Dissociative Identitity Disorder

General information

Dissociative Identity Disorder, also shortened DID, is a disorder that affects the identity in a person with very severe trauma(s). C-PTSD is also typically a combined diagnosis with DID, since DID is like a step up from PTSD/C-PTSD in severity.

What it is is that when a person experiences multiple traumatic experiences, often from early childhood all up to adolescence and adulthood, the person develops different parts that act like their “own” version of that person with different memories, mannerisms, and even interests and such! These parts, also called alters, are not dangerous; they are important since they protect the person from the trauma. Developing different alters is done in dissociation and is a coping mechanism. Dissociation means when your body shuts down because of danger.

Even after the trauma, a person with DID can still have their alters. They can be different genders, different ages, how they are portrayed within the host’s (the person’s) head, and so on.

People with DID often forget when an alter “takes over,” and that is called dissociative amnesia. But we can also remember things and discuss within ourselves (all alters) with each other. Sometimes alters exist only within the person, and nobody else will recognize when different alters “switch” and come forward. And sometimes it’s very visible. Everything is dependent on the person and the circumstances.