Essay On Dissociative Identity Disorder

In the television series Bates Motel, the main character suffers from mental illness. This mental illness is called Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder. Dissociative disorders are mental illnesses that involve disruptions or breakdowns of memory, awareness, identity and/or perception. Dissociative Identity Disorder involves the disturbance in which two or more distinct and separate personality states (or identities) control an individual 's behavior at various times. While the person is under the control of one identity, they cannot usually remember some of the events that occurred while other personalities were in control. The alters, or other identities, may exhibit differences in speech, mannerisms, attitudes, thoughts, and gender orientation. They might even have physical differences such as vision problems, or allergies.
A person with Dissociative Identity Disorder could have anywhere from two alters to one-hundred alters. “The average number is about 10.” Alters are usually stable over time,

“Approximately one-third of individuals affected complain of auditory or visual hallucinations.” While the cause of this illness is unknown, statistics show that DID occurs in 0.01 to 1 percent of the general population. “It is generally accepted that DID results from extreme and repeated trauma that occurs during important periods of development during childhood.” The fact that Dissociative Identity Disorder appears to run in families is suggestive of a hereditary trait. DID is an extremely serious mental illness that occurs in all ethnic groups and income levels. Although, women are nine times more likely than men to be affected by this illness. Symptoms can include, but are not limited to: depression, suicidal tendencies, disorientation, headaches, anxiety, and/or eating