Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): Symptoms, Traits, Causes, Treatment

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Dissociative disorders all have a central feature of “dissociation,” or a disruption in the normally integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity, and perception.

What Is Dissociation?

Dissociative Identity Disorder Symptoms

A person with DID will experience the presence of two or more distinct identities or personalities, also known as alters. These personalities recurrently take control of the person’s behavior and they often experience a loss of memory of what happened while another personality or alter was in control.

Each alter has a distinct set of traits, personal history, and way of relating to the world. These alters may have different names, mannerisms, genders, and preferences than the individual’s core personality.

Other symptoms that a person with DID may experience include:

Diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder

The diagnostic criteria for dissociative identity disorder as described in the DSM-5 are as follows:

Although some have described DID as a rare condition, a combination of prevalence studies indicate that research has indicated that 1% to 1.5% of the population has the disorder.

Other experts, however, argue that there are recent studies that refute this idea of suggestion. For example, some studies have demonstrated that the different personalities of a person with DID have different physiological profiles, including different brain activation patterns or cardiovascular responses. These studies have been used as evidence for the existence of actual alters.

Overall, DID remains a somewhat controversial diagnosis, but it is now gaining more acceptance in the mental health community.

Causes of Dissociative Identity Disorder

A history of trauma is believed to play a critical role in the development of DID. Approximately 90% of people who have dissociative identity disorder have a history of past abuse.

People with DID often report the experience of severe repeated physical and sexual abuse during childhood and also frequently have concurrent symptoms ofborderline personality disorder (BPD), including:

This may be related to the fact thatchildhood abuseis a risk factor for both conditions.

One theory about the development of DID proposes that people with DID have experienced a psychological trauma so severe that the only way to manage that trauma is to develop very strong dissociation as a coping mechanism. Over time, chronic dissociation leads to the formation of different identities or alters.

People with dissociative identity disorder may experience other trauma-related symptoms, including nightmares, flashbacks, or other symptoms characteristic ofpost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Links Between Trauma, PTSD, and Dissociative Disorders

Dissociative Identity Disorder Treatment

Treatment for dissociative identity disorder usually involves psychotherapy focused on helping the person integrate different personalities into a single, integrated identity.

Psychotherapy

Each individual’s needs will be different, but therapy typically focuses on helping the person safely process traumatic memories, improve relationships with others, and develop more effective coping skills.

Forms of therapy that may be used in the treatment of DID includecognitive behavioral therapy (CBT),dialectical-behavioral therapy (DBT), andeye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

Medication

There is no specific medication to treat DID, but antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications may be used to address associated symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Coping With Dissociative Identity Disorder

Learning new coping skills is an important aspect of managing symptoms of dissociative identity disorder. Some strategies that can help include:

If you or a loved one are struggling with dissociation or dissociative identity disorder, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with dissociation or dissociative identity disorder, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

7 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Özdemir O, Güzel Özdemir P, Boysan M, Yilmaz E.The relationships between dissociation, attention, and memory dysfunction.Noro Psikiyatr Ars. 2015;52(1):36–41. doi:10.5152/npa.2015.7390National Alliance on Mental Health.Dissociative disorders.Cleveland Clinic.Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder).Brand BL, Sar V, Stavropoulos P, et al.Separating fact from fiction: An empirical examination of six myths about dissociative identity disorder.Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2016;24(4):257-270. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000100Blihar D, Delgado E, Buryak M, Gonzalez M, Waechter R.A systematic review of the neuroanatomy of dissociative identity disorder.Eur J Trauma Dissociation. 2020;100148. doi:10.1016/j.ejtd.2020.100148Reinders AA, Willemsen AT, den Boer JA, Vos HP, Veltmn DJ, Loewenstein RJ.Opposite brain emotion-regulation patterns in identity states of dissociative identity disorder: A PET study and neurobiological model.Psychiatry Res.223(3):236-243. doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2014.05.005Cleveland Clinic.Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder): Management and Treatment.Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5. 5th ed.American Psychiatric Publishing: 2013.Schlumpf YR, Reinders AA, Nijenhuis ER, Luechinger R, van Osch MJ, Jäncke L.Dissociative part-dependent resting-state activity in dissociative identity disorder: a controlled FMRI perfusion study.PLoS One. 2014;9(6):e98795. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0098795

7 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Özdemir O, Güzel Özdemir P, Boysan M, Yilmaz E.The relationships between dissociation, attention, and memory dysfunction.Noro Psikiyatr Ars. 2015;52(1):36–41. doi:10.5152/npa.2015.7390National Alliance on Mental Health.Dissociative disorders.Cleveland Clinic.Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder).Brand BL, Sar V, Stavropoulos P, et al.Separating fact from fiction: An empirical examination of six myths about dissociative identity disorder.Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2016;24(4):257-270. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000100Blihar D, Delgado E, Buryak M, Gonzalez M, Waechter R.A systematic review of the neuroanatomy of dissociative identity disorder.Eur J Trauma Dissociation. 2020;100148. doi:10.1016/j.ejtd.2020.100148Reinders AA, Willemsen AT, den Boer JA, Vos HP, Veltmn DJ, Loewenstein RJ.Opposite brain emotion-regulation patterns in identity states of dissociative identity disorder: A PET study and neurobiological model.Psychiatry Res.223(3):236-243. doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2014.05.005Cleveland Clinic.Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder): Management and Treatment.Additional ReadingAmerican Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5. 5th ed.American Psychiatric Publishing: 2013.Schlumpf YR, Reinders AA, Nijenhuis ER, Luechinger R, van Osch MJ, Jäncke L.Dissociative part-dependent resting-state activity in dissociative identity disorder: a controlled FMRI perfusion study.PLoS One. 2014;9(6):e98795. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0098795

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Özdemir O, Güzel Özdemir P, Boysan M, Yilmaz E.The relationships between dissociation, attention, and memory dysfunction.Noro Psikiyatr Ars. 2015;52(1):36–41. doi:10.5152/npa.2015.7390National Alliance on Mental Health.Dissociative disorders.Cleveland Clinic.Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder).Brand BL, Sar V, Stavropoulos P, et al.Separating fact from fiction: An empirical examination of six myths about dissociative identity disorder.Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2016;24(4):257-270. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000100Blihar D, Delgado E, Buryak M, Gonzalez M, Waechter R.A systematic review of the neuroanatomy of dissociative identity disorder.Eur J Trauma Dissociation. 2020;100148. doi:10.1016/j.ejtd.2020.100148Reinders AA, Willemsen AT, den Boer JA, Vos HP, Veltmn DJ, Loewenstein RJ.Opposite brain emotion-regulation patterns in identity states of dissociative identity disorder: A PET study and neurobiological model.Psychiatry Res.223(3):236-243. doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2014.05.005Cleveland Clinic.Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder): Management and Treatment.

Özdemir O, Güzel Özdemir P, Boysan M, Yilmaz E.The relationships between dissociation, attention, and memory dysfunction.Noro Psikiyatr Ars. 2015;52(1):36–41. doi:10.5152/npa.2015.7390

National Alliance on Mental Health.Dissociative disorders.

Cleveland Clinic.Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder).

Brand BL, Sar V, Stavropoulos P, et al.Separating fact from fiction: An empirical examination of six myths about dissociative identity disorder.Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2016;24(4):257-270. doi:10.1097/HRP.0000000000000100

Blihar D, Delgado E, Buryak M, Gonzalez M, Waechter R.A systematic review of the neuroanatomy of dissociative identity disorder.Eur J Trauma Dissociation. 2020;100148. doi:10.1016/j.ejtd.2020.100148

Reinders AA, Willemsen AT, den Boer JA, Vos HP, Veltmn DJ, Loewenstein RJ.Opposite brain emotion-regulation patterns in identity states of dissociative identity disorder: A PET study and neurobiological model.Psychiatry Res.223(3):236-243. doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2014.05.005

Cleveland Clinic.Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder): Management and Treatment.

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5. 5th ed.American Psychiatric Publishing: 2013.Schlumpf YR, Reinders AA, Nijenhuis ER, Luechinger R, van Osch MJ, Jäncke L.Dissociative part-dependent resting-state activity in dissociative identity disorder: a controlled FMRI perfusion study.PLoS One. 2014;9(6):e98795. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0098795

American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5. 5th ed.American Psychiatric Publishing: 2013.

Schlumpf YR, Reinders AA, Nijenhuis ER, Luechinger R, van Osch MJ, Jäncke L.Dissociative part-dependent resting-state activity in dissociative identity disorder: a controlled FMRI perfusion study.PLoS One. 2014;9(6):e98795. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0098795

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