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Multiple personality disorder ( which the American Psychiatric Association ( APA) renamed Dissociative Identity Disorder in 1994,) has always been fascinating and mysterious. In the past people with this disorder were seen as being possessed with demonic spirits and were often treated with exorcisms. When this belief began to decline the true nature of dissociative identity disorder ( also known as DID) began to unfold. With the awareness of a child abuse increasing and statistics showing 95% to 98% of more than a 1,000 patients with DID reporting a history of child abuse (Braun 1990), Dissociative Identity Disorder quickly gained the publics attention. People also began to gain interest in the disorder with the rise of feminism. When research showed that 92% of 100 DID cases reported were females, many feminist groups began to show their concern (Kluft, 1993). The number if DID cases are increasing rapidly, it is said that DID affects approximately 0.1% of the United States population (Braun 1990). However, some people remain very skeptical about this disorder, saying that it is drummed up by the media ( in movies like Three Faces and Eve) While others believe doctors created it. On many lawyer shows at times we do see cases of people with memory defects, moodiness, and unpredictable behavior (symptoms of DID, Nathan & Groman 1998) commiting a crime, then convincing a lawyer that they did not do it, that the crime was committed by another personality within them. The lawyer then develops a defense of Multiple Personality Disorder. This leaves audiences in shock and wondering what the disorder really is, How does it develop? And does it really exist? According to many researchers and the American Psychiatric Association this disorder does exist, and has its origin in dissociation. Dissociation “ is a depression in the usual integrated function of the consciuusness, memory, identity and perception of the environment” (Encyclopedia of Psychology,2000 pg56). According to Putnam (a leading researcher of Dissociation is said ,to be a normal process that is initially used defensively by an individual to handle a traumatic experience. This may explain why dissociation seems to occur when a traumatic situation is present (Nathan and Gorman 1998). Disassociation becomes maladaptive, it forms four main disorders. These may be considered the children of dissociation, and can fall under the family name dissociative disorders, they are Amnesia, fugue, depersonalization and dissociative identity disorder. When a person is involved in a natural disaster or has been raped, the mind may try to block any memory of that experience; this is known as amnesia. Amnesia becomes maladaptive when people begin to forget their name, age or personal history. Dissociative Amnesia is the most common form of dissociative disorders. People suffering from dissociative fugue are not. Disassociative fugue is characterized by “unexpected travel away from home or one’s customary place of daily activities ( for days), with inability to recall some or all of the past.” (Nathan & Gorman 1998, pg.425). Funguecan seem sometimes like aimless wondering (Putnam 1989). Not much is known about this disorder; however , researchers do know that in most cases a person with disorders sometimes take on a new identity and is unable to remember personal information until they return to the original identity (Nathan & Gorman, 1998). Another form of dissociation is depersonalization; it is a chronic and recurrent experience of feeling detached from one’s thoughts. Feelings, sensations or experiencing that they are some how unreal or in a dreamlike state ( Encyclopedia of Psychology,2000 pg.57). It is important to realize that these disorders are developed by the mind as a form of protection against traumatic experiences.
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