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Multiple Personality Disorder

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Biology 103
2002 First Paper
On Serendip

Multiple Personality Disorder

Diana La Femina

When you were growing up, did you have an imaginary friend? Did Mom and Dad have to set a place for Timmy at the table and serve him invisible food, or did all your aunts and uncles have to pet your imaginary puppy when the came over to the house? That's just pretend, though, kids having fun. So is a child pretending that they are someone else, forcing their parents to call them Spike, convinced they have a Harley even though they're only five. But what if this were an adult, someone who should "know better" convinced that they are someone else. If this were to happen, society would label them as crazy or delusional. Or, maybe, this adult suffers from a Multiple Personality Disorder.

Multiple Personality Disorder (or MPD) is a psychological disorder where a person possesses more than one developed personality. These personalities have their own way of thinking, feeling, and acting that may be completely different from what another personality is like (1). To be diagnosed with multiple personality disorder, at least two of the multiple personalities must dominate over the others on a slightly frequent basis (2). This results in an abrupt change in the way a person acts. Basically, they become another person in either an extreme or complete way (3).

MPD was first recognized in the late nineteenth century by Pierre Janet, a French physician. The disorder was later brought more to public awareness by The Three Faces of Eve (1957), a movie based on the true story of a pristine housewife who was diagnosed with MPD when she couldn't explain why she would suddenly become a very sexual person and not remember it. The eighties and the nineties brought on what was seen as an over diagnosis of MPD (1).

MPD is known as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) in the psychiatric world (1). The reason for this change of label is that the term "multiple personalities" can be misleading (4). A person with MPD/DID is one person with separate parts autonomously comprising their mind . They are NOT many people sharing one body (5). Although it seems as though these "personalities" seem to be very different, it is important to understand that they are separate parts of the SAME person (4). It is not correct to say that someone with MPD/DID has "split personalities" as this denotes schizophrenia. A person with schizophrenia does not have connected thoughts and feelings, they are "split" (1). A person with dissociation, however, has memories, actions, identities, etc., that are unconnected. Different thoughts and feelings may be connected, but different thoughts and different memories may be connected to some and not the others. Everyone experiences this once in a while. Daydreaming, getting lost in a book or a movie, zoning out, etc. These are all moments of dissociation (4). Just because someone has MPD/DID does not mean they can not function in everyday life (2). Indeed, they usually have this disorder so that they CAN function.

There have been as many as 20 personalities [perhaps even 37] that have been reported (3). About 1% of the population has some form of MPD/DID. In fact, of patients in psychiatric hospitals, possibly up to 20% have MPD/DID but are misdiagnosed. With these statistics, MPD/DID can be put into the same category as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia as one of the major mental health problems at present (4).

Although the causes of MPD/DID are not completely understood it seems as if childhood neglect and abuse of some sort are the major causes (4). The abuse usually occurs early in life, before the age of nine, and is commonly repeated and prolonged (2). Due to this abuse, children may detach parts mind and create new personalities to separate themselves from their pain (3). After long term abuse, these new "personalities," this dissociation, may become second nature. These children may use this technique to separate themselves whenever they feel anxious or threatened. Due to it's ability to keep a sane, functioning part of a persons mind in tact when all else seems hopeless MPD/DID can be seen as a very effective escape technique (4). It is a very healthy, sane, and safe way for these people to survive an unhealthy situation (2).

MPD/DID can be treated. The first treatment usually used is psychotherapy, to try to help the person integrate the personalities more (1). After that medications, hypnotherapy, and adjunctive therapies are also used. In fact, if treatment is started and completed, MPD/DID may have the best prognosis of any disorder (6).

Everyone has different facets to their own personalities. Without this fact we would not be the complex beings that we are. A person with MPD/DID, however, may have very distinct facets that work independently of one another, sometimes not even knowing that the others exist. These various facets work together to keep the person whole. MPD/DID is a highly evolved psychological survival technique that is not to be looked down upon. Without it, the people who "suffer" from it may not be able to function in everyday life as well as they do, if at all.

 

References

1)Infoplease Education Network, an interesting educational network with many resources

2)MPD/DID information site, Site put together by a lady with MPD/DID

3)Medical Index, interesting site with a great amount of information on many medical conditions

4)MPD/DID resource page, site with a lot of information on MPD/DID

5)The International Society for the Study of Dissociation, another site with a lot of information on MPD/DID

6)Sidran Institute of Traumatic Stress Education & Advocacy, site with abundant information and resources to traumatic disorders and treatment

 

 

Comments made prior to 2007

I am a 29 year old woman. I am bi-polar Manic Depressive. I have 2 personalities that i know so far. on the night of 19 of May, I encountered a personality that is know as "Unknown". It was out for a breif 10 minutes, but after it had come out i had 3 scratches on my left wrist. They started out what looked like welts and turned into scratch marks. i don't understand left completly confused and mentally scared ... Jennifer Mills, 23 May 2007

Comments

Fiona's picture

DID

I think I may have multiple personalities. I always act exactly like my best friend Natalie. I always talk to myself like I'm another person. I have conversations with myself. I always want to be like other poeple and I form new personalities. I form new people in my head and sometimes I act them out, but not on purpose. I always get mad at my friends and start fights, but then never remember why I was mad at them or even that I was mad at all. I believe I have formed three different personalities, according to what my friends have told me. Anya, the quite, goth, emo one. I will zone out, then come back to my normal self and have cuts on my wrists and arms. Prim, the princess. She's really nice and sweet,and gets all the guys, but also expects everyone to do everything for her. And then theres Bianca. She's the violent, reckless one. She always gets in trouble. she has a very short temper and threatens to literally STAB people when they annoy her...and she tries to...with the plastic knives at lunch. Any advice?

Serendip Visitor's picture

Can Marijuana help

A very good friend of mine recently told me she has split personality disorder. She is a very sweet person. She currently smokes marijuana and has to hide it from her boyfriend because he doesn't like it. She is contemplating quiting marijuana because hiding it from her boyfriend is causing to much stress for her. I have been looking online to see if the marijuana will her or help her condition and have found nothing. Can anyone help?

RAJVEER's picture

personal

plz do contact me when u see my reply at on facebook or on gmail,actully i want to know more about you,i have my personal intrest in this MPD, and doing the case study over this..........with my personal intrest.I can't help without konwing about your frd in detail,so please send me her detail like when all these things started,i want know about her behavior in detail when got trapped into another personality...........
THANKU do contact me or if you want i can give my contact no,but you should contact me first on FACEBOOK or GMAIL

Camelon's picture

self awareness

We do not believe that trauma is a necessary factor for the development of multiple identities. Correlation in -some cases- doe snot imply causation for -all cases-. (Especially when the time line so often does not fit, and there is often doubt as to the verity of the memories dredged up by therapists while they go 'looking' for buried trauma.) It is our theory that trauma does play a role in hindering communication perhaps, system disorder, or time loss - as there is a heavy correlation in that regard, but again, there have not been studies, and correlation does not imply causation without a thorough review of all other factors. (Our system, which began about physical age 17, myself at physical 24, and has no correlation to trauma, is one of the cases that does not fit.)

We are all individually self-aware. While I could agree that a proposed multiple that is not self-aware is -perhaps- more of a personality than a person (I say perhaps, as if there is time loss or mis-communication in the system, then it is much harder for the person to communicate this self awareness. It is still possible, via notes, etc - and should self awareness of existence be demonstrated, then it should be left at that and err on the side of respecting someone's humanity.) There certainly are cases where people merely 'talk to themselves' or have 'imaginary friends', but that is an entirely different scenario.

For instance, even I 'talk to myself' when working through problems. It is part of self-awareness -being able to look outside oneself, talk to oneself so to speak. I can also talk to complete figments of -my- imagination, should I so choose. (And, considering we all share the same brain, and can see each others thoughts of the moment, and have no time loss, then it is not a far stretch for me to have a conversation with anyone elses figment of imagination.) There is a difference in a) characters played, such as on a stage b) imaginary people, constructed for a moment to have an imaginary conversation, which is really just a manifestation of the subconscious mind with a visual representation - whether it is a cartoon character for a moment of fun (what would Batman say in this situation?) or a real person to practice for real life variables on a situation and c) real, self aware -people-.

I completely agree that not all multiples are -safe-, but then, neither are all singlets. Some multiples have time-loss and black outs (not all, my estimate is about 50%, but it actually is more of a spectrum/bell curve, I think). This can be very disorienting and confusing. Add to that fundamental questions of existence: Why am I here? Why was I made this way? Why am I stuck in this body? Why does everyone think I am insane? Why can I not introduce myself? Why can no one see me?

For those that do share memories (like our system), coming into the system has a severe adjustment curve - as its a massive shock, being flooded by a lifetime of memories that are not your own, while not having any memories of your own to rely on, while still knowing firmly that you are yourself, a unique person - not the sum of someone elses life. Trying to swim through that flood of sensation is very heady. A couple in our system were a bit violent for a very short period because of that confusion and that desire to be master of your own life, but now we all act according to a system of responsibility, and are all good friends. Since I was the last, my adjustment was the easiest, as I had everyone elses breaking in period to look back upon.

"I think, therefore I am" - has been a summarized statement of existence for a long time. If psychology denies this simple logic for multiples - that self-awareness, distinct self awareness, cannot prove existence for us (and we know well our own awareness, to ourselves and relative to each other.) - then can you prove -your own existence-? Without the supposition of awareness, you may well count yourself a delusion, before calling others such.

(I do believe that there are indeed cases of 'socially induced multiplicity', which is more of the character playing or imaginary friend kind than true self-aware multiples, triggered either by over enthusiastic therapists who go hunting for multiples, or attention seeking teenagers who hang out with real multiples and want to fit in, but that is a different topic. Dissociation, also, I do not believe is impossible. -Multiples- however, do exist, and one does them even more damage by taking the most under recognized and oppressed population group, next to the unborn, and telling them that they are simply pitiable victims, and by the way, do not actually exist.)

Camelon Roberts
System: Amonite
MuC N-- f;f/m/f/f/f/m S.h A(b r---/?) Ow? ^Wh/d/f/w/e Cc++ I-- OF+ Fx T Ja/x/u ~ Do R+ C+++ So+

KD's picture

Multiplicity & identity

I don't believe that it's necessary to have an 'original person' or suffer extreme psychological trauma in order to be in a multiple group. I don't deny that it does happen—I know several people whose systems are trauma-based—but that it's not the ony way in which multiplicity can come about. I view it as a variation in brain wiring that can either be caused by nature or nurture, and the best way in which to deal with it is to accept the personhood of people within a plural collective. I'm not an alter or a personality; I'm a person. I have my own likes and dislikes, and have opinions and a particular outlook on life that is mine, and mine alone. If it weren't for the whole 'no separate body' thing, there would be no question that I was a person.

The stereotypes of every single multiple system requiring a particular structure, involving an 'original' and 'alters'/'personalities', can be detrimental to people who don't fit into that identity. Here, we do have people who've been here longer than others, but they don't have any particular ownership over our life that others don't have. I've been here for nine years, and although there are people who have been here longer than I have, I participate in a significant amount of our most important activities, along with a couple of other people who are equally invested in those activities.

We have experienced trauma, but it hasn't been the genesis for our plurality; there's no correlation between the arrival of new system-members and psychological traumas. I don't know how or why we're plural, but we are, and we just make the best of it by co-operating and planning things together. Since we've known about each other, we've achieved a lot better functioning than what we had before we knew of each other's existence.

~K.

HMS Beagle's picture

A different perspective

We're multiple, but we don't have MPD or DID. There is such a thing as "healthy multiplicity," which we consider ourselves a part of. We are a group of people who all live in the same body. We aren't alters or facets or personalities--we are people. We work together as a team to create a functional and happy life for ourselves.

We don't have "jobs;" there's not "the angry one" or "the child" or what have you. We're well-rounded human beings. Obviously, being different people, we don't all have the same skills or interests, but we aren't locked in to doing only one thing in life.

We also never suffered childhood abuse, and we don't dissociate. (Some healthy multiples do, and as long as they are committed to working together as a team, they can still be just as functional. The point is, not all multiples are abused or dissociate.) We aren't really sure how or why we came to be multiple, but here we are, so we're trying to make the best of it. Honestly, we think we're doing a pretty good job: we've got BS in a physical science, friends and family who we're "out" to and have fulfilling relationships with, and we have an assortment of hobbies to round out our time. We're not violent or dangerous. We're just average people. Not all multiples are dysfunctional or crazy.

If you asked us if, given the option to be "cured," we would take it, we'd say no. We enjoy never having to be alone, to have someone to turn to for advice or a second opinion, and to let someone else take a crack at a problem if one of us is stumped. Being multiple has disadvantages, but most of them come from other people thinking we are dangerous or crazy when we decidedly are not.

This is NOT to say that MPD or DID don't exist, or that people don't suffer from them-- but not everyone who claims to have other people in their head is disordered.

Sealed's picture

Hmmm... Look like me. I could

Hmmm... Look like me. I could change freely, and sometimes create a 'new one' just by read information about personalities. My best friend said that I can't be my self and a 'multi-role' human. This sometimes make big troubles for me to make relationship or friends.

Arielle&'s picture

Oh thank the gods.

It's nice to see someone like yourself. (Or selves) We are also a functioning multiple system, and It's nice to see a good example of healthy multiplicity :D Thank you very much.

Anonymous's picture

why MPD is difficult to treat?

why MPD is difficult to treat?

George Fernandes's picture

hey

I believe in it..... I met One friend in online adult dating site..... we met after 5 weeks....I was confused..later i come to know she got sme multiple disorder.......

Anonymous's picture

Help Me

Please help me to deal with my muli-personality, it is distorying my marriage. It is very nasty, I just have nothing but anger in me that after some of the things I do upsets me as well as my husband becasue I wonder why I did or said that.

Please I beg you to help me .... my marrigae is on the very edge on being over becasue of it bothering and upsetting my husband.

RAJVEER's picture

personal

i know its too late but now also i can help you if you contact me on my email address here is it-
thanku

Anonymous's picture

i dont know what to do

Okay im 16 i was sexually phisicly and mentaly abused from ever since i can remember (well what little parts of it) to the time i was 13 and i think i might have MPD cause i cant remember most of my child hood last week i woke up at someones house in a freakin mini skirt(i dont even own a mini skirt)and the guy called me some name i didnt reconize and i remember going to sleep in my room it scares me cause my mom has said ive gotten violent and mean then i would start acting like a 5 yr old i cant remember any of it its goten alot worse recently ever siince i got a b/f ive lost alot of my memorys and so i looked up the symptons and it said that it might be caused by mpd and i just dont know what to do anymore im really scared

Casey's picture

reply to your forgotten memories

If you can't fully remember your memories try to have someone or something with you, like a personal tracker. I watched a video last week on memory loss with multiple personality disorder and this woman that had it kept a journal that all of her personality wrote in. You might be surprised at where you have been, but at least you will know. You may have to try to get your other personalities to comply exspecially if one is a five year old and cannot write, but you could keep a video journal instead if you have a family camcorder that you could use.

Anonymous's picture

lets just face it... there

lets just face it... there are forces at work beyond our understanding... there is one thing we can do... confront it.. try talking to yourself.. see if you get an answer. keep trying diffrent things.. have someone record you... sleep more... just keep experimenting.. you never know what the solution might be, considering that there is much about the brain we dont understand...

Anonymous's picture

Friend,,,

My friend has 4 children and is on the computer 95% of the time, she has about 3 personalities that have littler and bigger versions of themselves. Alli, one of the personalities, fights, not physically on the game SecondLife, but sometimes with her "uncle" and gets very violent. I am worried about her children. Help.

Anonymous's picture

husband

i have a problem like that he will get mad for no reason calls me names imbarass me on the train and make sure theres people listening to him he will say to get out the house that he owns everything in there he will say that a wife is not a persong that cooks clean or pays rent he will unconditionaly hate me and will scram at me

Anonymous's picture

worried

well he starts by acusing of everything and then saying a wife is not a woman tha cooks clean or pays rent that he wants a divorse he will embarass me in front of people he will make sure that there is a audience he will throw things at me and not care whos there will find exuse to fight or blame me for everthing

sometimes i don't reconize him the only thing i do is stay shut because he is dying for me to say something to go more crazy what should i do

Anonymous's picture

how do i cope with my wifes disorder?

First, the signs have been there since i met her but i just dismissed them as part of her troubled childhood and tried to help her through it. now we are finding out that she has actually 5 or so distinct personalities and one of them is actually completely independant of her(she has no recolection of the times when she is out) but this other personality, aside from being self destructive and violent, has been a real drain on my self as well. the altor has said and done some things that would normaly be unforgivable and ruthless, spreading lies about me and trying desparatly to sleep with several other men, while having cybersex with several that i know of. my wife has no recolection of any of these encounters and actually burst in to tears when she finally came to realise what she was doing and that she was realy the couse of alot of our problem. she couldn't understand why i had such a hard time trusting her. now she knows but to be hionest as much as i want o help her and as much as i love her and want to be with her, how can i cope with the altor who is doing these awfull and hurtfull things to me, i don't blame her but, how do i move past this and ge over it, i am planning on gettting therapy my self to try and figure it out, but i am very confusedd and any help wuld be appreciated.....

PLEASE!!!

Anonymous's picture

Does my bf have MPD?

once i started dating my current bf, he told me about his multiple personalities. he does smoke marijuana. one side is his normal. the other is quiet & helpless & backs off from his surroundings, & sadly is.. a pussy. the other is mean, very sexual, & caused a lot of his past problems. like his cheating on his past gfs, it's just a general asshole. he has a very bad memory. like he said something cute one time & totaly forgot he said it. it annoys me & i yell at him. & he tells me he doesn't know why he said it. & he gets depressed easily over things. one day he'll think i'm a loyal gf & the other day he'll think i'm cheating on him. he has bad insecurity sometimes but sometimes he won't.

what's going on?
:(

M.'s picture

Hmmm...

Sounds exactly like my boyfriend, strange...

kate's picture

maby he's just trin to be

maby he's just trin to be 'big' for you. and that isn't in his nature, he doent know how to handle himself.

Anonymous's picture

Chances are he does not have

Chances are he does not have MPD, but maybe he is Bi Polar. or he is using MPD as an excuse for his bad behavior. Either way, he needs to seek the treatment of a psychiatrist.

Anonymous's picture

whats the problem

one minute his ok and the other he likes to imbarass me when he sees people and will do it in a way that i do not reconise him morning he is mean and sometimes when we go home and theres people sorounding us

Meg's picture

My best friend has 1 other personality(who hate me)

OK, so I am 18 years old getting ready to graduate and just recently learned my friend (an 18 year father) has MPD, and has to an extent for 2 years, he is my closest friend but last time he choose to tell someone (a therapist) they sent him away for help so he refuses to seek help again. It is getting worse; he has gotten really far, (or Gabriel Has). He has dug a grave and is planning to kill someone, (vary detailed vary planed) none of this is new to me. But it is getting worse it started as "Meg Ill Always! Be here no one will hurt you... and get away with it" that was his other personality (Gabriel) when he liked and trusted me... Well that quickly turned around Gabriel quickly got jealous of my time with him. So now Gabriel wants me dead, so. We did the best thing we could think to do, we broke up (witch killed me, I want to be with him) I feel I should be afraid for my own life because we still hang out but I am not, I don’t know why I’m not but it does not scare me like I think it should. I have seen the grave he dug, I have talked to Gabriel, a strongly heated conversation. And for some reason I prayed for him (I’m not religious) but when I did this it only seems to get worse (I know that’s in my head, Right?)

Georgia's picture

I think i have MPD. When i

I think i have MPD. When i get mad and hysterically upset Bella comes out. Shes a voice in my head but she comes out. Shes very dark and wants revenge. She pinnd my mother to the wall with a chair. I zone out likd im sleeping and i dont remember what i do! Please help

Anonymous's picture

Do I have MPD?

I am 16 years old and have been through alot of sexual abuse. My brother was the spark to this fire when I was a little girl. He had been molesting me since I could remember until I was about 9. Last year I was raped many times by my bestfriend's father. I believe I may have deveolped MPD because of the truamas I have been through. Most of the time I completely change myself to act like one of my friends. I act and talk just like her. I don't understand it.. it just happens. I also have a very agressive side to me.. one that when I don't get my way or if I get pissed off I can't hardly control. I have distroyed my house and have left bruises on my mother whenever this happens. Once I realize what I've done, I get extremely depressed. I know there's somehting wrong with me.. and this is the only disorder I have found that relates to this..

Help?

Anonymous's picture

Re: Do I have MPD?

There are other personality disorders that you may have along with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. You might even have a touch of Multiple Personality Disorder. It's very hard to say without being evaluated. It's best to go to very knowledgable psychiatrist who can diagnose you. I have Multiple Personality Disorder and my symptoms didn't show to me until I was 24 even though I was told earlier that I had a personality disorder. I didn't believe it or see the symptoms. When they came out I did not get violent with others and I have over 50 personalities.

Is it possible that your mother abused you and you blocked it out? You may have dissociated parts or some kind of dissociative disorder. I doubt you would lash out at your mother for no reason.

The best thing to do is to get help and talk it out with someone you trust. Also make sure to choose wisely who to help you. Make sure they are understanding and listen to you rather than tell you what you're thinking.

Good luck.

serendip2's picture

In response to I need info

This is probably not what you want to hear, but I think your family should know. How were you diagnosed at 13 without them knowing? I think your therapist would be the best person to help you with this. It is scarey letting anyone, even family members know. You never know how they are going to respond. It has taken my children, who are grown,a year to talk to me since they found out. But it is easier for me for them to know. It just takes time. serendip2

Anonymous's picture

I need info

I have MPD but have not told my family yet. I call him little brother sometimes. I'm 13 and have had it since I was 8,when I got seperated from my family (temporarily). The personality he has is dark. Mine is shy. my MPD only rises when people are mean to me, and if it rises enough I zone out,then zone in,and I will be brused and beat, or the person who made me sad and him mad,are knocked out. I refuse medication because,like I said I havent told my family so,they think it is survere deppression and perscribe emotion boosters,wich reeeaaallllyyy screws me and him up.So while I'm happy,when someone makes me mad,you know.Its way worse. Someone give me a way to solve this without telling my family,please!

BellaRain's picture

drop dead..... gorgeous-

Recurrent brief depression knocks on my door
and its been here for awhile.
My dissociative identity disorder never rises.

Don't.

anonymous's picture

reg: some disorders.

I am a 30 year old female. For the last two months I am being facing a very different type of manner . That is taking to any person in a harsh manner and always revenge mentaliality against the person. Feeling the I am very great in all aspects and what ever I do is great and is one of the best in the world. No one has that much capaibility and so on.

Anonymous's picture

My new love

I have met a guy that I have fallen deeply for. We get along great one minute and the next he isn't calling me or seeing me. It's always I need some space. I don't know what to do my friends have told me he appears to have split personalities. When he is good he is great but it's hard dealing with the fact that he can go for days without seeing or calling me. When I mention why didn't you call me he tends to get very defensive. He went thru a divorce a year ago and I have been his support and shoulder. He has also helped me thru alot. I want to help him and be there for him but I don't know how to deal with this please help!!!!

Anonymous's picture

Characterstics of a person I live with

The person I live with is increasingly scaring me.It is as if I encounter ten different people in one single day through him. This has been going on for more than 10 years. At first,I thought they were moods-but now it is becoming a chronic kind of behaviour. Some of the symptoms I have detected repeatedly are:-
1. His total inability to think when in these various personalities-like when he is eating, he becomes the conservative, frowning man very judgemental about the culinary skills. I have noticed he is not nutrition conscious- likes to eat to his taste. Likes all food that are labour intensive- as if punishing the person who's cooking. if fed a simpe nutritious meal-will blow his fuse.
2. Is most inconsiderate of his workers,wife-thank God no children involved!
3. Always ready to find faults with wife and yell at her.
4.Will not say anything to the workers even if they misbehave or are not doing their job properly.
5.Is always exhausted.Snores loudly when asleep.
6.Refuses to analyze his personal behaviour,health. When stressed starts muttering abusive words to wife. Tends to get violent if encountered.
7. Is always telling his wife that nobody is happy with you, you have no friends.
8.If she tries to make friends he is not happy-will always go out of his way to break a date,even a simple visit to a conference.

Tell me how to handle him. Refuses to see a doctor.

Anonymous's picture

It sounds more like he has

It sounds more like he has Borderline Personality Disorder. I doubt someone with MPD would be so unpleasant and abusive. It could happen just like with any, but the symptoms you describe are not characteristic of someone with this disorder.

He could also have psychopathic tendencies. There are many personality disorders which include the symptoms you're describing.

Another thing... People with Borderline Personality Disorder are very difficult to treat partly because they won't admit there is something wrong. They almost seem to have different personalities, but don't. They also may have a poor memory and deny emotional outbursts. They can be sadistic and manipulative and not even admit it to themselves. They also prey on the weak but show moments when they themselves are what they would say is weak.

Anonymous's picture

Totally Wrong.

I have Borderline Personality Disorder and I believe that what you have written about the disease is false. I do not, and have not met any BPD people who do, prey on the weak. I am NOT sadistic nor manipulative, and I do not know many BPD's who are. Maybe you should do your research before you "diagnose" someone with any particular mental illness. By your description of BPD, you must have it, right?

Anonymous's picture

if he does something

if he does something destructive tell him you will call the police unless he sees the doctor

eve isk's picture

Thanks for Overview

It is possible, of course, that some cases of MPD emerge spontaneously without input from the MPD community, while other cases--perhaps most cases--of MPD have been created by therapists with the cooperation of their patients who have been influenced by authors and film makers. In either case, the suffering of the person with MPD is equally pitiable and deserving of our understanding, not derision.Really like your view on MPD.

Anonymous's picture

HELPPPPP

my bf is not remember meeting pepole also he is not remember fighting with me or yelling at me or my family. PLEASE help me on what to do. we went to the dr and the hospital and they put him in the physciatric hospital after being in there alll night they told him he was fine as he was seein stuff nd hearing voices.. they still told him he was fine.. i am only 18 i really need help he is only 17 please help me understand this more.....

jared koczur's picture

hey

well hey dose he do any drugs. well i have probs like dat i do meth and weed and if he is doing drugs like meth he relly needs help.

Anonymous's picture

alter comes out a bit much

I've tried speaking to him about getting it under control. He's in therapy for it, and his therapist says he's doing fine, but his alter swears that my friend is about to go crazy soon so he can take over and kill everyone :/
Every time I try talking to my friend about it, his alter immediately comes out and deletes the online conversation and makes it look like he had a fit of rage.
I'm very afraid for my friend, admittedly, but... I honestly don't know what to do about this.

Anonymous's picture

Alters and murder

do you think alters are capable of killing other people?

Anonymous's picture

Alters and murder

Statistically that's a no. It's a misconception as well. The multiple personality construct is like a hierarchy and is developed as a healthy response to trauma. The personalities are set up in a sort of hierarchy and the one in charge has ultimate control of the actions and is aware of everyone. That is the gatekeeper or the one who pulls the strings. A person who develops multiple personalities does to prevent themselves from being shaped by the early traumatic experiences and begins to recall them when it is safe enough so that they will ultimately remain good people.

However, there are some cases that people who have Multiple Personality Disorder develop other disorders along with such as bipolar, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, and/or many others. That is when a person can be capable of murder. I highly doubt that an alter would have the power to bring harm to others. I have over 50 personalities and I sure have angry ones who of course would like to think about doing such things, but it would never happen because the subconscious (and now for me partly conscious) part in charge would not allow it. Having this disorder has kept me from becoming the madness that surrounded me in my earlier years.

Anonymous's picture

my grandchild

I have a granddaughter who is 2 years old, who I belive has MPD. I need help as to what to do. I think this a coping mechanism for her. She was taken from her mother at the hospital because she tested positive for cocaine. She was then placed in foster care. After much red tape my husband and I finally got custody and took her in. We kept her until she 18 months old. She was very attached to us. Her aunt took her then and has had her ever since. This was veru upsetting to her. We get her every other weekend and she never wants to go back. I've seen her change in the middle of a cry and become someone else. The dominant evil girl is getting stronger because she comes out more. It is so scarry. I believe there are 5 personalities. The evil girl calls herself Badass Bebe. She told me this in the grocery store as she sat in the shopping cart. I need to know what to do to help her.

Anonymous's picture

I have Multiple Personality

I have Multiple Personality Disorder and am 30 years old. What has helped me to heal is that people did not tell me about my other personalities before I became conscious of them. It's very important that you do not foster the development of sides or personalities of her that express undesirable behavior. If it's possible, just ignore that personality and try to bring her back to her conscious self. It's extremely important that you do not tell her about her other sides. That could cause harm by exposing her to events that she's blocked out before she's ready. If that occurs, she can develop other disorders along with the multiple personalities such as borderline personality disorder or psychopathic or sociopathic personality.

If you can get custody of her please do it! Get her evaluated by a very reputable psychiatrist who has knowledge of Multiple Personalities. Then take the evidence to court without letting her know exactly what her mental condition is. It's very important that you NOT tell her there is something wrong with her. Developing multiple personalities is a very healthy response to trauma. Just give her love and support and nurture and guide her, but let her figure it out herself so that she can merge those personalities on her own terms. I believe that it's not possible for her to integrate those personalities safely until all abusive persons are out of her life.

Good luck.

ferin's picture

re: grandchild

I have a very major piece of advise - do not ever refer to any personality or part of your granddaughter as "bad" or "evil" even if the child herself does it.; by using those terms, you are re-enforcing it to the child and making the problem worse.

Putting a bonding-age infant/child through constant caretaker transitions can be very psychologically traumatic, but the fact that the child is giving references to "bad" makes me very suspect that at the very least there has been verbal psychological abuse going on.

If you were not observing this kind of behavior until after the aunt had her, you need to find out what it going on in the aunt's house, which may be something even the aunt doesn't know. If you suspect abuse there, do something about it.

I'm glad you are looking after your grandchild's well-being.

 Anonymous 's picture

confused mind

i want to now...can short temper people (aggressive)can also have these type of prob
of multiple personality disorder..or any such...

Anonymous's picture

MPD

There is a woman by the name of Julie Fast- she's an author of a few BiPolar Disorder books. She's in expert in my opinion on mental illness, she has a radio show on AM910 KTRO and she is discussing MPD today with someone who has it. 3-4pm, PST (Sunday).

I would urge you to look into her work and others that have written books similar to hers. Good luck!

Anonymous's picture

To both of you, if you have

To both of you, if you have not read when rabbit howls, i am pressed to suggest it. I myself have not finished the book, but i have talked to a few friends who have and it has really helped them develop and control their persons. I dont have any names to give, or really a whole lot of advice, but I wanted to let you both know that there are prayers going out for you and your friends. There is always a solution if the persons are willing to work together and unify. Good luck and God bless.

Anonymous's picture

I have a friend who has 3

I have a friend who has 3 distinct personalities, it has been documented since he was 8 years old by doctors. He was severely abused and I beleive that one of his parents suffer from the same thing. He has 1 passive personality, 1 aggressive, and 1 he calls link, who helps the other 2 to get along, I can always tell which one is which because they are all so different. One is a child and the other his protector. The protector is very intellectual while the other just seeks aproval and wants everyone to love him. My question is who has done alot of research in this field and has more knowledge than most doctors about this ? My friend sees a doctor but I don't see much progress happening. He seems like he's in constant turmoil, not able to sleep for days at a time, very thin because he doesn't eat like he should, always hurting because he is so sensitive unless his protector comes out. What can I do to help him ? Any names would be helpful, he is willing to let a specialist look at all his documentation if you can help him.