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Destigmatizing Dissociative Identity Disorder
- Audrey Yeung
- Aug 2, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 3, 2022
A Look at the Myths surrounding what was formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder, is a mental disorder in which an individual has two or more distinct identities. Often misunderstood, this article seeks to clear up misunderstandings and promote awareness about the highly stigmatized disorder.
Table of Contents
Terms
DID - Abbreviation of Dissociative Identity Disorder
Alter - An alternate personality state/identity
System - The collective of all the alters of a single body
Switching - The action of alters transitioning to take executive control of the body
How does DID work?
DID causes an individual’s identity to be fragmented into two or more distinct identities, called alters, who view themselves as separate people in one body. These alters “take turns” controlling the body. Altogether, the alters of a body are known as a DID system.
Alters have different skills, worldviews, thoughts, desires, and memories, as well as various characteristics - like age, physical appearance, gender, sexuality, and species - that may differ from the host body’s traits (See Internal World). They may even have physiological reactions and psychological issues that differ from the other alters.
Thus, describing alters as separate “personalities” is not entirely accurate. Instead, alters are distinct identities that share one body. Those without DID should address the alters of a system as separate, individual people.
What causes DID?
People with DID are often childhood victims of severe physical or sexual abuse or traumatic events. Because children spend their early years developing their sense of self, repeated trauma can disrupt their ability to form a cohesive identity. The child’s identity is fragmented into alters to help the child cope. However, DID never goes away, and the child's identity remains fragmented for the rest of their lives.
Purpose & Roles of Alters
Alters are created by the brain to help an individual cope with trauma.
After severe trauma, it can be difficult for the victim to carry out daily tasks and continue to live while remembering what has happened to them. Some alters hold memories that the other alters don’t. This allows the host (the primary alter that has control over the body most of the time) to live life without constantly having the burden of remembering the horrific trauma they endured.
Alters have different roles within the system. Below are some but not all the different roles alters may have. No system is the same, and every system has a different number and combination of alters.
Core - The original identity before fragmentation.
Host - The alter who is most often in executive control of the body & may or may not be the original identity.
Child Alters/Littles - These alters are children and are the most common type of alter. Created to hold disconnected memories and experiences of the caregiver or parts of childhood.
Protector Alters - Created to protect the body and other alters. They have character traits different from the core alter to help them fulfill their roles
Physical Protectors - Endure physical abuse and/or defend against physical abuse
Verbal Protectors - Endure verbal abuse and/or counter verbal abuse
Emotional Protectors - Endure emotional abuse and/or comfort other alters
Sexual Protectors - Endure sexual abuse
Caretaker - Takes care of child alters and/or external children
Persecutor Alters - Resembles the abuser & hurts the host, body, and/or system. May hold self-hatred & internalized abuse. May believe they are protecting the system by making the system behave the way the abuser wants so that they are abused less.
Introjects - Based on an outside person who is either someone the original child looked up to (real or fictional) or the abuser of the child.
Memory Holder - Bears traumatic memories so the rest of the system doesn't have to, or bears happy memories to prevent them from being tainted by trauma.
Gatekeeper - “Guards” the boundaries between alters, the inner world, and the front. Controls switching & prevents alters’ memories from merging. (See Switches/Fronting for explanation of underlined terms)
Fragment - An alter that isn’t fully developed but might be in the future if the need arises
Switches/Fronting
Switching or fronting is the action of alters transitioning to take executive control of the body (or coming to the “front”). Usually, switching is involuntary and happens because of various triggers, though some systems have more control over switching than others. In most systems, alters will front when a situation calls for them to play their role (See Purpose & Roles of Alters). There can also be more than one alter in control at a time (This is referred to as co-consciousness).
Switching can often be distressing for the system and the alters involved. Because alters each have their own consciousness, the actions of one alter often aren’t known to another alter. For example, an alter may be walking to one place, only for a switch to occur in the middle of their trip. By the time that first alter comes back to the front, they may have no idea where they are because another alter in the system was in control for that part of the walk.
The inconsistency and unpredictability of switches add difficulty to day-to-day tasks and can put those with DID in danger. However, alters learning to communicate and coordinate with one another can lessen these troubles.
Internal Worlds
Many DID systems have an inner world in which alters may interact with each other and create memories when they don’t have executive control of the body. This inner world is strictly in the body’s mind.
There is a wide range of what inner worlds can look like. Some feature rooms in a house for the alters, while others are fantastical. Inner worlds may also be a place where traumatic memories are re-enacted.
To alters, the inner world is just as or even more genuine than the outside world is. Each alter has their own physical appearance in the inner world.
Creating an inner world is critical for those who suffer from DID because it can create a space for interaction and cooperation between alters, thus making life in the same body easier.
DID over Time
Early in the development of DID, the host and alters generally don't know there are other alters present in the body because of how the brain designs the disorder. Thus, those with DID usually don’t realize they have DID until the body is in adulthood.
DID systems are also constantly changing. Some alters can go dormant or inactive, and others inevitably integrate to some degree or “fuse” together to create new alters entirely.
Are people with DID dangerous?
People with DID are no more dangerous than the average person. In fact, they are often less dangerous. Because these individuals are often victims of severe trauma, they are more likely to return to those situations of being abused instead of being an abuser. Any “dangerous” alters are usually a danger to themselves and their systems only, not others.
Falsely portraying people with DID as dangerous further marginalizes this community and discourages those with DID from talking about it or seeking proper help.
Resources
Below are resources to learn more about DID!
Sources
Cleveland Clinic. "Dissociative Identity Disorder: What Is It, Symptoms & Treatment." Cleveland
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Davis, Shirley. "Child Alters." Learn About DID, 19 Mar. 2018,
"Glossary of Terms." Learn About DID, www.learnaboutdid.com/glossary-of-terms-3.
Hargis, Becca. "About Alter Switching in Dissociative Identity Disorder | HealthyPlace." Mental
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"Forcing an Alter Switch in Dissociative Identity Disorder | HealthyPlace." Mental Health Support,
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Matulewicz, Crystalie. "There's No Cure for Dissociative Identity Disorder | HealthyPlace."Mental
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Psychology Today Staff. "Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)."
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Reuben, Katherine. "Alter Functions/Jobs." DID-Research.org,
"Integrating Dissociated Parts." DID-Research.org, did-research.org/treatment/integration.
Tracy, Natasha. "Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder Alters | HealthyPlace." Mental
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TraumaDissociation.com. "Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)."Trauma
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