Multiple personality is a condition in which there are two or more personalities in a person. This condition is generally caused by trauma in childhood, whether in the form of repeated physical, emotional, or sexual abuse.
Multiple personalities are different from common dissociative disorders. There are various types of dissociative disorders, ranging from mild to severe. Some people actually have mild dissociative experiences, for example when daydreaming or doing something without realizing it.
Well, multiple personalities are a form of severe dissociative disorder. This disorder is also known as dissociative identity disorder.dissociative identity disorder).
Signs of Multiple Personality Disorder
People who have multiple personalities are often not aware that they have the disorder. One of the signs or symptoms that people with multiple personalities have is the feeling of being possessed when their personalities change. Some people describe this condition as trance.
The emergence of multiple personalities in a person is a response to adapting to extreme pain, fear, and trauma. This can be said to be similar to a mental defense mechanism.
Each personality has a different identity, with a different mindset, speech, behavior, gender, and age. Each personality can take full control of the sufferer's body in turn.
The following are some other signs that people with multiple personalities share:
1. Have memory lapses
People with multiple personalities often forget important dates in their lives, such as the date of birth, date of birth of children, or date of marriage.
This forgetting symptom is different from normal forgetting, because the sufferer does not know the information when his personality changes to another personality.
In addition, sufferers also often do not remember being in a place or the reason for being in that place.
2. Feeling alien to the people around him
Sufferers can feel alien to the people around him when he changes personality. Some people with multiple personality disorder may also not know their real names when the other personality is taking over.
3. Have a psychological disorder
It is not uncommon for people with multiple personalities to experience stress due to their condition so that other psychological disorders appear, such as panic attacks or excessive anxiety (anxiety disorders).
The mood of people with multiple personality changes frequently. Sufferers may also feel worthless, depressed, or even suicidal. Other psychological disorders that can also occur are eating disorders and sleep disorders.
In addition, people with multiple personalities often have difficulty connecting with those around them, have a tendency to hurt themselves or others, and abuse drugs.
4. Experiencing depersonalization symptoms
This symptom can appear when another personality takes over and can be described as watching itself. People who experience this symptom seem helpless and can only see when their body is controlled by another personality.
When experiencing these symptoms, people with multiple personalities also find it difficult to distinguish reality from hallucinations. This is why multiple personality disorder is often referred to as schizophrenia. In fact, these two mental disorders are very different.
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder in which one of the main symptoms is hallucinations, namely seeing or hearing things that are not real. Keep in mind that people with schizophrenia generally do not experience multiple personalities.
Examination for Multiple Personality Disorder
People with multiple personality disorder symptoms need to be examined by a psychiatrist. In addition to knowing the diagnosis, this examination is also carried out to ensure that the symptoms that appear are not due to the effects of drugs, alcohol, or certain diseases, such as epilepsy.
The types of examinations carried out can be in the form of a physical examination, psychiatric medical evaluation, and various supporting examinations, such as blood or urine tests to detect possible abuse of certain drugs or substances.
Multiple Personality Handling
The main goal of multiple personality therapy is to reunite all divided personalities. However, this is not an easy thing and requires a long process. The therapy given also aims to enable sufferers to interact with other people and prevent them from doing dangerous things.
Treatment that is generally carried out by doctors is a combination of psychological therapy, such as psychotherapy and behavioral therapy, with medication.
Because multiple personalities are often accompanied by other psychiatric problems, such as depression and anxiety disorders, doctors will usually prescribe antidepressants and sedatives to relieve symptoms.
The response of each person with multiple personality to therapy can be different. However, when done regularly, therapy can generally relieve symptoms and prevent other psychological disorders due to multiple personalities.
Do not hesitate to consult a doctor if you or someone close to you experiences symptoms that suggest multiple personalities. Doctors can perform tests to determine whether these symptoms are indeed caused by multiple personalities or not.