Dissociative Identity Disorder: Understanding Parts of the Personality
Much of my information is cited from the ISSTD and Kathy Steele.
Before getting in to any heavy meat of treatment models and coping skills, it is logical that we must take a look at what dissociation really is.
The following information, as reported by Kathy Steele, is a concept based on years of careful observations and study (Boon, 1997; Boon & Draijer, 1993; Van der Hart & Boon, 1997; Van der Hart, Nijenhuis, & Steele 2006) including historical research dating back as far as 1985.
Integration
This is a subject that has caused much debate among the DID community particularly on Tumblr. It seems as though, when reading about Structural Dissociation, there is a misunderstanding about personality and the lack of integration you have at birth.
To understand dissociation you must first understand what integration is. In the context of dissociative disorders, integration is the organization of all the different aspects of personality (this includes sense of self) into a unified and cohesive “whole” that functions like a well oiled machine.
While we may not be born with a fully defined personality, we are born with a natural inclination to integrate our experiences in to a coherent and complete life history with a stable sense of self. This integrative process allows us to distinguish the past from the present in order to be able to recognize that we are in the present, even when we are remembering our past or thinking about our future. This also helps in developing our sense of self. The more secure we grow up, the more we are able to have a strong integrative capacity.
Everyone develops a “typical” and mostly permanent way of thinking, feeling, acting, and perceiving the world…which is referred to as our personality. A healthy personality allows for an individual to make smooth transitions between response patterns and can adapt between different situations in a seamless manner.
At some point, everyone develops a firm sense of self. Whether as a child, teenager, adult, partner, parent, etc you are able to distinguish the “I am me” at each of these life transitions. You are able to identify and own events and life experiences whether they be positive or negative.
Sense of Self
As we grow up, we are able to cohesively connect life experiences with our sense of self. We are able to have a clear perception of who we are across different circumstances. As Steele states, “I am me, I am myself,” as children, adolescents,adults, parents, workers,etc. All life experiences belong to me.
Dissociation
Dissociation is a major failure of integration that interferes with our sense of self and personality. Dissociation involves a parallel owning and disowning of experience. While one part of you owns an experience, another part of you does not. People with dissociative disorders do not feel integrated and instead feel fragmented because they have memories, thoughts,feelings, behaviors and so forth that they experience as uncharacteristic and foreign, as though they do not belong to themselves.
Dissociative parts of the personality
These divided senses of self and response patterns are called dissociative parts of the personality. It is as though there are not enough links or mental connections between ones sense of self and another.
Origins of Chronic Dissociation
Chronic dissociation among parts of the personality or self may become a “survival strategy” in those who have experienced early childhood trauma. To some degree, dissociation allows a person to try to go on with normal life by continuing to avoid being overwhelmed by extremely stressful experiences in both the present and the past. Unfortunately, it also leaves one or more parts of the personality “stuck” in unresolved experiences and another part forever trying to avoid these unintegrated experiences.
There are biological, social, and environmental factors that make people more vulnerable to dissociation. Some people may have a biological tendency to dissociate or perhaps have organic problems with their brain that make it more difficult for them to integrate experiences in general. Young children have less ability to integrate traumatic experiences than adults because their brains are not yet mature enough to do so. Their sense of self and personality are not yet very cohesive, and thus they are more prone to dissociation.
It has long been recognized that those without sufficient social and emotional support are more vulnerable to developing chronic trauma-related disorders, especially those who experience chronic childhood abuse and neglect. It is agreed, though, that the major complex dissociative disorders typically develop in childhood, and that they are the result of disruptions in the integration of the child’s personality and sense of self, the effects of which continue on into adulthood.
This is just a primitive and basic understanding of both integration in terms of dissociation as well as chronic dissociation. Over time I will write more about particular aspects of Dissociative Identity Disorder.
Those of you who think you may have DID, I strongly caution subscribing to ideas that have no scientific or credible backing. If one cannot provide sources to literature by reputable psychiatrists and psychologists, take what they have to say with the smallest of grains of salt. And, even still, if you believe you may have DID, we urge you to seek counseling by a professional trained specifically in dissociative disorders.
A mental illness, by its very definition, causes distress and a loss of functioning in daily life (to some degree). If you believe you have DID but do not experience any distress nor loss of functioning, we strongly urge you to seek professional help to check for neurological or other psychological illness.
All of the above information comes directly from “Coping with Trauma-Related Dissociation; Skills training for patients and therapists” by Suzette Boon, Kathy Steele, and Onno Van Der Hart. It has also received several awards by the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation.