Misconceptions About Dissociative Identity Disorder
There are many misconceptions about dissociative identity disorder. Because of how the media is able to profit off of the dramatization of this very real and harmful disorder, these misconceptions are often spread and widely believed by people who haven’t done extensive research on the subject. The spreading of these misconceptions is harmful because it creates a negative stigma around the disorder. It is always imperative to remember that most fictional books, television shows, and movies will not accurately depict mental disorders. Other than what is shown in the media, there are many different causes and symptoms of this disorder, and it is important for people to understand the difference between fact and fiction within not only dissociative
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In fact, it’s relatively normal. It is, however, considered to be more uncommon if these dissociative experiences cause any kind of marked distress or social/academic impairments (House, pg. 98). Women are actually nine times more likely to develop this disorder than men are. Although dissociative episodes may be uncommon in children, dissociative identity disorder in itself is a considered to be more rare. From 1817 to 1970, less than two hundred cases have been recorded in psychiatric journals. 1817 is the year in which the first case was reported. DID may have occurrences throughout most societies, but how often the disorder comes about and how it behaves varies greatly between different cultures and generations (Kassin, pg. …show more content…
To get more specific, differences in sexual orientation, voice and speech patterns, tendencies, memories, apparel, and even handwriting have been proven present in people with dissociative identity disorder (Kassin, pg. 623). Even more unbelievable, different personalities show different characteristic patterns in activation of variant areas of the brain (Morris, pg. 560). Other physical differences may happen as well, such as differences in contact/glasses prescriptions, blood pressures, and reactions to different types of medication. An example of this would be a man who had one personality that procured a strong allergic reaction to orange juice, but another personality that had no such reaction (Kassin, pg.
In fact, it’s relatively normal. It is, however, considered to be more uncommon if these dissociative experiences cause any kind of marked distress or social/academic impairments (House, pg. 98). Women are actually nine times more likely to develop this disorder than men are. Although dissociative episodes may be uncommon in children, dissociative identity disorder in itself is a considered to be more rare. From 1817 to 1970, less than two hundred cases have been recorded in psychiatric journals. 1817 is the year in which the first case was reported. DID may have occurrences throughout most societies, but how often the disorder comes about and how it behaves varies greatly between different cultures and generations (Kassin, pg. …show more content…
To get more specific, differences in sexual orientation, voice and speech patterns, tendencies, memories, apparel, and even handwriting have been proven present in people with dissociative identity disorder (Kassin, pg. 623). Even more unbelievable, different personalities show different characteristic patterns in activation of variant areas of the brain (Morris, pg. 560). Other physical differences may happen as well, such as differences in contact/glasses prescriptions, blood pressures, and reactions to different types of medication. An example of this would be a man who had one personality that procured a strong allergic reaction to orange juice, but another personality that had no such reaction (Kassin, pg.