Dissociative Identity Disorder: Impact on Patients' Lives - Essay Sample

Introduction

Dissociative identity disorder has got several implications on the lives of patients. They may sometimes be minimal impacts that cause a little effect on the lives of the patients, while at times it may be severe, leading to dangerous complications or other disorders in the lives of patients. In either case, the impacts usually play a vital role in determining how affected patients do relate to other people in their environs.

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Dissociation is a common disorder that usually results in most cases due to the effects of childhood trauma, instances of abuse, either sexual, drug, or any other kind of damage. The major problem that generally creates difficulties in relationships is the fact that people with DID, usually have two different personalities, that typically end up fluctuating their general behavior characteristics (Gillig). The characters may be informed of identities, temperament or in some cases, self-image. This is the significant difference that separates the normal and the persons with DID, that is, a reasonable person should have a single personality because the brain cells are only mandated to run the activities of a unique character or behavior (Kluft). When they become two, memory loss or mental problems are usually the immediate effects.

For this reason, patients find it so hard to interact with their loved ones, like family, relatives and friends since most of them usually play safe to ensure that people around them do not realize the disorder in them. For example, for couples or individuals in a relationship, it may be so hard to adopt the behaviours or get used to each other, painful or confusing as well to some extent.

Dissociation as a Defensive Mechanism for Dissociative Identity Disorder

In struggling to cope with one another in the society, patients can consider separation as one form of defensive mechanism to help them penetrate through the traumatic experiences of either the physical or emotional skills (Lewis et al.). Dissociation is a psychological mental process which means that an individual decides to disconnect him/herself from various thoughts, or memories which may eventually cause harm of additional stress in the body leading to more complications in the brain and body as a whole.

Most researchers in the field of nursing and medicine suggest that the primary cause of dissociative identity disorder is the occasions of prolonged trauma conditions in the childhood age, which may occur emotionally, physically or abuse. These causes may result in severe conditions in the health of a patient (Gillig). Most studies stipulate that patients can use dissociation to act as the defensive mechanism to ensure that they no longer suffer from minor conditions, especially while interacting with their loved ones.

Dissociation has been frequently suggested as one mechanism which people may use to disconnect themselves from the traumatic condition, or instead too distant themselves with specific memories from the general awareness. It is one of the best ways that people may also use to break the bondage or links with outside environments and focus on the focus activities that may help in making building a better personality by achieving more goals and dreams.

It can act as a method of defensive mechanism against experiences of pain or stress developing regarding childhood instances of harassments. By eliminating such experiences in one's day to day activities, people can consider using dissociation to also help them in maintaining a healthier condition, by acting in a manner that assumes that the action occurred. One central reason for doing this is because episodes of Dissociative Identity Disorder are usually triggered by events of depressions. Nonetheless, there are other two crucial mechanisms of defence that people with DID, can use which may be categorized as minor branches of dissociation. These mechanisms are provided by the Rational Emotive Cognitive Behavior Therapy (RECBT) concept.

Repression

This is the underlying fundamental defensive mechanism of DID, in line with psychology. In RECBT, it is stipulated that one can never get hurt with something that they forget and assume that they are in existing. Repression usually involves the irrational beliefs only other than the ugly responses. The target of the repression is typically the irrational beliefs, which someone cannot articulate easily. Immediately these irrational beliefs interact with consciousness, and one can encounter and alter another person's thoughts and feelings.

Projection

In this mode of defensive mechanism, one is required to select on the unacceptable impulses and project them to other individuals. RECBT suggests that some of the feelings are always unnecessary. For example, one may feel that because he/she suffered an absolute abuse or maltreatment in the past, he cannot achieve a particular dream of choice. Such feelings may cause memory loss when with friends, and someone may look lost and unsound minded. When one refrains from such thoughts, there are possibilities that a patient may work harder and interact freely with others without distractions.

Minor Impact of Dissociative Identity Disorder

Nevertheless, at its juvenile stages, before the disorder develops to its final stages, patients suffering from the same interact freely if not for a sure guarantee of some interruptions in minor occasions, in most cases when the two types of personalities alter or interchanges all over sudden. One of the small impacts of the disorder is memory loss. Losing memory would make individuals or patients forget so fast of the things that they did or were told.

The effect comes typically when a process known as switching occurs. Switching refers to the process by which a particular personality suddenly takes control of someone (Laura). So suppose one was said something or was instructed to do something, and suddenly a newer personality takes over, they usually forget, and this makes it so hard to interact with them.

Major Impacts of DID

Patients who are suffering from the effects of dissociative identity disorder may not only suffer from memory loss, or tend to forget things too, but the main problem comes in, in a way that, people who suffer from the disorder normally act as passengers and not drivers of their lives. In normal conditions, people are always obligated to control all of the activities that partake. Most studies and other shreds of research have indicated that self-control is an essential tool that can help to ensure that societies remain at peace with each other at all conditions.

However, this is a different case for the ones who happen to suffer from the problem of DID. For them, they are usually controlled by inner personalities, and not themselves managing their characters as in other standard cases (Laura). Patients with DID can, therefore, be referred to as passengers instead of drivers when a real and practical life example is taken as a point of view. As it was indicated earlier in this study that people with DID, are usually being controlled with two different personalities, the patient in some cases may end up involving in activities that themselves do not wish to, but simply because they have no control over that behavior, they do end up doing them.

For instance, a personality may subject one to stealing from a company, killing, over speeding while on the road or even drinking too much of the alcohol. For people like strangers who may be having an initial eyesight on the person, a punishment or judgment in the court of law might be suggested, referring the person to be a criminal, while in the real sense the person is suffering from DID, and he/she is unable to control the activities that they are doing.

Congratulations to the court systems for introducing the medical health psychological checkup before the beginning of any proceedings (Lewis et al.). The primary role that this fact has played is that it has helped in securing the lives of people who do criminal activities unintentionally due to the presence of bi-personalities in them.

Instead, courts have got their ways of offering rehabilitations for them by creating therapy sessions as they recover progressively. On the other hand, as it is a good move by the courts to have the test done because it promotes justice, it is also very insecure and dangerous for people in the society primarily when patients who are suffering from this infection exists.

This is because, since their decisions to do certain activities is no longer controlled by them, but instead by their personalities, they may end up doing catastrophic events may either lead to colossal loss of properties or lives. But what makes it worse is the fact that, they cannot be prosecuted, as a result, it is an advice and recommendation that for people who suspect that they are suffering from the symptoms of DID or people who suspect that their friend, family member or relative is suffering from the same, an immediate report should be made to the health care centers, for diagnosis and treatment plans to be taken since, failure to do so, may lead to the occurrence of significant impacts that might not be necessarily personal but would affect several or a larger population (Laura).

Can People With DID, Make Good Parents

The factual statement is that people who suffer from DID usually have a lot of difficulties in coping up with the environment and getting used to people around them. However, it is not actually like an impossibility. The greatest secret in the entire process is earlier identification. When one presents earlier in a hospital before the time of giving birth, medical tests and screenings may be done, and most importantly by considering the past medical history, a proper diagnosis plans may be granted.

It sounds so logical to put the sense clear that, when a comparison is to be done between two mothers, one went to the hospital while she was expectant and realized go the therapy treatment process until the time of birth, while the second patient, gave birth before realizing that she was actually suffering from the problem of DID. The two may experience different modes while trying to raise their kids. Considering the table below, a clear explanation of the two scenarios can be identified (La Mela et al.).

Parent Before Diagnosis, a Parent After Diagnosis

Someone does not understand what exactly is controlling their lives, or cannot answer the question of how and why they are doing certain activities Someone fully understands that fact their brains or body have got two or more personalities that are controlling their lives, and so they can explain the question of how and why

Someone feels like he/she is not in the position of rectifying the condition of the current situation. They do see it as either a curse or a disaster Someone usually has the tools of navigations and can effectively interpret the problems by themselves

A parent may feel like they have been isolated and hopeless in future. Because of the regular checkups and diagnosis plans, these parents are usually hopeful that the disaster can reach into an end, and their lives can be shaped once more into something different.

Using the comparison table parents are actually in the position of making good parents even in the presence of DID. This can happen specifically parents attend to hospitals to receive care in advance. It will not only help them in knowing the best ways to offer care to their children, but they would have that motivational heart stating to them that they have some gloomy future, whose conditions may ultimately shine and be more than the current situations (Lewis et al.). On the other hand, failure to get a diagnosis creates higher chances that the parents will not even offer education sessions t...