Dissociative identity disorder

There are separate, multiple personalities in the same individual. The personalities may be aware of each other or may have amnesia for

each other.
Alternate personalities or alters - Each personality appears to have different ways of perceiving and relating

to the world.
- A person may create alter personalities to cope up with their traumas. Example: A child might create imaginary playmates to ease pangs of loneliness.These alters can provide the safety, security, and nurturing that they are not receiving from their real caregivers.

Types of alters:
1. Child alters - alters who are young children, who do not age as the individual ages - When a child alter is out or in control of the individuals behavior, the adult may speak and act in a childlike way. 2. Persecutor personality Inflict pain or punishment on the other personalities by engaging in selfmutilative and dangerous behaviors Example: jumping in front of a truck and go back inside, leaving the host personality to experience the pain. Persecutors may have the belief that they can harm other personalities

without harming themselves.

3. Protector or helper personality

offer advice to other personalities or perform functions the host personality is unable to perform Sometimes control the switching from one personality to another Act as passive observers who can report on the thoughts and intentions of all the other personalities

TREATMENT
Hypnosis Used heavily in the treatment of dissociative identity disorder to contact alters Antidepressants and antianxiety drugs

Dissociative Fugue
The person will suddenly pick up and move to a new place,assume a new identity, and have no memory for his previous identity. There are no switching of personality He may return to his previous identity and home,resuming his life as if

nothing happened, with no memory for what he did during the fugue.