Dissociative Identity Disorder Essay

Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder, is a trauma-based disorder in which dissociative barriers within the mind form separate identities or states of consciousness. This disorder stems from repeated traumatic experiences in childhood that prevent the creation of a uniform identity in the individual. The dissociative barriers, a subconscious coping mechanism of the brain, are accompanied with amnesia and identity confusion between states of consciousness. While there is no cure for DID, psychotherapy and medication to manage depression and post-traumatic symptoms can help individuals live their lives in a healthy way; in fact, the covert nature of DID can be unrecognizable in some people with the disorder.

This analogy, often referred to as the “Plate Analogy” describes the identity of an individual as a plate; through repeated trauma and abuse, this plate breaks into pieces that form separate consciousnesses. As this plate is now broken, it can never be returned to its original state. From a logical and emotional standpoint, there are several inconsistencies with this analogy. Firstly, this analogy incorrectly assumes that a cohesive identity is already formed before the traumatic events and overall dissociative “split”. In reality, the trauma that occurs in childhood prevents an identity from forming at all, resulting in dissociative barriers between identity pieces. Secondly, this analogy implies that those with DID cannot be “fully developed” people. Dissociative barriers are coping mechanisms for trauma, rather than the “shattering” of a person’s identity. Through therapy and medications to manage depression or complex post-traumatic stress disorder, people with DID can move through their lives in healthy ways.

Rather than the Plate Analogy, some people with dissociative identity disorder prefer to describe themselves as a patchwork quilt. In early childhood, the identity begins being created in the form of a quilt. Through certain life circumstances, such as stress or trauma, different shapes, colors, and patterns are added to the quilt; the resulting identity is a diverse compilation of each life experience. Instead of implying that DID is a “shattering” of a person’s identity, this analogy affirms that those with the disorder simply developed their identities according to the environment around