Signs and Symptoms of DID

What are some of the presenting symptoms of DID?

How do I know if I or someone I know has DID?

Imagine what it would be like to be in a room full of people and suddenly realize that you couldn't take part in the conversation because you didn't know who the people around you were, you couldn't remember where you were, or how you got there? What if you weren't even sure who you were? If you were suffering with Dissociative Identity Disorder, it's very possible that such a scenario could be a reality for you.

DID (formerly Multiple Personality Disorder) is one of the five dissociative disorders identified in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) by the American Psychiatric Association (1994). These include Dissociative Amnesia, Dissociative Fugue, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Depersonalization Disorder, and Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (DSM-IV-TR, p. 519). What all dissociative disorders have in common is that the individuals have the ability to mentally isolate and separate themselves from painful memories and traumas they have experienced (McMinn, 1999). While minor forms of dissociation, such as daydreaming, are common and considered normal for all of us to some degree, DID is a severe form of dissociation and is considered to be a psychiatric disorder (p. 357). In future articles we will discuss the differences between these disorders, but for now, we'll look at what dissociation looks like to someone living with it.

The diagnostic criteria (what symptoms one would look at) for this disorder include the following: The presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states (each with its own relatively enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self) who recurrently take control of the person's behavior. There is also an inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness or physiological effects of a substance (drugs or alcohol) or other physiological disorder (e.g., seizures).

A case example demonstrating these criteria was presented in the Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology and Counseling (p. 359-360, 1999) in this scenario:

A woman known as Terri to most of her friends and co-workers may also have an alter personality named Ellen. Whereas Terri is docile and dependent, Ellen may be audacious and offensive. Terri and Ellen share the same body, although they write, speak, and behave

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