Pattaya Daily News

MPD is usually associated with persistent trauma or past traumas during early childhood, through either sexual or physical abuse.  When the trauma persists over a period of time, the affected person may begin to disassociate themselves from the events that have cause the trauma. This can lead to “alters”. Separate personalities within the same person who are aware of or even unaware of the abuse.  Alters can be childlike, strong, male or female often emerging as a coping device.

In general, MPD is belief (on the part of the patient) that several personalities exist within them. Psychiatrists have to make the distinction between the person having several personalities and believing they have several personalities.

People suffering with MPD appear unawares of time, yet anyone observing them may see them acting in many different ways. The person however appear to have no idea of what has occurred.  Other symptom of MPD includes depression, confusion, phobias, differing levels of ability to function normally and perhaps suicide.  In addition to the symptoms, those with MPD may self harm, such as cutting themselves, have high degree of panic attacks, eating disorders or merely just prone to headaches.

When making movies, those who are portrayed as having MPD seem to consist of a number of distinct personalities which is not usually the case in reality.  They would be more likely to pass from great awareness to less, without putting on different accents or assuming completely separate identities.

The primary treatment for MPD is therapy which may include play, hypnosis, art, and or talk. Medication is not usually prescribed because of the likelihood of overdose and because the illness is not chemically induced. The aim is to get alters to communicate with each other so the person disassociates from reality, often having to remove the person from the place of trauma.

Whenever the person reintegrates the different personalities, there may still be a need for further treatment, possibly with drugs to treat the underlying psychological conditions like depression or schizophrenia.

Patty Brown

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