Multiple Personality Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Multiple personality, or medically known as dissociative identity disorder, is a psychiatric disorder characterized by the presence of two or more personalities in a person. People with this disorder experience personality changes and they are not aware of this.
Multiple personality is a psychiatric disorder that is included in the group of dissociative disorders. Dissociative disorders are mental disorders characterized by disturbances of memory, consciousness, or personality, which are usually triggered by stress.
Multiple personality is a very rare type of psychiatric disorder. Data shows that women are more at risk for this disorder.
Symptoms
Multiple personality sufferers have at least two kinds of personality. When one personality is acting out, he doesn’t remember that he has another personality. Vice versa.
These different personalities can be accompanied by different identities. For example, a different gender or a different name. These personality changes are usually triggered by events that remind the sufferer of the traumatic event they experienced.
Because of these personality disorders and memory disorders, people with multiple personalities often experience impaired relationships with those around them. For example, a woman with personality A meets a man. Then the woman changes personality to personality B and does not remember that she ever met this man. It is very natural for the man to become confused and stay away from the woman.
In addition, people with multiple personalities can also experience other symptoms, such as:
- Emergency
- Depression
- Mood swings (e.g. when you are really happy, but 30 minutes later you can explode with anger over trivial things)
- Depersonalization, which is feeling detached from his own body and mind
- Derealization, namely feeling that the surrounding environment is not real
- Sleep disorders
- Having suicidal ideation
- Hallucinations (e.g. hearing certain sounds when there is nothing else)
Reason
Multiple personality is always triggered by certain psychological stress. According to data, 90 percent of multiple personality cases are preceded by psychological trauma. The trauma can be in the form of accidents, natural disasters, sexual harassment, or acts of violence.
In an effort to overcome the traumatic event experienced, unconsciously, the brain of a person with multiple personality tries to separate the bad memory from normal everyday life. This effort is medically known as dissociation. This dissociation mechanism causes multiple personality symptoms.
Diagnosis
If someone is suspected of having multiple personalities, the psychiatrist will first conduct an interview and a thorough physical examination. After that, the psychiatrist will first check if the abnormalities experienced by the patient occur due to disease in the brain or side effects of certain drugs. To find out this, usually a CT- scan or MRI examination, and blood tests need to be done.
If no disease is found, a psychiatrist will conduct interviews and make observations to ensure that there is multiple personality. However, the diagnosis of multiple personality is determined through a fairly tortuous examination process. It’s not easy to make sure someone really has multiple personalities or is in a state of severe hallucinations.
Treatment
The goal of multiple personality treatment is to link the different personalities to just one personality type. Thus, sufferers can return to their functions in daily life properly.
To achieve this goal, the treatment must be able to help sufferers of multiple personality to realize the psychological stress they are experiencing. Then practice accepting and then trying to overcome it with the help of a psychiatrist.
Treatments used include:
- Behavioral cognitive therapy. This therapy is carried out by means of ‘discussion’ between psychiatrists and sufferers of multiple personality. The goal is to change mindsets and behavior.
- Family therapy ( family therapy ). In this type of therapy, the family is involved to understand the signs that the sufferer will change personality. This can help control and calm sufferers.
- Art therapy. Art therapy can be in the form of painting, singing, music, and so on. This treatment helps sufferers to explore their thoughts and feelings.
Anti-depressant drugs may be used to help relieve symptoms. However, these drugs are not the main therapy that can completely overcome multiple personality.
Prevention
Because multiple personality disorder is triggered by psychological stress, to prevent this disorder from occurring, it is very important for someone to be able to deal with and manage the stress that occurs properly. If there are symptoms of difficulty managing stress, the help of a psychologist or psychiatrist may be needed.