First, let's take a look at what "Dissociative Identity is. If your just interested in the terms only, click here.,

WHAT IS DISSOCIATION?

Dissociation is a mental process, which produces a lack of connection in a person's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity. During the period of time when a person is dissociating, certain information is not associated with other information as it normally would be. For example, during a traumatic experience, a person may dissociate the memory of the place and circumstances of the trauma from his ongoing memory, resulting in a temporary mental escape from the fear and pain of the trauma and, in some cases, a memory gap surrounding the experience. Because this process can produce changes in memory, people who frequently dissociate often find their senses of personal history and identity are affected.

Most clinicians believe that dissociation exists on a continuum of severity. This continuum reflects a wide range of experiences and/or symptoms. At one end are mild dissociative experiences common to most people, such as daydreaming, highway hypnosis, or "getting lost" in a book or movie, all of which involve "losing touch" with conscious awareness of one's immediate surroundings. At the other extreme is complex, chronic dissociation, such as in cases of Dissociative Disorders, which may result in serious impairment or inability to function. Some people with Dissociative Disorders can hold highly responsible jobs, contributing to society in a variety of professions, the arts, and public service -- appearing to function normally to coworkers, neighbors, and others with whom they interact daily.

There is a great deal of overlap of symptoms and experiences among the various Dissociative Disorders, including DID. For the sake of clarity, this brochure will refer to Dissociative Disorders as a collective term. Individuals should seek help from qualified mental health providers to answer questions about their own particular circumstances and diagnoses.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF A DISSOCIATIVE DISORDER?

People with Dissociative Disorders may experience any of the following: depression, mood swings, suicidal tendencies, sleep disorders (insomnia, night terrors, and sleep walking), panic attacks and phobias (flashbacks, reactions to stimuli or "triggers"), alcohol and drug abuse, compulsions and rituals, psychotic-like symptoms (including auditory and visual hallucinations), and eating disorders. In addition, individuals with Dissociative Disorders can experience headaches, amnesias, time loss, trances, and "out of body experiences." Some people with Dissociative Disorders have a tendency toward self-persecution, self-sabotage, and even violence (both self-inflicted and outwardly directed).

WHO GETS DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS?

The vast majority (as many as 98 to 99%) of individuals who develop Dissociative Disorders have documented histories of repetitive, overwhelming, and often life-threatening trauma at a sensitive developmental stage of childhood (usually before the age of nine), and they may possess an inherited biological predisposition for dissociation. In our culture the most frequent precursor to Dissociative Disorders is extreme physical, emotional, and sexual abuse in childhood, but survivors of other kinds of trauma in childhood (such as natural disasters, invasive medical procedures, war, kidnapping, and torture) have also reacted by developing Dissociative Disorders.

Current research shows that DID may affect 1% of the general population and perhaps as many as 5-20% of people in psychiatric hospitals, many of whom have received other diagnoses. The incidence rates are even higher among sexual-abuse survivors and individuals with chemical dependencies. These statistics put Dissociative Disorders in the same category as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety, as one of the four major mental health problems today.

Most current literature shows that Dissociative Disorders are recognized primarily among females. The latest research, however, indicates that the disorders may be equally prevalent (but less frequently diagnosed) among the male population. Men with Dissociative Disorders are most likely to be in treatment for other mental illnesses or drug and alcohol abuse, or they may be incarcerated.

Amnesia

A period of time which is not remembered.
It's like I'm at one place, maybe at home watching a movie and the next thing I know, I'm finding myself at the mall, with no knowledge of how I got there. It's sort of like a blackout that comes from drinking to much.

Alter

A personality state which is amnesic to one or more of the other personality states within the same person.
A alter to me is like a part of my family! A family that has been here for me for years. However, I do know that all alters are a part of me, making me whole.

Dissociate

A defense mechanism, which is highly successful in forgetting a traumatic event. When a person separates from a painful event. A separation from the memory.
To dissociate for me is to have a tingly, almost numbing feeling on and around my face and to feel distant or disconnected from my body for non-specified periods of time, usually during and a short while after a traumatic event had occurred

Ego State

Part of a person which responds in a distinctive manner. There may be a large number of ego states within a person with no amnesia between them.
This term is still a little confusing for me, but what I get out of it is simply this. Myself and all other parts of me, all have our own ego states, and that's what makes each one of us unique.

Fusion

The point at which two or more alters become one. Integration continues to finish up after fusion takes place.
Fusion is something I'm sure I have experienced but can't recall, because I have integrated several personalities with the help of my therapist and others have integrated at home. Each is an experience in itself.

Host Personality

The personality who is "out" more than any of the others.
Well that's pretty self explanatory. I am the host because I am out in the world the most but I do share time with the others and sometimes they come out without me knowing it.

Integration

The process which takes place while the amnesia is being eroded. Also known as "merging"
Integration can be a joyous occasion or a sad one. Most of the time it's both. To me, I feel the loss of a family member even though they are now a permeant part of me and I hold all their memories and emotions, as well as their abilities that I might not have had before the integration took place.

Non-Amnesic Dissociator

A person who uses partial dissociation as a defense mechanism.
This happens to me a lot. Instead of leaving my body, I feel pulled back just a little bit, with that same tingling sensation on and around my face and also my hands and other extremities. This has become quite normal for me.

Personality System

The total of all alter personalities within an individual.
In the stage of therapy I am in at this moment, the system to me is my inner family, with different names, ages, styles and sexes. My personality system is what has kept me alive throughout my life living with and around my abusers. For me, it's been a gift from God.

Switch

A change in executive control of the body.
To switch from one personality to another. This usually occurs when there has been a change in my life of any sort. Example: If I'm in immediate danger, a protector personality will emerge to protect the body that they have invested so much time in.

Above are just a few of the terms you'll hear when reading or disscussing "Dissociative Identity Disorder" I hope I have been helpful in explaining my views on each definition.

Most professional definitions were taken from "Uncovering The Mystery Of MPD", by James G. Friesen, PH.D. I claim no copyright or credit on his findings on the disscussion.

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