Dissociative Identity Disorder In Frankie And Alice

Every person has experienced a time when they get lost in their thoughts and start to daydream in the middle of an action. You lose track of what’s going on around you. Our thoughts and experiences can become dissociative. Dissociative Disorders causes a disruption of identity and conscious awareness. People who suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder, they develop two or more distinct identities. These identities form to deal with traumatic event, and to protect one’s sense of self. People who suffer DID experience periods of amnesia, and sometimes only one identity could be aware of the others. The identities can be a different gender, age, ethnic

Robert Oxnam published an autobiography called A Fractured Mind in order to educate more people about his illness and to introduce a deeper understanding of Dissociative Identity Disorder. In an article written by Bruce Weber of the New York Times, Oxnam explained how writing the book was a timely challenge because each of his alter personalities wrote their chapter of the story in a first-person narrative (Weber, 2005). The reader learns about Dissociative Identity Disorder by being introduced to Oxnam’s alters, watching their interrelationships develop and recognizing the integration of his fragmented mind.

Each identity has unique characteristics whether or not the personalities are aware of each other. The Mayo Clinic’s article states, “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” (Mayo Clinic Staff). People with dissociative identity disorder may experience amnesia from time to time. The Cleveland Clinic’s article states, “The person may experience amnesia when an alter takes control over the person’s behavior” (“Dissociative Identity Disorder”). In certain instances, patients with DID may actually benefit from their disorder. The Cleveland Clinic’s article states, “In some cases, the person with DID may benefit from a particular alter (for example, a shy person may use a more assertive alter to negotiate a contract)” (“Dissociative Identity Disorder”). Though, in most cases, people suffering from dissociative identity disorder will have problems and added chaos in their lives due to their disorder. The Cleveland Clinic’s article also states, “More often DID creates a chaotic life and problems in personal and work relationships. For example, a woman with DID may repeatedly meet people who seem to know her but whom she does not recognize or remember ever meeting. Or she may find items around the home that she does not remember buying” (“Dissociative Identity Disorder”).

DID is not completely understood but within the psychological community it is well accepted that it often stems from extreme, recurring abuse during childhood developmental periods. Studies, such as “Prevalence of dissociative disorders in psychiatric outpatients” in the American Journal of Psychiatry, have shown that “About 71% of clients with DID have experienced childhood physical abuse and 74% sexual abuse” (qtd. in Jacobson et al. 308). Although this phenomenon isn’t responsible for all of the occurrences of DID in the human population the fact that it plays a part in a majority of cases offers much insight about the illness. This disorder is essentially a coping mechanism for the sufferer because the alter(s) allow the person to separate their thoughts, feelings, and memories relating to traumatic experiences from their normal conscious awareness. Through this information it can be determined that the alter(s) serve the purpose of filling an emptiness in a person.

Dissociative identity disorder, or DID for short, is a controversial subject in the clinical medical world. It is often ruled out as a diagnosis because most physicians do not believe it exists. Gilig (2009) explained, that 80% of patients were forced to be discharged from a hospital even though the patient show extreme suicidal evidence. Another reason for this

This mental disorder affects the patient in every way because their mind is "broken into pieces". Like the article mentioned, patients with DID experience periods of amnesia and periods of depersonalization. It affects every aspect of that person's life, for example: they might meet people that know them, however they have no recognition of. The alters are kind of like a defense mechanism, when the host isn't capable dealing with a certain situation a personality more fitted to handle the situation

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a condition where there are two or more distinct identities that are and will become present in an individual. These personalities can and will eventually take control of the individual, many people consider having dissociative identity disorder an experience of being possessed. The individual can and most likely will experience memory loss that is more extensive than ordinary everyday forgetfulness (Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder). Around two percent of people will experience dissociative disorder, women are more likely than men are to be diagnosed with DID. "Almost half of adults in the United States experience at least one depersonalization/derealization episode in their lives, with only 2% meeting the full criteria for chronic episodes” (Dissociative Disorders).

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is the “severe condition in which two or more distinct identities, or personality states, are present in—and alternately take control of—an individual” (psychologytoday,2018,1). Dissociative Identity Disorder was first diagnosed in the late 1800s by Doctor Jean-Martin Charcot. This disorder affects about 1 percent of the United States population. This disorder is more common in females than it is in males. For example, Britney Spears has suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder since 2008. Some of her alter egos include, “The British girl, other alter egos include the weepy girl, the diva, and the incoherent girl” (Ranker, 2018, 1). Therefore, many people have this disorder without anybody even knowing

​Below, discussion regarding Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) will be addressed in relationship to the movie Frankie & Alice. DID as defined in the DSM 5 is a dissociative disorder in which a person develops two or more distinct personalities (Comer, 2013, p. 209). DID can also be known by its former name of multiple personality disorder. Traub (2009) also adds that the symptoms of DID are not a result of medical conditions or substance abuse. This does not mean that those who are diagnosed with DID do not drink. According to Dorahy et al., (2014), although symptoms of DID are not a result of substance abuse, it has been found that 50% of

Dissociation is defined as “a mental process, which produces a lack of connection in a person 's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity” (Grohol, 2016). The Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a severe condition in which two or more separate, distinct identities or personality states are present in an individual. In other words, a person has, what seems like, actual distinct and contrasting people in their head and these “alters” are able to take control of an individual’s mind and body at any time and act as a completely different individual. Each alter is capable of having its own set of likes, dislikes, talents, memories, and personal experiences. The alters’ usually have a specific name, age, gender and possibly race. According to Psychology Today (2014), the alters’ characteristics are typically very different from the primary identity, including their history, self-image, vocabulary, knowledge and predominant mood. The primary identity tends to be passive, dependent, guilty and depressed. A person with DID experiences extensive memory loss which is typically more extensive than what would be experienced by ordinary forgetfulness. For instance, if an alter were to take over, once the individual is back in control of his or her own body, they typically report not remembering anything that was done or said. Some individuals report feeling “familiar” with the conversations or experiences that were had by the alter, but as if they had only overheard

In The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013) dissociative identity disorder is diagnosed when a person displays at least two personalities of a differing, cohesive, and definitive nature. The disorder is marked by thoughts that repeatedly intrude on a person during their waking life, affecting their “sense of self” (APA, 2013, p.292). DID involves a marked change in one’s own body being one’s own, as well as changes in perception including “derealization and depersonalization” (APA, 2013, p.292). All of these criteria seem to be met as the narrator describes the shift in his life away from a single identity, to one where he comes to realization that he has been actually displaying two distinct and different personalities. But, what of

What constitutes someone’s identity as a person? Some may argue that role models or one’s environment can influence a person’s values. Others may differ and remark how one’s experiences in life can determine how one may perceive the world. However, the memories from these experiences may not always positively affect an individual. Instead, a memory or event may be of a severe traumatic event that can unknowingly haunt an individual for the rest of his or her life. These memories will then possess a strong control over one’s life that can alter the way that a person may live their life. For a trauma victim, their life may be plagued by moments of time that may appear to trigger his or her trauma, resulting in an individual losing touch with reality. This experience portrays an altered reality that can make the trauma victim tremble with fear concerning that moment in time where they were at their most vulnerable. The mental state of trauma victims is explored by Martha Stout in her essay, “When I Woke Up Tuesday Morning, It Was Friday.” Stout, a psychologist, depicts how a number of her clients, trauma victims, from varying degrees of dissociation. Dissociation can affect a trauma victim in many forms, and is often used a method to protect the mental state of a victim from further pain. By allowing the subconscious to take over, the victim does not have to be mentally present for situations that may trigger one’s memory of trauma. This will protect the victim but this level

Dissociative Identity Disorder is a disorder distinguished by the existence of two or more distinct personality states. It is also known as DID or Multiple Personality Disorder. It is very rare, with only 20,000 to 200,000 known US cases per year. Currently, there is no known cure, but treatment can sometimes help. Many believe that DID can be caused by a significant trauma and is used as a coping mechanism to help avoid bad memories. The disorders most often form in kids victim to long-term physical, sexual or emotional abuse or, sometimes just a home environment that 's frightening or highly unpredictable. The stress of war or natural disasters close by also can bring on dissociative disorders.

The definite cause of DID is unknown, but one main cause of the disorder is believed to be severe and prolonged trauma experienced during childhood, including emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. Symptoms of DID can include: an inability to remember large parts of childhood, sudden return of memories, as in a flashback and/or flashback to traumatic events, episodes of feeling disconnected or detached from one's body and thoughts, hallucinations, changing levels of functioning, from highly effective to nearly disabled, depression, anxiety, alcohol and/or drug abuse, headaches, and eating disorders. DID is a serious mental illness that occurs across all ethnic groups and all income levels, but has been proven to affect women nine times more than men. Research has shown that the average age for the initial development of alters is 5.9 years old. Statistics show that DID occurs in 0.01 to 1 percent of the general population (Mayo, 2014).

Imagine waking up in a new house, town, city, even state and not knowing how you got there. Now add onto that thought of forgetting almost a year of your life because someone else, or something, has taken over your body. That is just a look into dissociative disorders in general. Dissociative Disorders are ‘extreme distortions in perception and memory” (Terwilliger 2013). Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), or previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder, is often the most misunderstood dissociative disorder of them all. It has always been somewhat of a mystery. Seeing videos of the disorder can really give you an insight on what happens with the person who suffer from it. Almost everyone in the