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Dissociative Identity Disorder Case Study

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Introduction Dissociative identity disorder(DID), formerly known as multiple personality disorder is described as the existence of two or more personalities inside of an individual. (Whitman 1991, pg. 422) It made its way into the DSM-III in 1980, and was renamed to Dissociative Identity Disorder in 1994 with its entrance in the DSM-IV (Noll 2000, pg. 284). Prior to 1910, DID was rare with only 200 cases reported; between 1910 and 1975, the disorder almost disappeared, due to the fact that people were misdiagnosing it as schizophrenia (Noll 2000, pg. 284). Studies later showed that out of a sample of 236 people diagnosed with DID, 41% had been previously diagnosed with Schizophrenia (Noll 2000, pg. 284).
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Together, the patient and the therapist try to understand the cause of the patient’s condition and find alternate ways of coping with stressful situations.(Mayo Clinic, 2014). The main purpose of the process is to help identities become aware of one another and to resolve each of their conflicts so they can become one with the client’s true self. (International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation 2011, p. 132). Therapists must remember not to suggest the formation of new personalities, give names to the identities, prefer one personality over another or exclude unfavorable ones (International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation 2011, p. 133) Although the fusion of these personalities is possible, a fair amount of DID patients fail to achieve a unification of all identities and/or find it undesirable. (International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation 2011, p. …show more content…

284). Physical symptoms associated with the disorder include alterations in respiration, severe headaches, changes in voice, palpitations, unexplained pain or insensitivity towards pain, and seizure like activity (Coons 1988, p. 47). Other symptoms include amnesia, mental health distortion such as depression, anxiety, and/or suicidal behavior. (Mayo Clinic Staff

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