Dissociative Identity Disorder concerning gender is the overriding topic of this paper. The paper intends to study the psychological disorder following various research propositions that more women are diagnosed with the mental disorder than their male counterparts. Therefore, this paper will attempt to deduce why the diagnosis rate is higher in women than men. Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a psychological disorder where an individual presents two or multiple distinct personalities. It is also known as a personality disorder, whereby each distinct trait has implications and takes turns controlling an individual’s behaviors at different times. For dissociative identity disorder, the causes are like early childhood development, which is altered by sexual and physical abuse and neglect. Childhood maltreatment causes trauma, which is ideal as a risk factor for the potential propagation of the condition in the future. It is proposed that women who encounter severe child maltreatment tend to get into trouble in establishing intimate relationships with men.
Dissociative identity disorder generally presents various symptoms in a wide range, which vary from one patient to another. Several deficiencies exist in the intellectual functionalities of patients, which are critical in the condition’s diagnosis. These deficiencies include the inability of patients to recall much of their childhood memories (Bowman & Coons, 2000). Patients usually present a lack of remembrance of necessary experiences they had in their early childhood period. In other instances, patients suffer from a lack of awareness of the recent events around them, and whenever they get any awareness, they cannot explain them; that is, they do not know what they are (Bowman & Coons, 2000). They do not recognize how they even got to a particular location. Intellectual deficiencies in patients with dissociative identity disorder present profound memory loss, such that they keep on losing their minds frequently (Bowman & Coons, 2000). One might remember something in one moment but tend to forget in another. Patients present severe hallucinations that disturb them frequently. Hallucinations occur when an individual experiences perceptions of seeing, hearing, tasting, or feeling things that appear to be accurate.
In contrast, they only exist in their minds but do not happen in reality. Patients with dissociative identity disorder also detach from thought and body. Another symptom of intellectual function impairment for patients with multiple personality disorder is experiencing sudden flashbacks and multiple returns of lost thoughts that happen randomly, making personality traits switch at any time (Bowman & Coons, 2000). These intellectual symptoms of multiple personality disorder are measured by the Intelligence Quotient test, which should be 70% and below to denote possible diagnosis.
Other than the intellectual function deficit, multiple personality disorders exhibit other symptoms of adaptive function impairment. Adaptive functions are the social traits associated with a relationship with oneself or the ability to socialize with the rest. These symptoms include attempts, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts (Dorahy et al., 2014). Patients present attempted suicides as well as intentions. Patients exhibit erratic mood swings and signs of depression, which causes impairment of the mind and degradation of interests. Patients have low or even no moods to perform various activities (Dorahy et al., 2009). Patients also showcase excess anxiety, increased nervousness, and always under panic attacks, leading to phobias (Bowman & Coons, 2000). Patients with dissociative identity disorder present unexplained sleep disorders such as insomnia, night terror, and sleepwalking. Eating disorders are also familiar with personality disorder patients, with low or high appetites and an inability to feed themselves (Dorahy et al., 2014). In some instances, several patients experience chronic pains, especially from headaches. These adaptive functions of a patient are measured to determine whether a patient can take care of themselves (Bowman & Coons, 2000).
According to research, dissociative identity disorder varies in prevalence according to the verified demographic. Researching multiple personal disorders has continued to become a difficult task following the controversy. Researchers have come up with varying statistics of the disorder, which have wide gaps from one result to another. Nevertheless, It is believed that about 1.5% of the global population suffers from a dissociative personality disorder, so it is proper to deduce that the disorder is rare (Akyüz et al. 1999). Dissociative identity disorder prevails in people of all races but is more presented by Americans than by the rest. On the same note, some researchers believe that the disorder has been misdiagnosed and undiagnosed, making it challenging to come up with a substantial figure that precisely shows the prevalence of the disorder (Akyüz et al., 1999). In recent years, it has been noted that the prevalence of personality disorder has risen significantly, following an easier understanding of its diagnosis, with fewer diagnosis errors. Dissociative disorders are multiple psychological conditions. Dissociative identity disorders are just one of them, and research also shows that they all have close and similar diagnosis symptoms. Substance abuse and dissociative identity disorder are closely related (Dorahy et al., 2014). Researchers concluded that people with the disorder abuse alcohol and other substances to deter symptoms and escape reality (Akyüz et al., 1999). People with the disorder abuse substances as an intermediate way to help them cope with past trauma and victimization.
However, statistics have been conducted regardless. It has been noted that upon diagnosis in the first stages, only an average of two distinct personalities are presented in every four patients. However, a further depth in treatment suggests that about 13 different personalities are present in the entire course of treatment, and some patients can present about 100 distinct traits (Dorahy et al., 2014). Concerning the prevalence of dissociative identity disorder and gender, it is deduced that females are more at risk of falling victim to the disorder than men. It is also true that more women are currently diagnosed with the same disorder than men. Researchers have studied the difference in disorder prevalence in gender and have come up with various explanations to illustrate why women have a high chance of falling victim (Şar et al., 2007). First, women suffer more from early childhood maltreatment, by physical and sexual abuse, than men. Therefore, because the primary causative agent of multiple personality disorder is childhood traumas from maltreatment, women must present more prevalence than men. Most men are also undiagnosed with the disorder because it is usually easier to hide the presenting symptoms and histories of past traumas than women (Şar et al., 2007). It is easier for a female to get overwhelmed by the symptoms than men; therefore difficult for their symptoms to go unnoticed. On the same note, it is also true that men are more aggressive and tend to present less memory loss than women. Therefore, dissociative identity disorder diagnosis becomes easier for females (Şar et al., 2007). It is also declared that all individuals who underwent unprecedented maltreatment and neglect in childhood are at potential risk of being diagnosed with the disorder (Dorahy et al., 2009). Dissociation and addiction are associated with chronic conditions and are not simple to treat. The research found that about 17% of people in drug and substance treatment facilities reported being diagnosed with a dissociation identity disorder.
Concerning Dissociation identity disorder, various biological and environmental stressors are believed to be the critical influencers in the manifestation of the condition. Currently, there is insufficient biological pathogenesis of the disorder, and therefore claims of direct biological causative agents are not fully understood. However, the most common biologically related agent of multiple personality disorder is trauma. Persistent trauma histories, overwhelming traumas, and extreme life-threatening traumas from physical and sexual abuse, especially at nine years of age and below, known as the critical developmental stage, are the well-known causes of the condition (Dorahy et al., 2009). Extreme emotional abuse, even without substantial physical assault, is also believed to cause Dissociation identity disorder. Some individuals can manage their traumas judiciously well, often with immense emotional support and rehabilitation in the correct environment, unlike others who are overwhelmed by traumas, opting for dissociation to fight the extreme traumas, which graduates in dissociation identity disorder (Dorahy et al., 2009). Environmental stressors can cause the manifestation of trauma to individuals of different ages, ultimately leading to the development of multiple personality disorders. These environmental factors include overwhelming and repetitive natural disasters and war combat experiences. These environmental traumas can manifest the disorder at any time regardless of age, unlike the biological stressors that cause childhood traumas but only manifest in later adulthood (Dorahy et al., 2009).
Throughout my research on dissociation identity disorder, I got an insightful understanding of the adverse effects of child maltreatment, which is common in society today. I learned that some simple actions performed at a particular time in life might bring out a devastating consequence in later years, which may also be challenging to handle. I also took note of the different manifestations of the disorder concerning gender, that women have a higher prevalence rate than men due to different behavioral characteristics. The knowledge and the awareness I got through the research have become a critical turning point concerning social relations and gender, child handling, and response to natural disasters. I have taken an insightful understanding that people presenting multiple traits might be suffering from the disorder, and it is a personal responsibility to help people with personality problems seek medical attention.
References
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Bowman, E. S., & Coons, P. M. (2000). The differential diagnosis of epilepsy, pseudoseizures, dissociative identity disorder, and dissociative disorder not otherwise specified. Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, 64(2), 164.
Dorahy, M. J., Brand, B. L., Şar, V., Krüger, C., Stavropoulos, P., Martínez-Taboas, A. … & Middleton, W. (2014). Dissociative identity disorder: An empirical overview. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 48(5), 402–417.
Dorahy, M. J., Shannon, C., Seagar, L., Corr, M., Stewart, K., Hanna, D. … & Middleton, W. (2009). Auditory hallucinations in dissociative identity disorder and schizophrenia with and without a childhood trauma history: Similarities and differences. The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 197(12), 892–898.
Şar, V., Akyüz, G., & Doğan, O. (2007). Prevalence of dissociative disorders among women in the general population. Psychiatry Research, 149(1-3), 169-176.
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