DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) explained and how to help
DID or any dissociative disorder has a lot of stigma surrounding it. Let's start breaking down the wall surrounding DID, to make a safe environment for DID members.
What is DID?
DID is a mental health condition caused by childhood trauma, people with DID have 2 or more "alters"
These alters can be different age and gender, they can have a very different personality and interests.
Each identity has its own personal history, traits, likes and dislikes
DID can cause gaps in the memory
DID is one of several dissociative disorders. These disorders affect a person’s ability to connect with reality.
The disorder is a way for someone to distance or detach themselves from trauma.
Myths and misconceptions
-Myth DID is very rare
Not even close. It's yearly prevalence rate (1,5 %) is actually more common than young women with bulimia and even on par with well-known conditions like OCD
-Myth people with DID are very dangerous
Contrary to popular belief, survivors with DID are no more dangerous than those with any other mental health condition or the general public.
-Myth switching in DID will be dramatic
False. Only a very, very small percentage of the DID population has an over presentation of their alters or switches (5-6%). While some hints of detection can be seen amongst friends and therapists, most changes are passable as completely normal human behavior.
-Myth DID is multipe personalities
Having separate identities is merely the byproduct of something greater, not the sole disorder. The real dysfunction lies in the complex trauma and the countless effects it had on the child’s mind and their neurology -- including flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, dissociative amnesia ('losing time'), depersonalization/derealization, emotion dysregulation, somatic symptoms, and heightened vulnerability to a long list of other medical and mental health disorders. Most of the healing from DID revolves around the processing of traumatic memories and sifting through the layers and layers of pain, sadness, anger, betrayal, grief and trauma that each alter holds.
DID is ultimately a trauma disorder, NOT a disorder of personality.
-Myth DID can develop at any age
DID only develops in early childhood, no later. Current research suggests before the ages of 6-9 (while other papers list even as early as age 4). Prolonged, repeated trauma later in life (particularly that which is at the sole control of another person, or breaks down a person’s psyche and self-perception) may result in Complex PTSD- which does have overlapping symptoms - but they will not develop DID.
How to support someone with DID:
If someone you know has been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, it doesn’t mean that person is no longer who you think they are.
People with Dissociative Identity Disorder or DID, often refer to their overall consciousness and way of living as a “system.” In some cases, the system works together well and the various states of altered consciousness support each other through their days. In other cases, the various “alters” in a system may struggle to navigate their days and to manage stress and trauma.
Learn what you can about their disorder.
Take advantage of educational opportunities and any therapeutic involvement in your loved one’s treatment. Only with a greater understanding of their experience living with dissociative identity disorder and the possibilities for recovery can you play an active role in the process. Simply by learning more, you are also working to reduce the stigma around this serious disorder, paving the way for compassion and the responsible care of our overall mental health.
Learning more about this condition can help you understand what your loved one is going through and teach you how to support someone with dissociative identity disorder.
Dissociative identity disorder is characterized by the presence of one or more personalities in the same person, typically referred to as “alters.” These alters are all part of a greater system that makes up the individual. While some of these alters may be aware of each other, others may have no concept of the different personalities and may have completely different sets of beliefs, ideas and maturity levels. In many cases, people have difficulty remembering events that happened while different alters were present.
Stay calm during switches
In many cases, switching between alters happens very subtly. However, sometimes the change can be more dramatic and disorienting. One moment you’re talking to your friend and in the next moment, it’s as if an entirely different person is inhabiting their body. While this situation may be stressful and surprising, remaining levelheaded and meeting your friend where they are mentally can be enormously helpful. As confusing as witnessing a switch can be for an outsider, it’s often even more upsetting for the person experiencing it directly, especially if they are met with hostility or fear.
Learn how to recognize and avoid triggers
For people with dissociative identity disorder, personality shifts are brought on by “triggers,” or external stimuli that cause them to switch between alters. Individuals with this condition may be triggered by anything that elicits a strong emotional response, including certain places, smells, sounds, senses of touch, times of the year or large groups of people. These triggers are highly individual and can vary dramatically depending on the specific trauma that caused a person to develop dissociative identity disorder.
Take care of yourself too
Being close to someone with dissociative identity disorder can be emotionally taxing. It can be difficult to stay vigilant of triggers and different alters. Often, people with this condition have been through intensely traumatic experiences. And hearing about these experiences can be difficult. The best way you can serve your friend is to make sure that you’re tending to your own physical and mental well-being.
@HealTheHealer
Thank you for the amazing post Healer! This is definitely very helpful!
@HealTheHealer
Love this post, thank you for the well detailed information heal
@HealTheHealer
I love this post. Thank you so much for taking the time to write about such an important topic. I reckon that being educated on important issues like this is so vital. I'm so thankful for this post 💜
Thank you
@HealTheHealer
Awesome Post! Thank you for this
My partner and I both have pretty severe childhood trauma we’ve been healing from. For me it manifested in my own trauma-based issues. For him it seems to have manifested itself into multiple identities and disassociation. Are there any resources for SO’s of people with DID? I love him dearly and don’t intend on leaving, and I want to be supportive in his healing from trauma. I know I’ve gotta focus on my own healing and wellbeing too, but aside from that I’d appreciate any resources and tips for helping a partner who has DID.
@Njorun1338 I don't know yet if there is a post/guideline on how to support a spouse with DID, but I will try to make one next week!
I know of a couple videos! Gianu System's "Romance and DID/OSDD" (there's also a part 2 & 3): https://youtu.be/kEYlYx_ruVE MultiplicityAndMe's partner talking about their relationship: https://youtu.be/dPffqPlxQk4
@Njorun1338
I wrote a post on how to support your SO/ Partner with DID :)
https://www.7cups.com/forum/TraumaticExperiencesCommunity_60/DissociationDID_919/HowtosupportyourSOPartnerwithDID_255098/
-if you have any feedback please let me know :)
Thank you! I’ll check it out
Wow! You did a really great job with your article you have posted for everyone!!! You gathered great, important information, all very relevant, so accurate, and you wrote it all up so well and presented it in a good way for anyone that needs to know anything about DID. I appreciate all of your great work and effort. There is so much that people do not know and so much misinformation out there about DID. I'm very glad you also included many of the myths. I have lived with DID for over 5 decades and think it is wonderful how people are now recognizing it and giving it the credibility it deserves. It is so very real!
@Amelia2324
Thank you so much for your kind feedback! I love how this is helping out a lot of people :) I will be writing another post on how to support your spouse with DID somewhere next week. if you have any tips, information I need to add to the upcoming post please dont hesitate to send me a PM!
@HealTheHealer Thanks for this helpful post.
This is a really wonderful post! Thank you for the time and effort that you put into it :)
I'm glad to see that you included the myths because too many people have watched Spilt and seem to think that people with DID are violent - that myth bothers me most I think
It just really nice to see someone sheding some light on this because for along time it felt as though 7cups was excluding people with DID. I hope that many people take the time to read this and gain alittle more understanding about it
Thank you :)
@mytwistedsoul I agree that myth about violence couldn't be further from the truth The people that I have met at 7cups with DID have been very kind and caring! .
@HealTheHealer
Wow, this is an eye-opening post, thank you for taking your time to write this here and share it with us.
I'm grateful to be able to be more aware of and understand DID more deeply.