Split personality - symptoms and signs, effective treatment and prevention methods

Split personality is a disease that is clearly characterized by the manifestation of another personality in a healthy person. To put it another way, these are cases when a person can react differently to one situation. Another personality takes over him and this is a terrifying factor for others. If the disease begins to progress, then a person may simply forget what happened to him a few minutes ago and with whom he had a dialogue. Sometimes it seems that he lives for a long time in two parallel universes. Therefore, we offer qualified assistance and consultation regarding any psychological illness.

A few facts about bifurcation

In almost all cases, the disease has direct connections with psychological disorders that occurred in childhood up to 9 years;
Women are more likely to suffer from violence, which is why the disease is more common among them;
20% of patients with this disease used psychotropic drugs;
More than half of patients with multiple personality disorder have attempted to commit suicide, and the situation worsens during sleep.

Split personality disorder is an outdated name. But a few centuries ago, this syndrome was called “possession by the devil” of the human body and his consciousness. People were sure that supernatural forces were beginning to take over a person and we were obliged to help him. The second name appeared relatively recently and is not compatible with reality. People believed that such persons were possessed by devils and controlled by them. Treatment methods did not exist at that time, but demons were cast out in the most cruel ways. Will not go into details.

Dissociative identity disorder was first described by the Swiss physician Paracelsus back in the 16th century. The discovery stopped there for years. Officially registered only in 1975. Many doubted the existence of the disease and were sure that patients were simply playing a role. Today, split personality is officially recognized as a disease and requires mandatory treatment.

Factors in the development of the disease

Determining an exact list of reasons that contribute to the formation of multiple personalities is not easy, since the situation varies. A larger percentage of people suffering from the disease had the same causes.

Childhood shocks provide the necessary impetus for the development of the disorder. Such shocks are characterized by severe emotional stress. In some cases, the cause is violence. In addition to the above, deviations arise due to abundant mental stress caused by the environment. The presence of physical impact is not decisive.

Family violence

Experts characterize split personality as a defense of the human psyche. The result of this defense is isolation from traumatic memories. This leads to the formation of an alternative personality.

Primary school children are most vulnerable to developing the disease . At this stage, the development of the sensory components of the growing organism occurs. The disorder occurs as a result of a mental disorder. Adults are less susceptible to such effects.

According to unofficial information, in psychiatry departments there are 3% of patients diagnosed with multiple personality disorder. Studies have shown that the predisposition of women is higher than that of men. However, the statistics are not accurate, since it is more difficult to identify mental problems in men.

Symptoms, signs of split personality and treatment of the disease

Symptoms include:

The patient may move away from a specific situation and become someone in certain life episodes. If we take into account the second personality, then it differs from ordinary behavior and physical actions. For example, if in ordinary life he is calm, then he may begin to behave relaxed. Characteristic signs are that the person begins to speak in a voice that is not his own and new mannerisms appear.
The appearance of personalities directly follows from the social circle in which a person is currently located. Many peoples believe that this is a manifestation of obsession. A person can organically feel absence, loss of space, and after something happens to him, he simply does not understand who led him.
He begins to forget the moments that happened. This can negatively affect work activity, because moments of life begin to disappear from memory in fragments.
Often patients say that they hear some voices. Often, at the moment the person is in a trance. The peculiarity is that if the patient has been in a similar position at least once, he wants to return to it again. This feeling of something new does not leave you alone. It acts like a drug and affects your mood and lifestyle.
Increased depression and anxiety, mood swings are possible. It is often mentioned that such patients have nightmares. Approximately 60% of people attempt to die voluntarily.

Associated conditions

In addition to splitting consciousness, the patient is accompanied by other symptoms:

rapid mood changes;
depression;
increased anxiety;
sleep disorders;
eating problems;
change of tastes, interests;
talking to yourself in different ways;
hallucinations – tactile, gustatory, visual.

70% of DID patients commit suicide. However, an indicative diagnostic criterion is dissociative amnesia.

The subject forgets the events of his personal biography and finds it difficult to fully tell the story of his own life. His school activities are marked by sharp declines and increases in academic performance. There is amnesia for current events. For example, the patient is firmly convinced that today is Tuesday, lives on Tuesday, although in fact today is Thursday. He doesn’t remember the events of two days. There is also no opportunity to remember some actions or words spoken.

Patients discover things whose origin is difficult to explain, and incomprehensible notes. Friends ask you to do something (play the guitar), but the person understands that he doesn’t know how to do it. When a passerby nods affably to him as a sign of greeting, it is difficult for the patient to remember who it is.

Depersonalization and derealization are manifested by a feeling of detachment. The patient feels as if he is observing his own life from the outside. He is not able to control his own thoughts and actions. He has a feeling of the unreality of what is happening, individual things seem changed, change outlines, properties. A similar state overtakes the basic personality.

Prognosis and treatment

There is an opinion among psychiatrists that the earlier nervous personality disorder occurs, the worse the social prognosis. It should be noted that bifurcation is the most dangerous syndrome. It is almost impossible to achieve complete recovery after a mental illness of this type. First of all, this is due to the fact that each of the individuals may have psychological deviations.

The main methods of treatment are cognitive and rational, when a specialist works to develop criticism of his own condition. Therapy is carried out exclusively by psychologists in the behavioral field. It is very important to try to reproduce all the traumas that could have occurred in communication with your parents, with your significant other, with friends. This will help you understand why there was a need to hide behind two masks.

The essence of the methods is that the doctor is constantly trying to collect all the split-off personalities from a person and combine them into a single form. An excellent mechanism for gathering information from parts is hypnosis. By the way, hypnosis is a double-edged sword; it can both help the patient understand the problem and deal a blow to the psyche. In a word, this is jewelry work that should be performed by a good professional.

Drug treatment for multiple personality disorders is used to eliminate secondary consequences that occur. If you are depressed, you need to take antidepressants. Treatment with several drugs at the same time is possible.

Treatment of split personality

If we compare the disease with third-party mental disorders, then this is a much more serious situation. Medicines are necessary to eliminate superficial symptoms. The main method is psychotherapy.

The task of a psychologist is to collect a person according to all the “split off” individuals. In this case, long conversations, hypnosis and drugs that help to stir up the patient help. This mechanism can both bring results and, on the contrary, aggravate the situation. Therefore, when choosing a doctor, we recommend that you be careful. Only a good professional can cope with the task. Doctors are confident that it is almost impossible to permanently cure split personality; it tends to remain in the body. This may take years and recovery may not be complete.

Causes and diagnosis

As practice shows, the disease begins to develop against the background of a stressful state. Difficult moments in life, psychological trauma in adolescence force our psyche to build defense mechanisms and change perceptions. The brain experiences a blockage on the main personality and ultimately ends in a split, which we talked about. So it turns out that one person is sleeping, and the other is having fun in the club.

Dissociation of the body is a normal phenomenon that is inherent in nature. But violence is not the only contributing factor to the onset of the disease. Several criteria can be noted:

Easy-going people who love to be in the center of events and attract attention;
The presence of defects in the functioning of the nervous system;
Use of psychotropic substances, alcohol;
Side effects from anesthesia;
Prolonged stress that people often experience during military operations, tsunamis, floods and other disasters.

It should be noted that at the first examination the doctor may not notice any abnormalities. A clear symptom is memory problems, which occur in older people. This is why doctors do not like to make this diagnosis.

DID is most often confused with schizophrenia. But there are a huge number of differences between the two syndromes. Schizophrenia is manifested by the presence of hallucinations and a person’s belief in something supernatural. This is a disease that completely destroys from the inside, but does not create doubles.

There are also people who believe that split personality is just a wild fantasy. Diagnosis of the disease can be after numerous tests, observations and hypnosis. To make a diagnosis, doctors may use disinhibiting drugs.

Consequences of psychopathy

Often, problems of this kind lead such people to alcohol and psychoactive substance abuse (hereinafter referred to as psychoactive substances).

Almost every person who now suffers from addiction syndrome once suffered from a personality disorder. Lack of understanding of the mechanisms of the surrounding reality, fear of being rejected, impulsiveness, reluctance to think several steps ahead even within the simplest framework often leads a person to the use of surfactants or alcohol. With the help of such a “medicine,” the psychopath escapes not so much from reality as from himself.

Psychopaths also often attempt suicide. And again for the same reasons that we described above - fear of the outside world, lack of understanding of the basic laws of life. This is the “simple” way to solve all problems.

A classic and obvious sign of psychopathy, according to “old psychiatrists,” are scars on the forearms (traces of self-cutting and self-harm).

Psychopaths (especially those with predominant emotional disturbances) may be prone to committing crimes.

How to identify split personality yourself

Almost everyone can be dislocated when, for example, they show imagination, imagine themselves talking to someone or having their head in the clouds. Many kids invent imaginary friends, play with them and come up with various stories. This is not a paranormal phenomenon. The problem begins at the moment when a person cannot manage his personalities and switch in time. It can suddenly change from one to another. Scientists cannot say what caused this phenomenon.

During a person’s change from one personality to another, the following may be observed:

A sharp change in character, changes in gestures, facial expressions, handwriting, voice, taste preferences. The person may begin to tell other stories from life. Often the opposite person has completely different habits and a difference in outlook on life.
Ceases to control behavior, gestures, statements and actions. He can cry, be depressed, and after a few minutes burst into laughter to such an extent that it will be difficult to stop him.
May manifest as incoherent speech, amnesia, or grunting.
Memory lapses that eliminate memories, events that happened just the day before, and even habits. It is usually worth sounding the alarm when a person begins to forget too much information.
One person may suddenly turn on and off. Therefore, even with a psychotherapist, he can tell completely different stories, simply because he does not remember what he said earlier.
Poor health, insomnia. This could be a sudden tingling in the abdomen, problems with the digestive system, or a migraine.

But, even if most of the symptoms coincide, they are more often diagnosed with depression, anxiety disorder, and an apathetic attitude towards life. This only complicates the selection of methods.

Treatment takes a lot of resources and effort. Sometimes it can take a lifetime. But it is necessary to alleviate the patient’s condition and reduce the manifestation of symptoms. You can start treating the disease after appointing a qualified specialist. All information regarding treatment is given as a reference and is not a guide!

Types of DID

There are two forms of the disease: non-possessed and possessed.

The non-possessed form is manifested by minor external changes in the patient, sometimes unnoticeable to others. The patients themselves characterize their own condition with the following sensations:

they contemplate their own lives as outside observers, unable to intervene in the course of events;
feel detached from their own physical and mental state;
feel bodily changes - consider themselves old, too young, a person of the opposite sex;
talk about the unreality of what is happening;
They notice the influx of an endless stream of thoughts, they notice previously alien emotions.

Hints of the presence of a disorder can appear in individual details. For example, a person suddenly changed his image and is interested in things that were previously insignificant to him. Eating habits and emotional characteristics change. For example, a previously balanced individual is now characterized by short temper, nervousness, and anger.

The possessed form is characterized by a sharp change in behavior, noticeable to all people who know him. The patient is called by someone else's name, actions become different from the usual. The patient represents a new person or being. Often patients are presented as God, a demon, an angel. The split ego explains the previously existing concept of “possessed by the devil.” Shamans are considered the first representatives of dissociative disorder. Drawings from the Paleolithic period were found confirming the reincarnation of sorcerers into animals and the infusion of spirits.

Perhaps the most famous multifaceted personality is Billy Milligan. 24 autonomous ego states coexisted in it simultaneously, 10 of which were basic. Billy was considered the main one. Arthur and Ragen Vadaskovinich are also interesting.

Arthur is a 22-year-old Englishman, highly intelligent, educated, and mannered. In the scientific and medical field - a high specialist. Rejects the existence of God, wears glasses, smokes. It was he, guided by the deductive method, who discovered the presence of other subpersonalities and developed general rules of behavior.

Ragen Vadaskovinich is a native of Yugoslavia, 23 years old. Called the "guardian of hatred." Extremely strong, distinguishes all types of weapons. He treats women and children with special respect and always helps them. A large, strong guy, along with Arthur, controls the overall body, regulating dangerous situations.

In addition to the previous guys, among the 10 main identities are an 18-year-old eloquent scammer, a 14-year-old boy, Danny, who is afraid of men, and 3-year-old Christine, who appeared first among the rest of the Ego States. The girl stood behind Billy in the corner when he did something wrong, Ragen's favorite.

There was also Christine’s brother Christopher, lesbian Adalana, little David who accepts pain, Tommy’s keeper of salvation, helping to get out of limiting circumstances. For example, he knows how to remove handcuffs.

The remaining 13 subpersonalities were declared undesirable by Arthur and Ragen for inappropriate, antisocial behavior. For example, Phil and Kevin organizing armed attacks. It was for them that the “real” Billy was tried, as well as for the rapes committed by the lesbian Adalana due to a lack of love, warmth and the need for hugs.

Billy Milligan is famous for being accused of robbery and rape, but acquitted. The man became the first defendant acquitted of the diagnosis of “Multiple Personality.” Lawyers were able to prove that several of Billy's alternate identities were guilty of crimes. He was sent to a psychiatric hospital to receive treatment until he fully recovered. After 10 years, Billy was cured and released from the hospital.

The cause of Billy Milligan's disorder is believed to be a difficult childhood. The boy's father suffered from alcoholism, depression, and committed suicide when the boy was 6 years old. Eight-year-old Billy's stepfather tied up and raped the boy in a barn. The moment when a guy’s first new identity emerges is considered to be a period of 3-4 years.

Subsequently, the story of Billy Milligan was outlined in his novel by Daniel Keyes, calling his work “The Many Minds of Billy Milligan.”

Drug treatment

Among the drugs can be noted:

Neuroleptics. They help reduce the progressive effects of the disease, for example, by eliminating the most dangerous symptoms and signs - manic behavior and hallucinations. They are an excellent drug for reducing stress, relax the body, help you fall asleep and not think about the problem.
Tranquilizers. Do not use without a doctor's prescription! Otherwise it could cost your life! This drug can push a person to suicide, so it is prescribed under the supervision of a doctor.
Antidepressants. They help cope with depression, apathy, reluctance to live, loss of interests and hobbies. They help fill yourself with energy and fight for life with new strength.

Electroconvulsive technique

Appeared in the 30s of the last century and was used to treat schizophrenia. There was an assumption that the brain, under the influence of the disorder, was not able to create certain impulses and they were created artificially.

Method of use: several electrodes were attached to the head, which had a short-term effect on the brain. The main goal was not to have a traumatic effect on the brain, but to have an effect on it. Within two months, doctors were able to achieve a positive result.

List of sources

Brushlinsky A.V. Psychology of the subject. M., 2003. 272
Korolenko T.P., Dmitrieva N.V., Zagoruiko E.N. Identity in normal and pathological conditions. Novosibirsk, 2000. 255 p.
Turbina E.G. Multiple personality syndrome // Kemerov V.E., Kerimov T.Kh. (ed.) Social philosophy. Ekaterinburg, 2006. P. 205
Nikiforova P. The phenomenon of multiple personality in science and culture. St. Petersburg, 2014. 20 p.
Putnam Frank W. Diagnosis and treatment of multiple personality disorder. Per. from English - M.: Cogito-Center, 2004. - P. 10, 138-150.

What to do if a person refuses treatment?

You need to understand why he does this. It may take time to talk about the problem. Try to explain that there are no difficulties in the course of treatment and you will easily go through the path together. You shouldn’t tell scary stories, but you don’t need to lie that you’ll be cured in a month.

You can call a doctor yourself, without permission. You need to write a statement that will be the reason for the home inspection. If the doctor sees that the patient’s condition does not have symptoms that threaten his life and those around him, he is asked to sign papers for the course of treatment, but you have the right to refuse. Involuntary hospitalization is possible when a person is in a complex psychological disorder, and his actions can harm loved ones.

How to live with a person who has duality

Multiple personality syndrome negatively affects not only the patient, but also loved ones. A few recommendations for those who want to establish a relationship with a person who has ADHD:

Down with rose-colored glasses. This is a disease that will take many years to treat. Maybe even in your lifetime you won’t be able to get rid of it completely.
Be patient. The patient unknowingly began to suffer from DSD; everything happened due to a coincidence of serious circumstances in life.
Get information from professionals. A good psychiatrist will be able to help in resolving the issue, but not friends who read somewhere that everything can be cured by using a magic pill.
Don't panic! Keep in mind that when he switches from one personality to another, complex processes occur in the body. This is a real trauma that is difficult to overcome. Try to keep yourself in control and control the situation.
Create an environment for him that will not be mentally disturbing. Try to reduce the number of nervous breakdowns.
Pay attention to his condition. During this time, replenish your supplies of medications that block further development of the disease.
Keep the situation under control. Pay attention to the moment at which it begins to “switch.” It could be a fit of rage.
Don't take his words to heart. They just have to understand that at the moment his behavior is uncontrollable.
Rest. Caring for someone with a nervous disorder is exhausting, so give yourself time to rest.

A huge number of films have been made about people with DSD, where they show their inner world in detail and demonstrate the disease. In life, everything happens differently. Two personalities are a set of symptoms that absolutely do not guarantee that a person will turn into an uncontrollable maniac. Many patients with dissociative identity disorder are completely harmless to society.

These are people with whom you can find a common language. If you choose the right treatment, the disease will not develop further. If we analyze the information from the site, we can say that such people are safe for society.

Bifurcation is a chronic disease, most often requiring more than five years to heal. Some people are cured, others are not.

Now you know that the body, in fact, can accommodate several personalities at the same time. And the most important rule is that they get along well and live like this for decades. The body can be ruled by one entity or another. The period of “reign” can last from a few minutes to months.

Pathogenesis

How to get split personality? One of the mechanisms by which the psyche tries to cope with stress and uncontrollable memories is dissociation (separation). Trauma affects the child’s psyche, splitting it into several autonomous particles, which become the basis for subpersonalities in the future. Dissociation is activated under appropriate conditions and is of a purely unconscious nature. It plays a protective role and gradually acquires a complex character, and this entails the destruction of the integral structure of the personality.

Dissociation protects the individual from trauma by splitting experiences into parts. Subpersonalities are formed from five to twenty-five years and on average, from 6 to 16 subpersonalities can be formed. The earlier re-traumatization occurs, the greater the risk that dissociative disorder will develop and personalities will be formed. Alter personalities take on a traumatic past, which is why they are formed. The new Alter personality is freed from experiences, a new biography, a new personal history is formed.

Splitting occurs at the unconscious desire of a person as a desire to fence off and isolate from negative memories. But not every alarming event can provoke a “crack.” The trigger (trigger mechanism) must be very serious. The various ego states in an individual's body are changeable and there is one personality - the “master”. It is important to emphasize a feature: the host personality and alter ego suffer from dissociative amnesia if one of them “captures” the person’s consciousness. The remaining parts of consciousness are “inactive.” Sometimes there are cases when one of the parts comes to doctors for help.

According to the second mechanism for the development of dissociations, a child at birth lacks personality integrity, and it is formed under the influence of experience and external factors. Under favorable conditions, the personality is integrated into a single whole, and severe traumas delimit the formation of the personality - two independent personalities arise before and after psychological trauma. Also important for mental evolution is the process of differentiation - thanks to it, the individual “I” of a person is isolated, and multiple partial personalities move into the sphere of the unconscious and function in dreams, in borderline states, in neurotic and psychotic disorders.

How to detect identity substitution in time?

During a person's transition from one state, a brief fainting may occur. This is an instant action that goes unnoticed by the people around him. Even the patient can ignore this and live quietly in a similar situation for several years. In this case, medical assistance is necessary!

Split personality has a direct connection with the brain. With the processes that take place in it. But they have not been studied. Doctors cannot give an exact definition and answer to the phenomenon. It can be diagnosed and treated for multiple personality disorder for years, but there is no guarantee that a person will be able to overcome the disease completely. We can only guess about the origin of this process. There is an assumption that otherworldly forces were involved here...