Dissociative Identity Disorder

Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dissociative Identity Disorder (D.I.D), which also use to be known as Multiple Personality Disorder (MID), is a mental disorder where a person’s mind has taken more than it can handle and divides into “two or more distinct identities” (Meyers, 2011, p. 469). These identities have names and help protect the individual from whatever trauma they have
experienced. Each personality controls a different behavior, has its own individual identity, and claims to know nothing about any other existing personality. Where one personality may be shy another may be boisterous and aggressive. The profile of “V” and “J” are exact to this description.
The person’s profile I read talks about 2 distinct persons known as “V” and “J”. At the time the blog was written they were about twenty years old. “V” is the narrator. She calls the body in which they live “She”. “V” claims to be a separate person from “J”, but says together they make up a whole person. “J’s” first memory came about around three years of age when she remembers saving “V” from an underground cage. They identify themselves of being the ones taking care of everyday life responsibilities while “She” is the body in which they carry out their responsibilities.

They enjoy writing poetry, listening to music, dancing, singing and drawing. They do things as one but, in order to feel safe and remain functional they have separated memories.
The situation that created “V” and “J” was the physical and sexual abuse and extreme neglect brought on by the hands of the father around the age of three. Though he took their innocent for years they continued to love him as each personality divided and was unaware of what the other endured. “V” and “J”, the personalities “She” split into, held hands inside of a body they knew existed but didn’t know how it worked. Terrified, “V” and “J” were confused as they felt eyes were watching them all the time. “V” and “J” became separated at some point, only reuniting sometime in their teen years as “She” continued to suffer abuse. When “V” and “J” finally did “come out” they felt like the walking dead having no sense of
reality and believe they were not real. “V” feels great empathy for “J” and wonders how she survived all those years of abuse in a body bigger than her. “V” talks about watching “J” from the inside and identifies another personality, Tom, who is also watching and confused by everything.
“She” is who “V” and “J” considers their “essence of death”. “She” is self-destructive and hurts the body to feel physical
pain over the pain of abuse, and attempts suicide to escape the abuse. “She” never told anyone about the abuse; “V” and
“J” came into unconscious existence to help her cope. The horrible abuse “She” (they) suffered was difficult for her cope
with and not only brought on D.I.D, but panic attacks, and eating disorder, sleep problems, nightmares, depression,
isolation, and self-harm/ suicide ideation. For “She” to cope with these mental disorders has been a life-time struggle.
The psychological and emotional impact has been tormenting, and “She” has the physical scars to remind her. “She” uses the
internet, friends, and support groups to help her get well and expresses herself through her writing and drawings.

Along with this profile was a YouTube video about D.I.D. called, “Ritual Abuse and Mind Control-information”. The impact
of this video filled me with anger and empathy. This video defines D.I.D. as a coping mechanism that allows the victim to
have no conscious memory of abuse and states it usually sets in by the age of six. It also says, “The child’s mind becomes
overwhelmed and divides to protect the child from remembering abuse” (J, 2010). This clip talks about how pedophiles know
what D.I.D. is and that they use it to their advantage creating intentional and unbelievable abuse in a terrifying
environment so that their victims will remain dissociated. If adults remember their childhood abuse they most likely won’t
be believed. The National Center for Victims of Crime says, “20 million Americans have been victimized by parent incest as
children.”
Our text states that skeptics go fishing for personality disorders. Some psychologist disagrees and believes D.I.D is “a
genuine disorder in the distinct brain and body states associated with differing personalities” (Meyers, 2011, p. 469).
Ophthalmologists have noted visual changes in the eyes when personalities change which would suggest D.I.D is genuine.
Text does support the D.I.D in the profile I reviewed by stating, “Research and clinicians from psychoanalytic and
learning perspectives do, however, agree that D.I.D symptoms are ways of dealing with anxiety” (Meyers, 2011, p. 470).
Many of the other disorders “She” suffers from are similar of post-traumatic disorders, “a natural, protective response to
‘histories of childhood trauma’” (Meyers, 2011, p. 470). “She” also fits D.I.D. textbook description in the fact that she
recalls physical, sexual, and extreme abuse. The profile of “V” and “J” falls on the side of “those who believe multiple
personalities are the desperate efforts of the efforts of the traumatized to detach from a horrific existence” (Meyers,
2011, p. 470). I saw no evidence that “She” sought help through a therapist, therefore, I cannot say if the skeptics point
may have any ground to stand on.
My reaction, just as it was to the YouTube video I watched, horrified me. My heart goes out to her and all the others
enduring such devastating trauma. I have seen firsthand someone suffering from D.I.D and know it is real. Watching someone
stick a hot iron to them and not express the pain it had to inflict, and then watching them ask later what happened as
they seemed to notice the wound for the first time was astonishing! This woman would behave like a child at times, become
violent and aggressive at others. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be so confused and lost. They have no
identity and no sense of being. They just exist and wonder why. Living like that cannot be fulfilling, but to relive the
abuse could literally kill you. D.I.D shows us how fragile the mind is. It is sad, real, and the tormentors need to be
dealt extreme punishment.

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