman who has 92 personalities, which fortunately did not conflict over the control of her body. With his psychiatrist she wrote the experience of his treatment, calling herself the book "When Rabbit Howls."

9.- Robert Oxnam: A man with 11 personalities, who after an effort in the treatment, managed to reduce to three, including a woman who reflects the subject's passion for Chinese culture.

10.- Kim Noble: A woman who had a total of 100 personalities. Many of them evil and wreaking havoc on society. They manifested between 4 and 5 a day.

11.- Chris Costner Sizemore: A woman with 22 personalities, who experienced the contrast between two personalities, "Eva Black" and "Eva White", who countered each other. A movie called "The three faces of Eva" was inspired by her.

12.- Billy Milligan: A well-documented and famous case of a young man with 24 personalities who kidnapped 3 young women. The movie "The Crowded Room" is based on his story.