PSA: Dissociative Identity Disorder

Consider this a public service announcement. Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) does exist, and is not actually as unusual and rare as many have been taught to believe.

Unfortunately, there remains a great deal of misunderstanding out there about DID, even among mental health professionals. It takes an average of eight years in mental health treatment before a person gets an accurate diagnosis of DID. And in a collective study looking at psychiatric inpatient and outpatient groups, as well as drug and alcohol patients, found that 4-18% met criteria for DID, which had been missed by staff.

I bring this up because there is harm in the prevailing notion that DID is so rare and unusual, and there are years of needless suffering and misdiagnosis that results. DID is not what it has been presented in the movies. It is an incredibly creative solution by a mind that sees no other way to survive. And it is a treatable disorder, as long as the treating therapist has the appropriate training and knowledge.