Source: pixabay.com
When your spouse, child, or other loved one seems to be having multiple personalities, it is only natural to feel anxious and scared. Is split personality disorder really true? Years of research and studies suggest that it is real, and currently, it has been reclassified as dissociative identity disorder. Family members and significant others can learn about it through reading books and searching the web for answers to their queries. They will come to learn that yes, multiple personality disorder can be treated.
“A mental illness cannot be willed away or brushed aside with a change in attitude. Ignoring the problem doesn’t give it the slip either.” Deborah Serani, PsyD said. When you are diagnosed with a mental illness, it can be both devastation and relief. An official diagnosis means that what you’ve suspected is confirmed – there is something wrong. However, when you know what you have, this can provide more possibilities for treatment and recovery. The diagnosis can be a foundation that will help one understand his loved one’s illness and find ways to provide proper care, including therapy, medications, and home strategies that would help the person with mental illness live as normal a life he could live.
Source: pixabay.com
On the contrary, not every diagnosis has positive consequences. If your loved one is diagnosed with anxiety, for instance, there is not much complication. Even if not everybody believed that he has anxiety, only very few would refute the existence of anxiety itself. But with dissociative identity disorder, it can be a lot more argumentative. Because of the influence of culture and society, clinicians, patients, and even families doubt the legitimacy of the diagnosis, which may lead to patients not getting the care that they need to recover. Is split personality disorder real? Let us further discuss it here.
The Potential For Recovering From Dissociative Identity Disorder
“A personality disorder is a deeply ingrained and maladaptive pattern of behavior of a specified kind causing long-term difficulties in personal relationships or in functioning in society” That is according to Nicole Martinez, Psy.D. “Split personality’ can undoubtedly challenge one’s understanding of the human being and his mind in general. Despite a lot of confusion, one should know that it is something that can be remedied, and people who have the illness can help push this fact forward by joining evidence-based clinical trials and treatment modalities.
However, one should keep in mind that recovering from the disorder does not and will never happen overnight. It takes time, and it involves a psychotherapy-based approach where your loved one will go through various stages to achieve integration and unification of his personalities. It can take months and will entail having to recall traumatic experiences that may affect your loved one’s current state in life. But your vital role as a significant other or family to him would be as strong support of comfort and love.
Source: pixabay.com
Treatment for dissociative identity disorder not only targets the acute symptoms but is also focused on building the necessary skills for the person to live healthily amidst his illness. As Marc Browning, RN, Psy.D used to say, “If an individual is willing to accept treatment, long-term talk therapy or psychotherapy, can help. Sometimes these approaches are combined with medication if the person is dealing with debilitating symptoms or related conditions, such as depression or anxiety.” This process includes learning how to create healthy relationships, setting realistic goals, and finding meaning and purpose in his life. Throughout the treatment process, you and the rest of the family as his support system will be among the strongest resources for your mentally ill loved one. With you working hand in hand with his healthcare team, your loved one will potentially move forward to a more wonderful future with the possibility of healing fully within his reach.