Posted by shelliR on May 1, 2001, at 23:44:48
In reply to Re: What's with all these movies ...*ShelliR, posted by Miss Amy on April 24, 2001, at 12:46:23
> Is MPD sometimes a side effect of schizophrenia? I think I was misinformed a bit or something. thanks for the heads up! : )
Actually MPD (now called DID-dissociative identity disorder) is not at all related to schizophrenia. Schizoprenia is a psychosis; DID is a personality disorder. When a child is badly abused in his/her first years of life, for survival purposes, the child may unconsciously create identities as a defense mechanism. For example say a child, Ann, is either badly physically or sexually abused by a parent, relative, etc. And say the abuse occurred at night. During the abuse she may split off into another personality--say Karen. So when Ann gets up to go to school the next day, she is not outwardly tramatized because she doesn't remember what has happened the night before. The memory is stored in the other identify--Karen. Then at some point when she is older, somehow, the identify of Karen may break through. Then Ann realizes she has an inner system of identities, that she knows nothing about. And each of these identities had a specific function in protecting her when she was a child.
When kids develop DID (MPD) it is usually in reaction to abuse that they cannot deal with. It is probably a good defense mechanism for the child, because it allows them to function in school, with friends, etc.
For the adult, the identities are still there because they are so secret. But there is no longer any need for them--because the adult can now protect herself. And that's why deep intensive therapy is needed. The person gets to know all the personalities and know what they have kept secret from her. The goal of therapy is generally (but not always) integration--which means that all the personalities have joined back into one personality.
Actually for some people, it is much more complicated than the scenario I describe above--but anyway, this is a sort of simple basic description that I hope doesn't confuse you.
Shelli
poster:shelliR
thread:5779
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010417/msgs/5823.html