Multiple Personality Disorder - Symptoms, Causes And Treatment

Dissociative Identity Disorder commonly known as Multiple Personality Disorder is a medical condition which is not so common to find but is quite strange in it's own way. Here, the affected person shows multiple personalities at different times. Read on to know it's symptoms, causes and treatment in details.

What is Dissociative Identity Disorder?

Dissociative Identity Disorder or Multiple Personality Disorder is a medical condition in which a single person shows multiple distinct personalities, each different from the other while interacting with the outside world. It is associated with a lack of connection between a person's  mind and emotions, actions, memories,thoughts and sense of identity. It is usually believed to be an effect of excessive physical or emotional trauma caused to a person during his/her childhood.

What are the Symptoms of Dissociative Identity Disorder?

There are several symptoms that are associated with this kind of condition. The most common symptoms are listed below:

• Severe Depression at times
• Anxiety, fear and panic in several situations
• Multiple personality traits or behavior,one different from the other
• Headaches and body pains
• Auditory and visual hallucinations
• Sudden burst of anger without any reason
• Sleep disorders like insomnia or sleep walking

What are the causes of Dissociative Identity Disorder?

The exact cause of this type of disorder is still not known. However according to several research conducted on this subject, combination of Biological and Environmental factors are believed to be the reason behind this problem. In most of the cases, it's found that the patient has faced some kind of physical or mental trauma(abuse) in their childhood. Research says that in those families where the parents are always frightening and unpredictable, there are chances of their children to become dissociative.

What is the Treatment of Dissociative Identity Disorder?

There are several treatment methods that are incorporated in long term for the treatment of this disorder. Common methods includes psychotherapy, medications, hypnotherapy, talk therapy etc. Affected people also find antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication drugs helpful as dissociation is commonly associated with depression and anxiety. In addition to these treatments, therapists also focus on the symptoms to understand the distressing aspects of the individual and provide adequate safety.