What Is Multiple Personality Disorder?

By adam

Reviewed: Dr. Mera

Article Sources

Medical Expert

More About Us

Many people are intrigued by multiple personality disorder, which is officially referred to as dissociative identity disorder (DID). While there have been many movies and books produced about the subject, people often have difficulties differentiating fiction from reality.

The incidence of this condition is not known, but some studies in the US determined that it might affect less than 1.5% of the population. If you’re looking for the facts on how this dissociative disorder affects people in real life, here are the answers to 10 common questions on the subject.

1. What Does It Mean If a Person Is Diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder?

Multiple personality disorder falls into the overarching category of dissociative disorders, which are mental disorders that involve individuals losing connection with reality and result in issues with the person’s memory, emotions, perception, and identity. Dissociate identity disorder, dissociative amnesia, and depersonalization disorder all fit into this category.

If a person is diagnosed with DID, this means that they have two or more personalities completely distinct from one another. The individual involuntarily alternates through these different personalities, which can have minimal to severe impact on the person’s life. The personalities can vary widely, with major differences in posture, voice, personal preferences, gender, and age.