Introduction: One of the most controversial psychiatric disorders; Dissociative identity disorder is a rare chronic condition, and is considered controversial due to the likely comorbidity with other mental conditions making diagnosis and treatment difficult. Formerly known as multiple personality disorder, dissociative identity disorder is one of a cluster of dissociative disorders. The dissociative disorders are a group of psychiatric conditions characterized by individuals experiencing an alteration of memory, consciousness, or identity for no natural reason. Individuals experience this escape from reality in ways that are involuntary and unhealthy causing problems with functioning in everyday life (Mayo Clinic, 2017).

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The American Psychiatric Association reported the annual prevalence of dissociative identity disorder amount adults in a community study was 1.5% of the population (American Psychiatric Association, 2017). Within psychiatric clinical studies in North America, Europe, and Turkey; they have found that between 1%-5% of patients in general inpatient psychiatric units meet the diagnostic criteria for dissociative identity disorder in the DSM-IV (Study, 2011). Dissociative identity disorder is reported to occur more commonly in younger populations rather than older adults, and declines with age. Dissociative identity disorder is recorded to be more prevalent in woman than in men. It is 9 times more prevalent in women than in men, but many variables can affect this statistic. Based on the symptoms, the main assumption for the uneven ratio of gender related incidences is that females are significantly more likely to be affected by childhood sexual abuse which is the most prominent attribution to dissociation. However, males with dissociative identity disorder are less likely to seek therapy considered to women. Men are more likely to deny their symptoms or “bottle” their emotions and problems and keep them to themselves, whereas women are more likely to seek professional help. Men are also more …show more content…
Not only does the disorder cause social and vocational consequences, but the abuse and trauma leading to the diagnosis cause a significant lack of trust for others and fear of rejection. Individuals with dissociative identity disorder are more likely to attempt suicide and abuse drugs and alcohol. When patients are put in high stress situations they use their alter personalities to cope with the stressful situation this can be detrimental to relationships whether it be marital, family, and parenting as well as interpersonal communication in the workplace. The best way an individual with dissociative identity disorder can lead the best quality life possible is into attend psychotherapy sessions to build more adaptive coping strategies and ease out of the strategy of using alter personalities. With appropriate psychotherapy treatment, many individuals with dissociative disorder will show improvement in social and vocational functioning (American Psychiatric Association, 2017). A form of cognitive behavioral therapy called dialectical behavior therapy is used to promote a sense of mindfulness, and helps relax the individual by promoting healthy coping responses to stressors (Dryden-Edwards,