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Split personality disorder symptoms


Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder): Signs, Symptoms, Treatment

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

In this Article

  • What Is Dissociative Identity Disorder?
  • Who Is At Risk for DID?
  • How to Recognize Dissociative Identity Disorder and Its Associated Mental Disorders
  • How Is Dissociative Identity Disorder Diagnosed?
  • What Other Psychiatric Illnesses Might Occur With DID?
  • Are There Famous People With Dissociative Identity Disorder?
  • What's the Treatment Plan for Dissociative Identity Disorder?

Dissociative identity disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder) is thought to be a complex psychological condition that is likely caused by many factors, including severe trauma during early childhood (usually extreme, repetitive physical, sexual, or emotional abuse).

What Is Dissociative Identity Disorder?

Dissociative identity disorder is a severe form of dissociation, a mental process which produces a lack of connection in a person's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity. Dissociative identity disorder is thought to stem from a combination of factors that may include trauma experienced by the person with the disorder. The dissociative aspect is thought to be a coping mechanism -- the person literally shuts off or dissociates themselves from a situation or experience that's too violent, traumatic, or painful to assimilate with their conscious self.

Who Is At Risk for DID?

Research indicates that the cause of DID is likely a psychological response to interpersonal and environmental stresses, particularly during early childhood years when emotional neglect or abuse may interfere with personality development. As many as 99% of individuals who develop dissociative disorders have recognized personal histories of recurring, overpowering, and often life-threatening disturbances or traumas at a sensitive developmental stage of childhood (usually before age 6).

Dissociation may also happen when there has been persistent neglect or emotional abuse, even when there has been no overt physical or sexual abuse. Findings show that in families where parents are frightening and unpredictable, the children may become dissociative. Studies indicate DID affects about 1% of the population.

How to Recognize Dissociative Identity Disorder and Its Associated Mental Disorders

Dissociative identity disorder is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct or split identities or personality states that continually have power over the person's behavior. With dissociative identity disorder, there's also an inability to recall key personal information that is too far-reaching to be explained as mere forgetfulness. With dissociative identity disorder, there are also highly distinct memory variations, which may fluctuate.

Although not everyone experiences DID the same way, for some the "alters" or different identities have their own age, sex, or race. Each has their own postures, gestures, and distinct way of talking. Sometimes the alters are imaginary people; sometimes they are animals. As each personality reveals itself and controls the individuals' behavior and thoughts, it's called "switching." Switching can take seconds to minutes to days. Some seek treatment with hypnosis where the person's different "alters" or identities may be very responsive to the therapist's requests.

Other symptoms of dissociative identity disorder may include headache, amnesia, time loss, trances, and "out of body experiences." Some people with dissociative disorders have a tendency toward self-persecution, self-sabotage, and even violence (both self-inflicted and outwardly directed). As an example, someone with dissociative identity disorder may find themselves doing things they wouldn't normally do, such as speeding, reckless driving, or stealing money from their employer or friend, yet they feel they are being compelled to do it. Some describe this feeling as being a passenger in their body rather than the driver. In other words, they truly believe they have no choice.

There are several main ways in which the psychological processes of dissociative identity disorder change the way a person experiences living, including the following:

  • Depersonalization.  This is a sense of being detached from one's body and is often referred to as an "out-of-body" experience.
  • Derealization. This is the feeling that the world is not real or looking foggy or far away.
  • Amnesia. This is the failure to recall significant personal information that is so extensive it cannot be blamed on ordinary forgetfulness. There can also be micro-amnesias where the discussion engaged in is not remembered, or the content of a meaningful conversation is forgotten from one second to the next.
  • Identity confusion or identity alteration. Both of these involve a sense of confusion about who a person is. An example of identity confusion is when a person has trouble defining the things that interest them in life, or their political or religious or social viewpoints, or their sexual orientation, or their professional ambitions. In addition to these apparent alterations, the person may experience distortions in time, place, and situation.

It is now acknowledged that these dissociated states are not fully mature personalities, but rather they represent a disjointed sense of identity. With the amnesia typically associated with dissociative identity disorder, different identity states remember different aspects of autobiographical information. There is usually a "host" personality within the individual, who identifies with the person's real name. Ironically, the host personality is usually unaware of the presence of other personalities.

How Is Dissociative Identity Disorder Diagnosed?

Making the diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder takes time. It's estimated that individuals with dissociative disorders have spent seven years in the mental health system prior to accurate diagnosis. This is common, because the list of symptoms that cause a person with a dissociative disorder to seek treatment is very similar to those of many other psychiatric diagnoses. In fact, many people who have dissociative disorders also have coexisting diagnoses of borderline or other personality disorders, depression, and anxiety.

The DSM-5 provides the following criteria to diagnose dissociative identity disorder:

  1. Two or more distinct identities or personality states are present, each with its own relatively enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self.
  2. Amnesia must occur, defined as gaps in the recall of everyday events, important personal information, and/or traumatic events.
  3. The person must be distressed by the disorder or have trouble functioning in one or more major life areas because of the disorder.
  4. The disturbance is not part of normal cultural or religious practices.
  5. The symptoms cannot be due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (such as blackouts or chaotic behavior during alcohol intoxication) or a general medical condition (such as complex partial seizures).

The distinct personalities may serve diverse roles in helping the individual cope with life's dilemmas. For instance, there's an average of two to four personalities present when the patient is initially diagnosed. Then there's an average of 13 to 15 personalities that can become known over the course of treatment. Environmental triggers or life events cause a sudden shift from one alter or personality to another.

What Other Psychiatric Illnesses Might Occur With DID?

Along with the dissociation and multiple or split personalities, people with dissociative disorders may experience a number of other psychiatric problems, including symptoms:

  • Depression
  • Mood swings
  • Suicidal tendencies
  • Sleep disorders (insomnia, night terrors, and sleep walking)
  • Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias (flashbacks, reactions to stimuli or "triggers")
  • Alcohol and drug abuse
  • Compulsions and rituals
  • Psychotic-like symptoms (including auditory and visual hallucinations)
  • Eating disorders

Are There Famous People With Dissociative Identity Disorder?

Famous people with dissociative identity disorder include comedienne Roseanne Barr, Adam Duritz, and retired NFL star Herschel Walker.

Walker wrote a book about his struggles with DID, along with his suicide attempts, explaining he had a feeling of disconnect from childhood to the professional leagues. To cope, he developed a tough personality that didn't feel loneliness, one that was fearless and wanted to act out the anger he always suppressed. These "alters" could withstand the abuse he felt; other alters came to help him rise to national fame. Treatment helped Walker realize that these alternate personalities are part of dissociative identity disorder, which he was diagnosed with in adulthood.

What's the Treatment Plan for Dissociative Identity Disorder?

There are currently no formal, evidence-based guldelines to treat DID. Many treatments are based on case reports or are even controversial.  

While there's also no "cure" for dissociative identity disorder, long-term treatment can be helpful, if the patient stays committed. Effective treatment includes:

  • Psychotherapy: Also called talk therapy, the therapy is designed to work through whatever triggered and triggers the DID. The goal is to help “fuse” the separate personality traits into one consolidated personality that can control the triggers. This therapy often includes family members in the therapy.
  • Hypnotherapy. Used in conjunction with psychotherapy, clinical hypnosis can be used to help access repressed memories, control some of the problematic behaviors which accompany DID as well as help integrate the personalities into one.
  • Adjunctive therapy. Therapies such as art or movement therapy have been shown to help people connect with parts of their mind that they have shut off to cope with trauma.

There are no established medication treatments for dissociative identity disorder, making psychologically-based approaches the mainstay of therapy. Treatment of co-occurring disorders, such as depression or substance use disorders, is fundamental to overall improvement. Because the symptoms of dissociative disorders often occur with other disorders, such as anxiety and depression, medicines to treat those co-occurring problems, if present, are sometimes used in addition to psychotherapy.

 

Dissociative disorders - Symptoms and causes

Overview

Dissociative disorders are mental disorders that involve experiencing a disconnection and lack of continuity between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions and identity. People with dissociative disorders escape reality in ways that are involuntary and unhealthy and cause problems with functioning in everyday life.

Dissociative disorders usually develop as a reaction to trauma and help keep difficult memories at bay. Symptoms — ranging from amnesia to alternate identities — depend in part on the type of dissociative disorder you have. Times of stress can temporarily worsen symptoms, making them more obvious.

Treatment for dissociative disorders may include talk therapy (psychotherapy) and medication. Although treating dissociative disorders can be difficult, many people learn new ways of coping and lead healthy, productive lives.

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Symptoms

Signs and symptoms depend on the type of dissociative disorders you have, but may include:

  • Memory loss (amnesia) of certain time periods, events, people and personal information
  • A sense of being detached from yourself and your emotions
  • A perception of the people and things around you as distorted and unreal
  • A blurred sense of identity
  • Significant stress or problems in your relationships, work or other important areas of your life
  • Inability to cope well with emotional or professional stress
  • Mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors

There are three major dissociative disorders defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), published by the American Psychiatric Association:

  • Dissociative amnesia. The main symptom is memory loss that's more severe than normal forgetfulness and that can't be explained by a medical condition. You can't recall information about yourself or events and people in your life, especially from a traumatic time. Dissociative amnesia can be specific to events in a certain time, such as intense combat, or more rarely, can involve complete loss of memory about yourself. It may sometimes involve travel or confused wandering away from your life (dissociative fugue). An episode of amnesia usually occurs suddenly and may last minutes, hours, or rarely, months or years.
  • Dissociative identity disorder. Formerly known as multiple personality disorder, this disorder is characterized by "switching" to alternate identities. You may feel the presence of two or more people talking or living inside your head, and you may feel as though you're possessed by other identities. Each identity may have a unique name, personal history and characteristics, including obvious differences in voice, gender, mannerisms and even such physical qualities as the need for eyeglasses. There also are differences in how familiar each identity is with the others. People with dissociative identity disorder typically also have dissociative amnesia and often have dissociative fugue.
  • Depersonalization-derealization disorder. This involves an ongoing or episodic sense of detachment or being outside yourself — observing your actions, feelings, thoughts and self from a distance as though watching a movie (depersonalization). Other people and things around you may feel detached and foggy or dreamlike, time may be slowed down or sped up, and the world may seem unreal (derealization). You may experience depersonalization, derealization or both. Symptoms, which can be profoundly distressing, may last only a few moments or come and go over many years.
When to see a doctor

Some people with dissociative disorders present in a crisis with traumatic flashbacks that are overwhelming or associated with unsafe behavior. People with these symptoms should be seen in an emergency room.

If you or a loved one has less urgent symptoms that may indicate a dissociative disorder, call your doctor.

Suicidal thoughts or behavior

If you have thoughts of hurting yourself or someone else, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately, go to an emergency room, or confide in a trusted relative or friend. Or contact a suicide hotline. In the U.S., call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Or use the Lifeline Chat. Services are free and confidential.

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Causes

Dissociative disorders usually develop as a way to cope with trauma. The disorders most often form in children subjected to long-term physical, sexual or emotional abuse or, less often, a home environment that's frightening or highly unpredictable. The stress of war or natural disasters also can bring on dissociative disorders.

Personal identity is still forming during childhood. So a child is more able than an adult to step outside of himself or herself and observe trauma as though it's happening to a different person. A child who learns to dissociate in order to endure a traumatic experience may use this coping mechanism in response to stressful situations throughout life.

Risk factors

People who experience long-term physical, sexual or emotional abuse during childhood are at greatest risk of developing dissociative disorders.

Children and adults who experience other traumatic events, such as war, natural disasters, kidnapping, torture, or extended, traumatic, early-life medical procedures, also may develop these conditions.

Complications

People with dissociative disorders are at increased risk of complications and associated disorders, such as:

  • Self-harm or mutilation
  • Suicidal thoughts and behavior
  • Sexual dysfunction
  • Alcoholism and drug use disorders
  • Depression and anxiety disorders
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Personality disorders
  • Sleep disorders, including nightmares, insomnia and sleepwalking
  • Eating disorders
  • Physical symptoms such as lightheadedness or non-epileptic seizures
  • Major difficulties in personal relationships and at work

Prevention

Children who are physically, emotionally or sexually abused are at increased risk of developing mental health disorders, such as dissociative disorders. If stress or other personal issues are affecting the way you treat your child, seek help.

  • Talk to a trusted person such as a friend, your doctor or a leader in your faith community.
  • Ask for help locating resources such as parenting support groups and family therapists.
  • Look for churches and community education programs that offer parenting classes that also may help you learn a healthier parenting style.

If your child has been abused or has experienced another traumatic event, see a doctor immediately. Your doctor can refer you to a mental health professional who can help your child recover and adopt healthy coping skills.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

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I am not alone, I am many

Dissociative identity disorder is one of the varieties of mental disorders when a person's identity consists of many parts that do not make up one whole. It is as if several personalities live in a person, who change and do not always know about each other. These states are also called ego states or alters. They may well be of different ages, genders, characters, nationalities, views and values. When switching, memories are not necessarily transferred from one person to another, i.e. a person may partially or not remember events that happened in another ego state.

The disease occurs in 1-3% of the world's population. Until the 2000s, the existence of this disorder was in doubt. But studies have shown that the activity that occurs in the patient's brain, switching between personalities, cannot be repeated. Various factors influence the development of this disorder: childhood trauma, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and other mental disorders.

Personalities living in the patient may be in a position of "passive influence". They do not act as performers of actions, but can manifest themselves in the form of voices in the head. Then the person perceives this not as his thoughts and can voice what he did not intend or did not even remember. Each person can have their own voices, mannerisms and even names. But the central person may not know about all of them.

Among the symptoms of dissociative identity disorder, the presence of two or more personality states is distinguished, which manifest themselves in changes in behavior, memory and thinking, as well as gaps in memory, when a person does not remember events that happened to him in certain periods of life. Symptoms can be detected at different ages, including in children and adolescents.

Common signs of a split personality:

  • the person does not remember conflicts;
  • difficulty walking;
  • weakness in arms due to conflicts;
  • people swing to relieve the alarm;
  • a person feels separation from the body;
  • no control over one's desires;
  • there is no exact awareness of one's gender identity;
  • emotional instability;
  • pathological daydreaming;
  • boredom and frustration.

The diagnosis of a split personality is made only by a doctor.

Dissociation is a method of psychological defense when a person moves away from what is happening, thinking that it is not connected with him. At this moment, thoughts, feelings, memories are disconnected and lose touch with the awareness of reality. The mechanism helps to avoid unbearable emotional shocks, for example, after a catastrophe, an accident. But with excessive manifestation, it develops dissociative disorders.

There is a version that the first cases of multiple personality appeared in the Paleolithic times, as evidenced by cave paintings. They depict shamans who could turn into animals or let spirits in. Later, such cases were perceived as demon possession. The Swiss Renaissance physician Paracelsus described a woman who had two personalities and stole money from herself.

In 1784, the Marquis Armand Marie-Jacques de Puysegur put his worker Victor into a somnambulistic state with the help of magnetic techniques. Victor was awake in his sleep, but the next morning he did not remember anything. Puysegur called this phenomenon "magnetic somnambulism" and opened a period of study of dissociative identity disorder from the point of view of the theory of magnetic sleep. Cases have been described where the second person of a German girl spoke French and claimed her French aristocratic origin.

Since 1880 the period of dissociation theory began. Cases of disorder were considered as the presence of several centers of the psyche, which appear in the struggle with traumatic experiences. There is a description of the case of Louis Vivet, who had six personalities with separate memories and patterns of behavior. At this time, books and publications appeared with the stories of patients with dissociative disorder.

In 1973, the book "Sibyl" appeared, which tells the real story of Shirley Ardell Mason, who had 16 personalities. For 10 years, she managed to cure the disorder. Another well-known book about dissociative disorder was written by D. Keyes, The Multiple Minds of Billy Milligan. It is based on an interview with Billy Milligan himself, who had 24 personalities, and his doctor.

London-based artist Kim Noble is a contemporary example. At 61, she has 20 personalities, including women, men and children. Most often, her mind is led by Patricia, who is the only one who knows about the bank card where the money comes from. 14 of her personalities paint pictures, and each has its own style, color, approach. Kim has a daughter, but not all individuals know about her, so sometimes a woman thinks that her friends left their child for a while. Social workers check Kim's condition daily and make sure the house has everything she needs. There were many times in Kim Noble's life when a sudden change of personality could end in death. Because of this, as a teenager, she suffered from anorexia, bulimia, and resorted to suicide. One day, Kim was driving a truck and there was a switch to a personality that didn't take her away. Kim crashed into a row of cars and was arrested. Then she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Switching between personalities happens 3-4 times a day, the woman herself talks about this. She wrote an autobiographical book, All Me, about her disorder.

People with dissociative identity disorder need support and care. Even if they resist, it is important to be patient and help them understand the need for treatment so that the decision can be made on their own. If you follow the recommendations of specialists, you can cope with the disease and improve your life.

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Split personality - symptoms and signs, effective treatment and prevention methods

Author of the article Zvezdin Alexey Vladimirovich

Psychiatrist Experience 44 years More about the doctor

Split personality - a disease that is clearly characterized by the manifestation of another personality in a healthy person. In other words, these are cases when a person can react differently to one situation. Another personality is infused into him and this is a frightening factor for others. If the disease begins to progress, then a person may simply forget what happened to him a few minutes ago and with whom he had a dialogue. Sometimes one gets the impression that he lives for a long time in two parallel universes. Therefore, we offer qualified help and advice regarding any psychological illness.

A few facts about splitting

  1. In almost all cases, the disease has a direct relationship with the psychological disorders that occurred in childhood up to 9 years;
  2. Women are more likely to suffer from violence, so the disease is more common among them;
  3. 20% of patients with this disease used psychotropic drugs;
  4. More than half of patients with multiple personality syndrome have tried to commit suicide, the situation worsens during sleep.

Split personality is an obsolete name. But a few centuries ago, this syndrome was called the "devil's possession" of the human body and its consciousness. People were sure that supernatural forces were beginning to take possession of a person and we were obliged to help him. The second name appeared relatively recently and is not compatible with reality. People believed that devils inhabited such persons and controlled them. There were no methods of treatment at that time, but demons were cast out in the most cruel ways. Will not go into details.

Dissociative identity disorder was first described by the Swiss physician Paracelsus in the distant 16th century. At this point, the opening halted for years. Officially registered only in 1975. Many doubted the existence of the disease and were sure that patients were just playing a role. Today, split personality is officially recognized as a disease and requires mandatory treatment.

Symptoms, signs of a split personality and treatment of the disease

Symptoms include:

  • The patient may move away from a particular situation and become someone in certain life episodes. If we take into account the second personality, then it differs from ordinary behavior and physical actions. For example, if in ordinary life he is calm, then he may begin to behave uninhibitedly. Characteristic signs are that a person begins to speak in a voice that is not his own and new manners appear.
  • The appearance of personalities directly follows from the circle of communication a person is currently in. Many peoples believe that this is a manifestation of possession. The person can feel organic absence, loss of space, and after something happens to him, he simply does not understand who led him.
  • Begins to forget those moments that happened. This can have a negative impact on work activity, because moments of life begin to disappear from memory in fragments.
  • Patients often report hearing voices. Often, at the moment a person is in a trance. The peculiarity is that if the patient has been in a similar position at least once, he wants to return to it again. This feeling of something new does not leave alone. It acts like a drug, affects the mood and lifestyle.
  • Possible increased depression and anxiety, mood swings. It is often mentioned that such patients have nightmares. Approximately 60% of people try to die voluntarily.

Risk group

There is no exact definition of why the disease appears. Doctors are confident that this may be a reaction to stress in childhood and adolescence. Also, a dissociative problem can start under the influence of any kind of violence,

including sexual. As a result of research, in families where parents were engaged in tyranny, children may have a split. Do not forget that any mental disorders require treatment!

Prognosis and treatment

There is an opinion among psychiatrists that the earlier a nervous personality split occurs, the worse the social prognosis. It should be noted that bifurcation is the most dangerous syndrome. It is almost impossible to achieve a complete recovery after a mental illness of this type. First of all, this is due to the fact that each of the personalities may have psychological deviations.

The main methods of treatment are cognitive and rational, when the specialist works to develop criticism of his own condition. Psychologists in the behavioral field are engaged in therapy exclusively. It is very important to try to reproduce all the traumas that could occur in communication with parents, with a soulmate, with friends. This will help to understand why there was a need to hide behind two masks.

The essence of the methods lies in the fact that the doctor is constantly trying to collect all split-off personalities from a person and combine them into a single

form. Hypnosis is an excellent mechanism for collecting information from parts. By the way, hypnosis is a double-edged sword, it can both help the patient understand the problem and strike at the psyche. In a word, this is jewelry work that should be done by a good professional.

Drug treatment of multiple personality disorders is used to eliminate the secondary effects that occur. When depressed, it is necessary to use antidepressants. It is possible to treat with several drugs at the same time.

Prognosis of the disease

Treatment takes a long time, but if the desired result is observed, then this will affect the quality of life and improve significantly. This is a rare disease, so you can only trust a qualified specialist. Three combinations are often used - psychotherapy, pharmaceuticals and hypnosis.

Treatment of a split personality

If we compare the disease with third-party mental disorders, then this is a much more difficult situation. Medicines are needed to eliminate superficial symptoms. The main method is psychotherapy.

The task of the psychologist is to collect a person according to all the "split" persons. In this case, long conversations, hypnosis and drugs that help to stir up the patient help. This mechanism can both bring results, and vice versa aggravate the situation. Therefore, when choosing a doctor, we recommend that you be careful. Only a good professional can cope with the task. Doctors are sure that it is almost impossible to finally cure a split personality, it tends to remain in the body. It may take years and the recovery cannot be called complete.

Causes and diagnosis

As practice shows, the disease begins to develop against the background of a stressful state. Difficult moments in life, psychological trauma in adolescence force our psyche to build defense mechanisms and change perception. The brain experiences a blockage on the main personality, which ultimately ends in a split, which we talked about. So it turns out that one person is sleeping, and the other is having fun in the club.

Dissociation of the body is a normal phenomenon, which is inherent in nature. But violence is far from all the concomitant factors for the appearance of the disease. Several criteria can be noted:

  • Easily suggestible persons who love to be in the center of events and attract attention;
  • Presence of defects in the functioning of the nervous system;
  • Use of psychotropic substances, alcohol;
  • Adverse effects from anesthesia;
  • Prolonged stress that people often experience during military operations, tsunamis, floods and other disasters.

It should be noted that at the first examination, the doctor may not see any abnormalities. A clear symptom is memory problems that occur in older people. That is why doctors do not like to determine this diagnosis.

DID is most often confused with schizophrenia. But the two syndromes have a huge number of differences. Schizophrenia is manifested by the presence of hallucinations and a person's belief in something supernatural. This is a disease that completely destroys from the inside, but does not create twins.

There are also such people that a split personality is just a violent fantasy. Diagnosis of the disease can be after numerous tests, observations and hypnosis. To diagnose the diagnosis, doctors can use disinhibitory drugs.

How to identify a split personality on your own

Almost anyone can deploy when, for example, he shows fantasy, imagines talking to someone or hovering in the clouds. Many kids come up with imaginary friends, play with them and come up with different stories. This is not paranormal. The problem begins at the moment when a person cannot control his personalities and switch in time. It can quickly turn from one to the other. Scientists cannot say how this phenomenon is revealed.

During the change of a person from one personality to another, the following can be observed:

  • A sharp change in character, a change in gestures, facial expressions, handwriting, voice, taste preferences. The person may begin to tell other stories from life. Often the opposite person has completely different habits and a difference in outlook on life.
  • Ceases to control behavior, gestures, statements and actions. He can cry, is depressed, and after a few minutes he bursts into laughter to such an extent that it will be difficult to stop him.
  • May present with incoherent speech, amnesia, or lowing.
  • Memory lapses that eliminate memories, events that happened just the day before, and even habits. It is usually worth sounding the alarm when a person begins to forget too much information.
  • One person can suddenly turn on and off. Therefore, even with a psychotherapist, he can tell completely different stories, simply because he does not remember what he was talking about earlier.
  • Deterioration of health, insomnia. It can be like a sudden tingling of the abdomen, so problems with the digestive system, migraine.

But, even if most of the symptoms coincided, depression, anxiety disorder, apathetic attitude to life are more often diagnosed. This only complicates the choice of methodology.

Treatment takes a lot of resources and effort. Sometimes, it can take a lifetime. But it is necessary to alleviate the patient's condition, and reduce the manifestation of symptoms. You can start treatment of the disease after the appointment of a qualified specialist. All information regarding treatment is given in the form of a certificate and is not a guide!

Drug treatment

Among the drugs can be noted:

  • Antipsychotics. They help to reduce the progressive effects of the disease, for example, by eliminating the most dangerous symptoms and signs - manic behavior and hallucinations. They are an excellent drug for reducing stress, relax the body, help to fall asleep and not think about the problem.
  • Tranquilizers. Do not use without a doctor's prescription! Otherwise, it could cost your life! This drug can push a person to suicide, so it is prescribed under the supervision of a doctor.
  • Antidepressants. They help to cope with depression, apathy, unwillingness to live, loss of interests and hobbies. They help to fill oneself with energy and fight for life with new strength.

Hypnosis

Helps to achieve good results in the general condition, because its character changes and some symptoms disappear. His disadvantage is that he can play against us and cause a new violation. It is important that the patient is under control at this point. More often this method is used to reduce the feeling of anxiety.

Electroconvulsive technique

Introduced in the 1930s and used to treat schizophrenia. There was an assumption that the brain under the influence of the disorder is not able to create certain impulses and they were created artificially.

How to use: several electrodes were attached to the head, which had a short-term effect on the brain. The main task was not to have a traumatic effect on the brain, but to have an impact on it. Within two months, doctors managed to achieve a positive result.

Psychotherapeutic treatment

The work with the patient can be carried out both alone and together with the family or in a group. We ourselves can make adjustments to the psychological health of the people around us without noticing it.

It is important to correct the way the patient communicates with others, to help him learn to build relationships. The task of the psychologist in this case is to help the patient regain power over his own life.

What if a person refuses treatment?

Need to understand why he does it. It may take time to talk about the problem. Try to explain that there are no complications in the course of treatment and you will easily walk the path together. You should not tell scary stories, but you don’t need to lie that you will be cured in a month.

You can call the doctor yourself without permission. You need to write a statement that will be the reason for the inspection of the house. If the doctor sees that there are no symptoms in the patient's condition that threaten his life and those around him, he is offered to sign papers for a course of treatment, but you have the right to refuse. Involuntary hospitalization is possible when a person is in a complex psychological disorder, and his actions can harm loved ones.

How to live with a person who has a bifurcation

Multiple personality syndrome negatively affects not only the patient, but also loved ones. A few recommendations for those who want to improve relations with a person who has DSV:

  • Down with rose-colored glasses. This is a disease that will take many years to heal. Maybe even in a lifetime you will not be able to completely get rid of it.
  • Be patient. The patient unknowingly began to get sick with DSV, everything happened by chance serious circumstances in life.
  • Get information from professionals. A good psychiatrist can help in resolving the issue, but not friends who read somewhere that everything can be cured by using a magic pill.
  • Don't panic! Keep in mind that when he switches from one personality to another, complex processes take place in the body. This is a real trauma that is difficult to endure. Try to keep yourself in control, controlling the situation.
  • Create an environment for him that will not be disturbing for the psyche. Try to reduce the number of nervous breakdowns.
  • Pay attention to his condition. In time, replenish stocks of medicines that block further development of the disease.
  • Keep the situation under control. Pay attention to when it starts to "switch". It could be a fit of rage.
  • Don't take his words to heart. They just have to understand that at the moment his behavior is uncontrollable.
  • Rest. Caring for a person with a nervous breakdown is exhausting, so allow yourself to rest.

A huge number of films have been made about people with ADHD, where they show their inner world in detail and demonstrate the disease. In life, everything happens differently. Two personalities - a complex of symptoms that absolutely do not guarantee that a person will turn into an uncontrollable maniac. A large number of patients with dissociative identity disorder are completely harmless to society.

These are people with whom you can find a common language. If you choose the right treatment, then the disease will not develop further. If we analyze the information from the site, we can say that such people are safe for society.

Bifurcation is a chronic disease that usually takes more than five years to heal. Some people are cured, others are not.

Now you know that the body, in fact, can fit several personalities at the same time. And the most important rule is that they get along well and live like this for decades. The body can be ruled by one entity or another. The period of "reign" can last from a few minutes to months.

How to detect identity substitution in time?

During the transition of a person from one state, a short syncope may be observed. This is an instant action that goes unnoticed by the people who surround him. Even a patient can ignore this and live quietly in a similar position for several years. Medical assistance in this case is necessary!

Split personality has a direct connection with the brain. With the processes that take place in it. But they have not been studied. Doctors cannot give an exact definition of

and the answer to the phenomenon. It can be diagnosed, treated for a split personality for years, but there is no guarantee that a person will be able to overcome the disease completely. We can only guess about the origin of this process. There is an assumption that otherworldly forces were involved here...

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You can be sure that all activities will lead to a positive result when following our recommendations

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  • Initial psychotherapist's consultation (45 minutes)

    from 6 000 ₽

  • Visiting psychiatrist's consultation visiting (45 min)

    from 10 000 ₽

  • General practitioner consultation (45 minutes)

    from 5 000 ₽

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Clinic specialists

Khvostikov Grigory Sergeevich

Psychiatrist

Experience 24 years

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Attaeva Leyla Zhamalovna

Attaeva Leyla Zhamalovna

Experience 11 years

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Zvezdin Alexey Vladimirovich

Psychiatrist

Experience 44 years

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Agibalova Tatyana Vasilievna

Psychiatrist-narcologist, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor

Experience 19 years

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Makarov Alexander Viktorovich

Psychiatrist-narcologist

Experience 12 years

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Panarin Alexander Sergeevich

Psychiatrist-narcologist

Experience 14 years

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Shkarupin Nikolai Nikolaevich

Narcologist

Experience 9 years

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Kraev Oleg Yurievich

Psychologist, candidate of psychological sciences

Experience 14 years

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Feedback from our patients

Andrey Sergeevich Pavlov

Patient treatment period – 3 months

My name is Andrey Sergeyevich Pavlov. For several years he drank relentlessly, lost his job, had thoughts of suicide. Realizing that it was impossible to continue living like this, he turned to the Respect Alcoholism Center. It was here that I was able to get rid of cravings for alcohol. Polite and competent doctors, as well as the treatment system, helped me return to a normal life. 4 years have passed, and I have not even drunk a drop of alcohol, and I am not at all attracted to him! Thanks to the doctors of the clinic "Respect".

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Igor V. Smirnov

Patient treatment period – 5 months

Hello! I am Igor Valentinovich Smirnov. He turned to various clinics for help in the treatment of addiction to alcohol, but all without much success. I could not overcome the craving for a bottle until I was advised by a friend who had undergone treatment at the Respect clinic. Made an appointment. I was struck by the attitude towards patients. Attentive doctors and staff, comfortable conditions, like at home, you feel relaxed. Several specialists worked with me at once, and after a week I felt that there were improvements, and when the course ended, it was as if a new life began for me. For three years I have been looking at alcohol with indifference, I go in for sports, I have established relationships in the family. I am grateful to the Respect center for saving my life from the alcohol hell!

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Anonymous

Patient treatment period – 4 months

I would like to express my gratitude to the doctors of the Respekt Alcoholism Center. They literally dragged me out of the world. Last year I drank heavily, and everything went topsy-turvy. Went to therapy sessions, but all in vain. I found the address of the Respect clinic on the net, read reviews and information about the center. I signed up for an appointment, where they immediately offered a treatment method that allows me to remove not only withdrawal symptoms, but also mental dependence. I won’t tell for a long time, I’ll say one thing - I came out of there a different person, and forgot about what the taste of alcohol is forever. And don't hesitate to try! Real healers of souls work there!

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Karpova Valentina Petrovna

Patient treatment period – 3 weeks

I could spend several days in an alcoholic frenzy. My husband didn’t do anything: he cursed, drove me to grandmothers - everything was useless. I don't remember a single sober day in my life. But I haven't drunk for a year now. And the specialists of the Respect clinic helped me in this. I thank you from the bottom of my heart! You saved me!!!

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Zavyalov Igor Sergeevich

Patient treatment period – 4 months

I am an alcoholic with over 25 years of experience. My wife turned to the Respect clinic when I needed emergency care. At that time, my last binge lasted more than a week. The doctors helped me and, one might say, pulled me out of the other world. I haven't had a drink in about six months now. Thank you for giving me new life!

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Shmakova Larisa Mikhailovna

Patient treatment period – 3 months

My son, after a difficult divorce, began to drown his resentment and grief with alcohol. Hid from me. But I'm a mother, you can't fool me. And then came the emergency. A friend advised me to the Respect VIP clinic. They are great! They took my son out of another binge, after which he has not been drinking at all for more than a year.

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Ruban Dmitry Mikhailovich

Patient treatment period – 1 day

Ruban Dmitry Mikhailovich: it is very difficult to remember your addiction every time. A feeling of guilt rolls over to my family, relatives, on whose initiative I ended up in the Respect rehabilitation center, for which I am very grateful to them. It was scary, but the competent specialists of the center did a great job, picked up the best coding method and before that psychologically prepared for the procedure. I have been clean for 1 year 4 months and 3 days. Thanks

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Lapshina Elena Nikolaevna

Patient treatment period – 1 day

Lapshina Elena Nikolaevna: When you suffer from alcoholism, you not only can't live, you can't even imagine that there is some sense and interest in existence without alcohol. And every dependent person will understand me well. Now I can not only live without alcohol, I can be happy, feel joy and interest. Hypnosis coding helped me. I have not been drinking for about a year and after some time I plan to repeat the procedure

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Nechaev Dmitry Ivanovich

Patient treatment period – 1 day

Nechaev Dmitry Ivanovich: I am an alcoholic with great experience and I have already despaired in the endless search for an effective method. It was coded and more than once in times in various clinics. In the Respect center, they found an individual approach to me, thanks to which I have been able to abstain for about six months. In this case, the treatment continues. I regularly go to psychotherapy sessions.

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Kuznetsova Nadezhda Mikhailovna

Patient treatment period – 3 months

I would like to express my gratitude to the entire staff of the Respect Psychiatric Center for their sensitive and attentive attitude towards me, they helped me get out of the deepest depressive state, I thank them for their professionalism. My mental state has improved, I feel great. All my relatives, friends and acquaintances were surprised by my good results!

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Ionov Vladimir Vladimirovich

Patient treatment period – 1 month

Hello, I would like to share my opinion about the wonderful psychiatric center “Respect”.

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