A person with dissociative identity disorder (DID), formerly known as multiple personality disorder, develops two or more separate personas or identities.
These identities are often referred to as alters or dissociative identities.
Each personality has a unique manner of feeling, acting, thinking, and remembering the past. This usually results from severe and protracted trauma, typically in infancy.
Abuse on any level—physical, emotional, or sexual—neglect, or other kinds of trauma, are all examples of trauma.
The brain employs dissociation as a coping strategy to shield itself from unpleasant or overwhelming situations.
Dissociation, forgetfulness, flashbacks, mood swings, anxiety, sadness, and suicidal thoughts are just a few of the symptoms that may make daily life with DID difficult.
Psychotherapy, such as talk therapy or cognitive-behavioral therapy, is typically used as part of treatment.
This teaches the patient how to control their symptoms and integrate their identities into a cohesive sense of self.
What Is Dissociative Identity Disorder?
Dissociative identity disorder, one kind of dissociative disorder, most frequently manifests in young children of traumatized individuals.
I refer to the fact that this often entails neglect, abuse—emotional, physical, or sexual abuse—as well as unexpected relationships with caregivers.
Some children in such situations may develop DID by categorizing their continuous, painful experiences and then projecting them onto other elements of their selves.
They may psychologically separate themselves from pain by doing this.
After learning what DID means, let’s move on to how you can receive support from a therapist.
How Therapy Can Help You Find Stability
For people with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), therapy can be a crucial tool for establishing stability in their life.
These are some examples of how counseling might be beneficial:
1. Understanding and acceptance
A therapist can assist a person with DID in accepting their multiple identities and understanding the disease.
As a result, they may feel less perplexed and distressed and have greater control over their experiences.
2. Coping skills
A therapist can assist a person with DID in accepting their multiple identities and understanding the disease.
They may feel less perplexed and distressed and have greater control over their experiences.
3. Integration of identities
Those with DID can work with a therapist to merge their identities into a coherent sense of self.
This means progressively integrating alters together and fostering collaboration and communication among them.
4. Addressing trauma
A therapist can assist people with DID in processing and recovering from earlier traumatic events that may have contributed to the disorder’s emergence.
Trauma-focused therapies like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) or somatic experiencing may be necessary to achieve this.
5. Building a support system
Therapy can assist people with DID in creating a network of dependable friends, family, or support groups.
This may be crucial in offering emotional support and minimizing feelings of loneliness.
In general, treatment may be a valuable tool for helping people with DID establish stability and improve their quality of life.
Therefore, working with a therapist with knowledge and expertise in treating dissociative disorders is crucial.
Strategies on How You Can Get Self-Help
Did you know that before seeing a therapist, you can try self-help?
Below I’ve provided five ways you can go about this.
Balanced nutrition
Although there isn’t a specific diet for DID, eating a lot of whole, unprocessed foods is an excellent approach to ensure that your body and mind receive the nutrition and energy they require.
Get daily movement
Exercise might improve your mood and aid in releasing any stress due to an endorphin surge. It also doesn’t have to be time-consuming.
Start with just enough to raise your heart rate, such as a quick stroll around your neighborhood if you’re attempting to develop a habit. I advise spending 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
Get enough sleep
Do your best to have a regular sleep schedule and engage in good sleep habits before bed.
To give your brain a chance to relax and your body’s tissues a chance to recuperate, get 8 hours of sleep every night. In other words, it will support maintaining your peak performance.
Develop a meditation practice
It discovered that specific symptoms for young individuals involved in a mindfulness program over six weeks improved, even if additional study is required on supplementary therapies for dissociative disorders.
Roll out your yoga mat
Yoga has long been researched for its mood-boosting benefits.
According to research, among other mental health advantages, daily yoga practice can aid trauma survivors in improving their emotional regulation.
Yoga might be overwhelming for some individuals with a history of trauma, so it may be crucial for you to find a trauma-informed practice.
Can I Recover from a Dissociative Disorder?
Yes!
There is a very good chance that you will fully recover if the proper diagnosis and care are provided.
You may no longer have dissociative symptoms as a result of this. Your identity’s component pieces may combine to form a single sense of self, for instance.
Not everyone will recover from their dissociative symptoms. Nonetheless, receiving therapy might give you a sense of increased identity and life control.
Some people may not be ready to cease dissociating entirely because they feel comfortable in their ability to do so.
Conclusion
Although coping with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) can be difficult, treatment can be a helpful tool in assisting those with DID to regain stability in their life.
By recognizing and embracing their disease, developing coping skills, integrating identities, addressing prior trauma, and creating a support system, persons with DID can enhance their quality of life and minimize symptoms.
Working with a trained therapist with expertise in dissociative disorders is crucial, as is being patient and dedicated to the therapy process because change might not be seen immediately.
Nevertheless, people with DID can have productive lives and attain more vital inner peace and stability with the correct help.
Click here to book a section with a licensed psychologist in Florida today if you or someone you know is challenged with this condition.