Multiple Personality

K.M.AGRAWAL COLLEGE OF COMMERCE, ARTS AND SCIENCE.
Multiple Personality A Battle for the Soul
What is Personality?
First, I will start by answering the most basic question: What is personality? Personal made up the characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that ma person unique. Researchers have found while some external factors can influence certain traits are expressed, personality originates within the individual. While a aspects of personality may change as we grow older, personality tends to remain f consistent throughout life. Personality psychologists are interested in the un characteristics of individuals, as well as similarities among groups of people.
Almost every day we describe and assess the personalities of the people around Whether we realize it or not, these daily musings on how and why people behave as do are similar to what personality psychologists do.
While our informal assessments of personality tend to focus more on individ personality psychologists instead use conceptions of personality that can appl everyone. Personality research has led to the development of a number of theories help explain how and why certain personality traits develop.
Personality development has been a major topic of interest for some of the m prominent thinkers in psychology. Our personalities make us unique, but how personality develop? How exactly do we become who we are today?
In order to answer this question, many prominent theorists developed theories to des various steps and stages that occur on the road of personality development. The follo theories focus on various aspects of personality development, including cognitive, s and moral development.
Personality psychology is a branch of psychology that studies personality and its variation between individuals"Perso is a dynamic and organized set of characteristics possessed by a person that uniquely influences his or her cognitions, emotions, motivations, and behaviors in various situations. The word "personality" originates from the Latin persona, which means mask. In the theatre of the ancient Latin-speaking world, the mask was not used as a p device to disguise the identity of a character, but instead was a convention employed to represent or typify that charact
Personality also refers to the pattern of thoughts, feelings, social adjustments, and behaviors consistently exhibited ove
A PROJECT REPORT ON MULTIPLE PERSONALITY WITH CASE STUDIES.
that strongly influences one's expectations, self-perceptions, values, and attitudes. It also predicts human reactions to o [1][2] people, problems, and stress. There is still no universal consensus on the definition of "personality" in psychology. Gordon Allport (1937) described two major ways to study personality: the nomothetic and theidiographic. Nomothetic psychology seeks general laws that can be applied to many different people, such as the pr of self-actualization or the trait ofextraversion. Idiographic psychology is an attempt to understand the unique aspects o particular individual.
The study of personality has a broad and varied history in psychology with an abundance of theoretical traditions. The m theories include dispositional (trait) perspective, psychodynamic, humanistic, biological, behaviorist, evolutionary and so learning perspective. However, many researchers and psychologists do not explicitly identify themselves with a certain perspective and instead take an eclectic approach. Research in this area is empirically driven, such as dimensional mo based on multivariate statistics, such as factor analysis, or emphasizes theory development, such as that of thepsychodynamic theory. There is also a substantial emphasis on the applied field of personality testing. In psychologi education and training, the study of the nature of personality and its psychological development is usually reviewed as prerequisite to courses in abnormal psychology or clinical psychology. .
Definitions of Personality
While there are many different theories of personality, the first step is to understand exactly what is meant by the term personality. The word personality itself stems from Latin word persona, which referred to a theatrical mask work by performers in order to either project different roles or disguise their identities.
A brief definition would be that personality is made up of the characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that make a person unique. In addition to this, personality arises from within the individual and remains fairly consistent throughout li
Some other definitions of personality:
"Personality refers to individuals' characteristic patterns of thought, emotion, and behaviour together with the psychological mechanisms -- hidden or not -- behind those patterns. This definition means that among their colleagues in other subfields of psychology, those psychologists who study personality have a unique mandate: to explain whole persons." (Funder, D. C., 1997)
"Although no single definition is acceptable to all personality theorists, we can say that personality is a pattern of relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give bo
consistency and individuality to a person's behaviour." (Feast and Feast, 2009)
Ten fascinating facts about personality.

1. Birth
Order Can Influence Your Personality:
You've probably heard of this concept before. First born children are often described as "bossy" or "responsib while last-born children are sometimes described as "irresponsible" and "impulsive." But how true are these common stereotypes?
For decades, pop psychology books touted the effects of birth order on personality, but hard evidence on the phenomenon remained elusive until recently. A few recent empirical studies have found that such things as bi order and family size may indeed have an impact on personality. One study even found that birth order can influence your choices of friends and romantic partners; first-borns tend to associate with other first-borns, m burns with other middle-burns and last-burns with last-burns.
2. Your
Personality Is Relatively Stable throughout Life:
In long-term studies of personality, some of the most core parts of personality remain stable throughout life. T aspects that do tend to change as we age are anxiety levels, friendliness and eagerness for novel experiences.
According to researcher Paul T. Costa Jr., there is no evidence our overall personalities change as we grow ol "What changes as you go through life are your roles and the issues that matter most to you? People may think personality has changed as they age, but it is their habits that change, their vigour and health, their responsibi and circumstances - not their basic personality,"
3. Personality
Traits Are Linked to Certain Illnesses:
In the past, a number of different personality traits have been suspected of contributing to particular illnesses. example, hostility and aggression were often linked to heart disease. The difficulty was that while some studi would reveal a link, other studies demonstrated no such connection.
Recently, researchers have used a statistical technique known as meta-analysis to revaluate previous research the connection between personality and disease. What they discovered were some previously unnoticed connections between neurotic personality traits and five illnesses; headaches, asthma, arthritis, peptic ulcers a heart disease. Another study suggested that shyness might be linked to a shorter lifespan.
4. Animals Have Distinctive Personalities
Photo by Karin Scope
Does it ever seem like your beloved pet has a personality that makes him utterly unique? Animal researchers found animals from nearly every species of animal (from spiders to birds to elephants) have their own person with preferences, behaviours and quirks that persist throughout life.
While some critics suggest that this represents anthropomorphism, or ascribing human traits to animals, anim personality researchers have been able to identify consistent behavioural patterns that can be empirically mea and tested.
5. Current Research Suggests that there are Five Core Personality Traits
In the past, researchers have debated exactly how many personality traits exist. Early researchers such as All suggested that there were as many as 4,000 distinct personality traits, while others such as Raymond proposed there were 16. Today, many personality researchers support the five-factor theory of personality, which descr five broad personality dimensions that compose human personality: 1. Extraversion 2. Agreeableness 3. Conscientiousness 4. Neuroticism
5. Openness
6. Personality Influences Personal Preferences
Photo by Sonja Genaro
It may come as no shock to learn that your personality can have a profound effect on your personal preference but you just might be surprised by how far reaching these effects may be. From your choice of friends to your in music, your unique personality can influence nearly every choice you make in your daily life.
For example, while you might pride yourself on carefully considering the issues before choosing a candidate support, research suggests that personality may play a strong role in political preferences. One study conducte researchers at the University of Toronto found that individuals who identified themselves as conservatives we higher in a personality trait called orderliness, while those who self-identified as liberal were higher in empat
Researchers suggest that these underlying personality needs to either preserve order or express empathy can h strong influence on political preferences.
7. People Can Accurately Judge Your Personality Based on Your Facebook Profile
Screenshot
When you think about people's online identities, you might imagine that most people try to present an idealize version of their real selves. After all, in most online situations you get to pick and choose the information you to reveal. You get to select the most attractive photos of yourself to post and you can edit and revise your comments before you make them. Surprisingly, one study discovered that Facebook profiles are actually quite good at conveying your real personality.
In the study, researchers looked at the online profiles of 236 U.S. college-aged individuals. The participants a filled out questionnaires designed to measure personality traits including extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness. Observers then rated the personalities of the participants based the online profiles, and these observations were compared to the results of the personality questionnaires. The researchers found that observers were able to get an accurate read on a person's personality based on their Facebook profile.
"I think that being able to express personality accurately contributes to the popularity of online social network two ways," explained psychologist and lead author Sam Gosling. "First, it allows profile owners to let others who they are and, in doing so, satisfies a basic need to be known by others. Second, it means that profile view feel they can trust the information they glean from online social network profiles, building their confidence in system as a whole."
8. Numerous
Factors Can Contribute to Personality Disorders
An estimated 10 to 15% of adults in the United States experience symptoms of at least one personality disord Researchers have identified a number of factors that may contribute to the onset of different personality disor such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and borderline-personality disorder. These factors include:

9. Cardinal
Genetics Relationships with peers High sensitivity Verbal abuse Childhood trauma
Traits Are Rare
Commons
Psychologist Gordon All port described cardinal traits as those that dominated an individual's life to the point where that person is known and often identified specifically by that trait. These traits are considered rare, how In many cases, people become so known for these traits that their very names become synonymous with that of personality. Consider the origins of these often-used terms: Freudian, Machiavellian, narcissism, Don Juan Christ-like. For most people, personality is instead composed of a mixture of central and secondary traits. Central traits ar those that make up the core foundation of personality, while secondary traits are those related to preferences, attitudes and situational behaviours.
10.
Your Pet May Reveal Information About Your Personality
Photo by TJ Nicholls
Would you consider yourself more of a "dog person" or a "cat person"? According to one personality study, y answer to this question might actually reveal important information about your personality.
In a study of 4,500 people, researchers asked participants whether they considered themselves to be more dog people or cat people. These individuals also completed a personality survey that measured a number of broad including conscientiousness, openness, neuroticism and agreeableness.
The researchers discovered that people who identified themselves as dog people tended to be more extroverte eager to please others, while those who described themselves as cat people tended to be more introverted and curious. According to researcher Sam Gosling, a psychologist at the University of Texas-Austin, the results might hav important implications in the field of pet therapy. By using personality screenings, therapists might be able to match people in need with animals that are best suited to their personality.
Types Of Personalities
ENFJ in a Nutshell
for human growth because of their ability to see potential in other people and their charisma in persuading others their ideas. They are focused on values and vision, and are passionate about the possibilities for people.
ENFJs are idealist organizers, driven to implement their vision of what is best for humanity. They often act as cata
ENFJs are typically energetic and driven, and often have a lot on their plates. They are tuned into the needs of ot
and acutely aware of human suffering; however, they also tend to be optimistic and forward-thinking, intuitively se
opportunity for improvement. The ENFJ is ambitious, but their ambition is not self-serving: rather, they feel person responsible for making the world a better place.
ENFP in a Nutshell
ENFPs are people-centered creators with a focus on possibilities and a contagious enthusiasm for new ideas, peo
and activities. Energetic, warm, and passionate, ENFPs love to help other people explore their their creative pote
ENFPs are typically agile and expressive communicators, using their wit, humor, and mastery of language to crea
engaging stories. Imaginative and original, ENFPs often have a strong artistic side. They are drawn to art becaus its ability to express inventive ideas and a create a deeper understanding of human experience.
ENTJ in a Nutshell
ENTJs are strategic leaders, motivated to organize change. They are quick to see inefficiency and conceptualize
solutions, and enjoy developing long-range plans to accomplish their vision. They excel at logical reasoning and a usually articulate and quick-witted. ENTJs are analytical and objective, and like bringing order to the world around them. When there are flaws in a system, the ENTJ sees them, and enjoys the process of discovering and implementing a better way. ENTJs are
assertive and enjoy taking charge; they see their role as that of leader and manager, organizing people and proce
to achieve their goals.
ENTP in a Nutshell
and clever, and seek to comprehend the people, systems, and principles that surround them. Open-minded and unconventional, Visionaries want to analyze, understand, and influence other people.
ENTPs are inspired innovators, motivated to find new solutions to intellectually challenging problems. They are cu
ENTPs enjoy playing with ideas and especially like to banter with others. They use their quick wit and command o
language to keep the upper hand with other people, often cheerfully poking fun at their habits and eccentricities. W
the ENTP enjoys challenging others, in the end they are usually happy to live and let live. They are rarely judgme but they may have little patience for people who can't keep up.
ESFJ in a Nutshell
ESFJs are conscientious helpers, sensitive to the needs of others and energetically dedicated to their responsibili
They are highly attuned to their emotional environment and attentive to both the feelings of others and the percep
others have of them. ESFJs like a sense of harmony and cooperation around them, and are eager to please and provide.
ESFJs value loyalty and tradition, and usually make their family and friends their top priority. They are generous w
their time, effort, and emotions. They often take on the concerns of others as if they were their own, and will attem put their significant organizational talents to use to bring order to other people's lives.
ESFP in a Nutshell
ESFPs are vivacious entertainers who charm and engage those around them. They are spontaneous, energetic, fun-loving, and take pleasure in the things around them: food, clothes, nature, animals, and especially people.
ESFPs are typically warm and talkative and have a contagious enthusiasm for life. They like to be in the middle o
action and the center of attention. They have a playful, open sense of humor, and like to draw out other people an help them have a good time.
ESTJ in a Nutshell
ESTJs are hardworking traditionalists, eager to take charge in organizing projects and people. Orderly, rule-abidin and conscientious, ESTJs like to get things done, and tend to go about projects in a systematic, methodical way.
ESTJs are the consummate organizers, and want to bring structure to their surroundings. They value predictabilit
prefer things to proceed in a logical order. When they see a lack of organization, the ESTJ often takes the initiativ establish processes and guidelines, so that everyone knows what's expected.
ESTP in a Nutshell
ESTPs are energetic thrillseekers who are at their best when putting out fires, whether literal or metaphorical. The
bring a sense of dynamic energy to their interactions with others and the world around them. They assess situatio quickly and move adeptly to respond to immediate problems with practical solutions.
Active and playful, ESTPs are often the life of the party and have a good sense of humor. They use their keen po
of observation to assess their audience and adapt quickly to keep interactions exciting. Although they typically ap
very social, they are rarely sensitive; the ESTP prefers to keep things fast-paced and silly rather than emotional o serious.
INFJ in a Nutshell
Creative and dedicated, they have a talent for helping others with original solutions to their personal challenges.
INFJs are creative nurturers with a strong sense of personal integrity and a drive to help others realize their poten
The Counselor has a unique ability to intuit others' emotions and motivations, and will often know how someone e
feeling before that person knows it himself. They trust their insights about others and have strong faith in their abi
read people. Although they are sensitive, they are also reserved; the INFJ is a private sort, and is selective about sharing intimate thoughts and feelings.
INFP in a Nutshell
the realism of the moment is only of passing concern. They see potential for a better future, and pursue truth and meaning with their own individual flair. INFPs are sensitive, caring, and compassionate, and and are deeply concerned with the personal growth of
INFPs are imaginative idealists, guided by their own core values and beliefs. To a Healer, possibilities are paramo
themselves and others. Individualistic and nonjudgmental, INFPs believe that each person must find their own pa
They enjoy spending time exploring their own ideas and values, and are gently encouraging to others to do the sa INFPs are creative and often artistic; they enjoy finding new outlets for self-expression.
INTJ in a Nutshell
a talent for seeing possibilities for improvement, whether at work, at home, or in themselves.
INTJs are analytical problem-solvers, eager to improve systems and processes with their innovative ideas. They h
Often intellectual, INTJs enjoy logical reasoning and complex problem-solving. They approach life by analyzing th
theory behind what they see, and are typically focused inward, on their own thoughtful study of the world around t
INTJs are drawn to logical systems and are much less comfortable with the unpredictable nature of other people a
their emotions. They are typically independent and selective about their relationships, preferring to associate with people who they find intellectually stimulating.
INTP in a Nutshell
INTPs are philosophical innovators, fascinated by logical analysis, systems, and design. They are preoccupied wi
theory, and search for the universal law behind everything they see. They want to understand the unifying themes life, in all their complexity. INTPs are detached, analytical observers who can seem oblivious to the world around them because they are so
deeply absorbed in thought. They spend much of their time focused internally: exploring concepts, making connec and seeking understanding. To the Architect, life is an ongoing inquiry into the mysteries of the universe.
ISFJ in a Nutshell
and are motivated to provide for others and protect them from the perils of life.
ISFJs are industrious caretakers, loyal to traditions and organizations. They are practical, compassionate, and ca
ISFJs are conventional and grounded, and enjoy contributing to established structures of society. They are steady
committed workers with a deep sense of responsibility to others. They focus on fulfilling their duties, particularly w
they are taking care of the needs of other people. They want others to know that they are reliable and can be trus do what is expected of them. They are conscientious and methodical, and persist until the job is done.
ISFP in a Nutshell
ISFPs are gentle caretakers who live in the present moment and enjoy their surroundings with cheerful, low-key
enthusiasm. They are flexible and spontaneous, and like to go with the flow to enjoy what life has to offer. ISFPs a
quiet and unassuming, and may be hard to get to know. However, to those who know them well, the ISFP is warm friendly, eager to share in life's many experiences. ISFPs have a strong aesthetic sense and seek out beauty in their surroundings. They are attuned to sensory
experience, and often have a natural talent for the arts. ISFPs especially excel at manipulating objects, and may w creative tools like paintbrushes and sculptor's knives with great mastery.
ISTJ in a Nutshell
ISTJs are responsible organizers, driven to create and enforce order within systems and institutions. They are ne
orderly, inside and out, and tend to have a procedure for everything they do. Reliable and dutiful, ISTJs want to u tradition and follow regulations.
ISTJs are steady, productive contributors. Although they are Introverted, ISTJs are rarely isolated; typical ISTJs k just where they belong in life, and want to understand how they can participate in established organizations and systems. They concern themselves with maintaing the social order and making sure that standards are met.
ISTP in a Nutshell
ISTPs are observant artisans with an understanding of mechanics and an interest in troubleshooting. They approa
their environments with a flexible logic, looking for practical solutions to the problems at hand. They are independ and adaptable, and typically interact with the world around them in a self-directed, spontaneous manner.
ISTPs are attentive to details and responsive to the demands of the world around them. Because of their astute s
of their environment, they are good at moving quickly and responding to emergencies. ISTPs are reserved, but no
withdrawn: the ISTP enjoys taking action, and approaches the world with a keen appreciation for the physical and sensory experiences it has to offer.
What are Personality Disorders?
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV), a personality disorder is an "enduring pattern of inner experience and behaviour that deviates markedly from the expectation of the individual's culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to distress or impairmen Because these disorders are chronic and pervasive, they can lead to serious impairmen in daily life and functioning.
What Causes Personality Disorders?
The causes of personality disorders are the subject of considerable debate and controversy. Some experts believe that personality disorders are caused by early experiences that prevented the development of normal thought and behaviour pattern Other researchers believe that biological or genetic influences are the root cause of personality disorders.
While a definitive cause has not been established, it is likely that a combination of gene predisposition and environmental variables contribute to the development of personalit disorders. How are Personality Disorders Diagnosed?
In order to be diagnosed with a personality disorder, an individual must exhibit sympto that meet the diagnostic criteria established in the DSM-IV.

These patterns of behaviour must be chronic and pervasive, affecting many different aspects of the individ life, including social functioning, work, school and close relationships. The individual must exhibit symptoms that affect two or more of the following areas: thoughts, emotions, interpersonal functioning and impulse control. The pattern of behaviours must be stable across time and have an onset that can be traced back to adolesce or early adulthood. These behaviours cannot be explained by any other mental disorders, substance abuse or medical condition
What are the Different Types of Personality Disorders?
Personality disorders are described on Axis II of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. DSM-IV lists a total of ten different personality disorders. These disorders are classified into three separate clusters. Cluster A - Odd or Eccentric Disorders
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Schizoid Personality Disorder Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Cluster B - Dramatic, Emotional, or Erratic Disorders

Antisocial Personality Disorder Borderline Personality Disorder Histrionic Personality Disorder
Cluster C Anxious or Fearful Disorders

Avoidant Personality Disorder Dependent Personality Disorder Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Before a clinician can diagnose a personality disorder, they must rule out other disorde or medical conditions that may be causing the symptoms. The symptoms that characte personality disorders are often similar to those of other disorders and illnesses. Person disorders also commonly co-occur with other illnesses. The following are potential differentials that must be ruled out before diagnosing an individual with a personality disorder:

Substance Abuse Anxiety Disorders Depression Social Phobia
Personality makes us who we are. It influences nearly every aspect of our lives, from what we choose to do fo living to how we interact with our families to our choices of friends and romantic partners. But what factors influence our personality? Can we change our personalities, or do our overall traits remain constant throughou life?
Characteristics of Personality
Next, let's look as some of the key characteristics of personality:
1. Personality is organized and consistent. We tend to express certain aspects of our persona in different situations and our responses are generally stable.
2. Personality is psychological, but is influenced by biological needs and processes. For example, while your personality might lead you to be shy in social situations, an emergen
situation might lead you to take on a more outspoken and take-charge approach.
3. Personality causes behaviours to happen. You react to the people and objects in your environment based on your personality. From your personal preferences to your choice of career, every aspect of your life is affected by your personality.
4. Personality is displayed through thoughts, feelings, behaviours and many other ways.
Case study: 1
Rd. Alan Sanderson MB, BS, DPM, MRCP, MRCPsych. Decided to become a psychiatrist quite early in his medical training because of a fascination with the hidden roots of human behaviour. This led him, after a convent psychiatric training, to a long period of research into the relation between facial appearance and personality. It was not until 1990 that he returned, with great enthusiasm, to clinical practice, as a consultant in the National Health Service. In 1992 he met a hypnotherapist who was doing spirit release. He was so impresse with his work with one of his patients that he decided to specialise in this area. He trained in hypnotherapy and spirit release therapy, which has become an importan of his therapeutic approach.
Rose is a remarkable woman who suffered the tortures of Satanic Ritual abuse, and more, throughout her childhoo who, in spite of everything, has somehow survived to do great things. Rose is the name of the adult alter (short for alt personality) who comes to treatment, but the body that contains her belongs to a composite being that I shall call Ros all. Although accurately diagnosed as a case of multiple personality disorder (MPD), she could be better describ severe complex post-traumatic stress disorder, with multiple personality order. This is because, she has contrived, th the power of dissociation and by organising her inner and outer worlds, to manage wonderfully and to make rema contributions to other peoples lives. Dissociation enabled Rosendale to survive a desperate childhood, and disso made it possible for her to build an adult life, compartmentalised into amazingly productive areas. Even so, and d these great benefits, her adjustment is founded on fear and fear cannot be a good basis for living. Rosendale is no stage where she is learning to face her fears. The greatest of these is the fear of her separate selves, sustained by the that the reunification would result in an overwhelming summation of traumatic memories and accompanying guilt.
Multiple Personality Disorder

The Double Bind
YOU MUST NOT READ THIS NOTICE You mustnt read and yet you have to read. This is the double bind. Its wr act and its wrong not to act. Theres no escape and whatever happens its your fault.
The double bind is the formative dynamic of multiple personality disorder. When Daddy tells you that he loves you, th are special, but then hurts you horribly; when youre told that your baby brother will be killed and youll go to Hell if y your secret; when you are instructed to honour your father and mother despite their betrayal and when you know that y responsible for making these horrors happen, youre in a double bind. As adults weve learned something about the and how to handle lifes contradictions, but when youre under seven, the double bind, repeated ov er and over, is a contradiction that simply blows your mind. The Magic of Dissociation
Even here, in the midst of fear and deformed relationships, lacking the ability to run or to say No, the abused child stil wonderful resource, the magic of dissociation. This psychological trick enables a part of the mind to detach from another part is experiencing. Dissociate, and the horror is happening to someone else.
In the words of Colin Ross, from The Osiris Complex (1995). Two basic psychological manoeuvres form the ba multiple personality disorder. First, the little girl who is being repeatedly sexually abused has an out-o experience. Detached from her body and what is going on, she may float up to the ceiling and imagine she is wa another little girl being abused. Second, a memory barrier is erected between the original child and the newly c identity. Now, not only is the abuse not happening to the original little girl, she doesnt even remember it: this proc reinforced over and over as the abuse continues. Various identities may be created to deal with the different aspects trauma, resulting in an eventual total of ten, twenty or more alter personalities. Once the mind is in the habit of creatin identities in this way, alter personalities may be generated to cope with many non-traumatic tasks, or functions, inc
going to school and dealing with peers.
I must add here that, although child sex abuse features in most cases of MPD, it must never be assumed. The exceptions.
Multiple personality is the pretence, devised in the home and taken out into the world. The little girl has become a gr actors, each one of whom plays its part so beautifully that pretence has become reality. Rosendale has been pretend her life. She has done it so well that for 25 years she was able to live with great success and become the envy of others in her profession. Seven years ago Rosendale was traumatised and overwhelmed by her past. A Pandoras which she had no inkling was suddenly opened wide. Diagnosis
The diagnosis of MPD, or dissociative identity disorder (DID) as it has been renamed, I think mistakenly, in the DS requires four simple criteria: A. There are two or more distinct identities or personality states. B. These personality states recurrently take control of behaviour.
C. There is an inability to recall important personal information, the extent of which is too great to be explain ordinary forgetfulness. D. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance or a general medical condition.
To these four criteria Rose adds a further condition: The psychiatrist must be open to the possibility of the diag That the diagnosis is much in need of further categorisation, will become evident from a brief review of the hist
Two Famous Cases
The history of multiplicity is illuminated by countless extraordinary cases. If we were to study these accounts dow centuries to the present day, we should find the descriptions greatly coloured by the beliefs of the time. Until th th 18 century all such cases would have been attributed to possession. Today they would be called dissociative i disorder and attributed to the psychological mechanism known as dissociation, which, as the excerpt from Ross makes is a defence against unbearable trauma, involving the detachment of part of the mind from what another p experiencing. It is not just the interpretation of the nature of these states which varies with the period, so too d descriptions, for what is seen and heard depends so much on what is expected and asked. The clinical presenta multiplicity, even today, is enormously varied, though what is reported in the medical literature tends to conform accepted medical model.
While most of reported multiple personality cases conform to this model, there are some very sign exceptions. Descriptions from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when there was tremendous interest condition, report instances of sudden and complete personality change, sometimes permanent, more often temporar the displaced personality manifesting again after a period and life continuing as before. Here is one such case.
Ligancy Venom of Watseka, USA, the famous Watseka Wonder, at the age of 14 appeared to become possessed spirit of a neighbour, who had died aged 18, when Ligancy was only an infant. The spirit, Mary, took over totally months, during which period the child went to live with Marys parents, who were in no doubt, both from her behavio from the many detailed references to shared experiences that this was indeed the spirit of their daughter. Two weeks Ligancys return Mary tearfully predicted that she would leave. Restored to her previous consciousness, Ligancy home to her parents and, except for occasional messages from Mary, behaved just as previously. She had no mem the four months of Marys control. Followed up for many years, Ligancy married and left home to lead a normal life.
The case is meticulously reported by the psychologist and psychical researcher, F.W.H. Myers (1903). While it is bygone era and does not appear in the medical literature, it is noteworthy because, although well covered by th diagnostic criteria, dissociation cannot explain how Ligancy displayed so precisely the behaviour and the knowledg
child she had never known.
The case of Billy Milligan, an icon in the MPD literature, could not be more different. It too challenges the dissociation and-simple hypothesis. A very full account can be found in The Minds of Billy Milligan (1981), by Daniel Keyes. B college student, was charged with several rapes of young women. In treatment, 24 separate alters were identified. Th claiming responsibility for the rapes was female. Milligan was acquitted on the grounds of multiple personality disorde DID. Not all the features, to my reading, support the dissociation hypothesis. One personality, Arthur, the Englishman knowledgeable in the sphere of medical research, in which Billy had no interest, was also a fluent reader and wr Arabic. Another, Regan, spoke Serb-Croat and only broken American. Billy had never been exposed to languages. He was exhibiting nonglossy, the speaking of unlearned languages, strong evidence for spirit attachment o life recall, but not an effect of dissociation. Past life recall could be excluded in this case because of Arthurs knowle contemporary medical research.
Here we have two cases which perfectly fit the diagnostic criteria of dissociative identity disorder, while the clinica appear to challenge the premise on which the diagnostic category is based. With Laurence Venom the switch to an known personality could not have been caused by dissociation, while some of the features shown by Billy Milligan st suggest spirit attachment. Why then is the myth of dissociation-pure-and-simple so strongly held? The answer is ele supplied by Thigpen and Clerkly (1954), the psychiatrists whose book, The Three Faces of Eve became a highly succ film. In an early account of their case they discuss the difficulty of introducing a new concept, which MPD certainly was 1950s. They write, No matter how many clues one is given, no matter how obvious the clues, one will not be le conclusion that is inconceivable. One will seek explanations for the problem only among available hypotheses. Fifty on, MPD has become an available hypothesis in North America, though it has yet to gain acceptance in the UK. connection it is notable that not one book on the condition is to be found in the Royal College of Psychiatrists libr London. However, we can claim advance in a related area. In May 2003 the Royal College of Psychiatrists Special In Group in Spirituality (now numbering 950) devoted a day to the discussion of spirit release therapy. There w attendance at the meeting and not one dissenting voice. Spirit attachment is, even so, most certainly not available hypothesis to explain aberrant behaviour on either side of the North Atlantic. Not yet. The Basic Pattern.
To bring some clarity to the MPD picture, we shall take a look at what goes on behind the scenes in a simplified case. simplified because Halyards (1971) careful research on hypnosis, shows that in health we are, in fact, com beings. Clearly, there is much still to learn. For this exposition let us assume that we are, each of us, quite definitel we feel we are!
Fig 1 The personality in health.
In Fig 1 a small circle, the Conscious Mind, sits on a larger one, the Unconscious Mind. When awake, the perso indicated by the green dot, is in the smaller circle. It is in executive control. When asleep, control is relinquished a personality slips into the Unconscious.
In MPD the situation is more complicated. Alter personalities take turns to have executive control. One alter may control for minutes, hours or days before being replaced by another alter. Switching may occur either through the inten another alter, or in response to some role demand or following an external stimulus.
Ralph Allison the American psychiatrist and author of Minds in Many Pieces (1999), divides MPD into two broad cate separated by the seventh birthday. In defiance of the DSDM! V, he calls the first group MPD and the second DI simplify naming, I shall refer to the first as Early Onset MPD and the second as Late Onset MPD. These are imp distinctions. In Early Onset MPD the core personality is hidden and rarely if ever has control. There are many alters. I Onset MPD the core personality remains active and there are fewer than four alters. Because not all cases fit these g the DSM IV has a further category, Dissociative Disorders Unspecified.
Fig 2 Multiple personality disorder. From now on, we shall be dealing only with the Early Onset type which Ill refer to simply as MPD (See Characteristically the alters gather around the core personality like a swarm of bees around the queen.
Allisons scheme (Fig 3), now widely accepted, identifies a number of parts. Around the Core Personality are False alters, Persecutor alters and Rescuer alters. Allison introduces a revolutionary concept, a spiritual being called the Self-helper (ISH). It is an intellectual, non-emotional spiritual companion and guide that has been present since bir claims to have a complete recall of every aspect of the persons story. He believes it is present in each of us. The IS the task of helping the person to survive. We shall be able to identify these features in Rosendale, later.
Fig 3. Ralph Allisons scheme for MPD.
Personalities A Case Study : 2
The woman with 20 personalities in one body: An anorexic teen and a boy who writes in Latin. They all take over Kim's mind in a case that's baffled experts
Split personalities: Kim Noble has Dissociative Identity Disorder which means she switches from one character to another without warning
The entire class fell silent as the teacher, Mrs Baldwin, marched across the room. Kim Noble, stand up! she barked, grabbing the bewildered five-year-olds arm. What did you do that for? The little girl looked down at her blouse and skirt. They were covered in splodges of black paint. Of course, the teacher was exasperated when I denied doing it, recalls Kim, now 51 and with a daughter of her own, because shed seen me smear it over myself. But as far as I was concerned, it was somebody else whod done it. What Kim couldnt have known then was that she was suffering from a rare condition called Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) more commonly known as split personality disorder and that over the next four decades, her mind would regularly switch from one character to another without warning. The most consistent of Kims personalities is called Patricia, and she is the narrator of an intriguing new book called All Of Me, which attempts to piece together Kims extraordinary, chaotic life. In fact, Kim Noble no longer really exists. She explains: To most of the outside world I am Kim Noble, and Ill answer to that name. But the truth is her mind shattered into fragments before she could even talk, leaving numerous alter egos to take over. Today, there are more than 20 alter egos who can appear at any given moment. Alongside the sensible, no-nonsense Patricia, theres Abi, whos single and desperately looking for love, Bonny, a mother with a young daughter, and Salome, a devout Roman Catholic. Theres a little boy called Diabalus who only writes in Latin, and a depressed twenty-something called Ken.
Truly, this is a story that stretches credulity to its limit. But Kims extraordinary case has been studied closely by therapists and doctors, who are convinced she is not a fantasist and is genuinely in the grip of forces beyond her conscious control. 'Normal for me is driving to the shops and returning home with my boot full of groceries I didnt want... It's opening my wardrobe and discovering clothes I hadn't bought, or taking delivery of pizzas I didnt order.' An alter ego called Patricia has been her dominant personality now for more than six years. Patricia runs the household, takes primary care of daughter Aimee, now 14, and does her best to make sure mother and daughter live a normal family life. But even on a good day, two or three other personas will take over completely and do whatever they want while in control of Kims body. When a switch happens, its literally as though someone else slides into Kims skin. Her face twitches as the eloquent, rational Patricia gives way to mischievous Judy, a self-conscious 15-year-old who often appears at mealtimes. Judy is always bemused by the frumpy clothes she is wearing and immediately wants to get changed. Sometimes, I can end up wearing five different outfits in one morning, explains Patricia. Normal for me is driving to the shops and returning home with my boot full of groceries I didnt want, she writes. Its opening my wardrobe and discovering clothes I hadnt bought, or taking delivery of pizzas I didnt order. Coming back after a personality switch is like waking up from a nap. It takes a few seconds of blinking and looking around to get my bearings, to work out who Im with, where I am, and what Im in the middle of doing, she says. I could disappear from my sofa and wake up at a pub, or a supermarket, or even driving a car without a clue where Im heading.
Adoring: Kim Noble with her daughter Aimee, whom she claims she has no memory of giving birth too. Aimee even has her own favourites for her mother's different personalities Usually, in those suffering from DID, the dominant personalities have some awareness of the other characters: maybe they hear voices or they can see what is going in even when theyre not in control. But with Kims condition, there is no seepage between the personalities. They operate independently of each other sharing the same body but none of the same experiences. Hence the incident with the paint at school. Patricia believes that another more mischievous character threw the paint, and she was left to pick up the pieces with no knowledge of what had gone on just seconds before. Most experts agree that DID is triggered by severe trauma, and it seems as though Kims mind constantly compartmentalises itself to cope with painful life experiences. Some of the characters seemed to be inextricably linked to episodes in Kims life even though she has no memory of them. Take Dawn, who is looking for her baby
an echo, surely, of the traumatic moment in Kims life when her baby was taken away at birth by social services because of her history of mental health problems. Most experts agree that DID is triggered by severe trauma, and it seems as though Kims mind constantly compartmentalises itself to cope with painful life experiences. Others are arrested in time. Like the teenage Judy, who has an eating disorder just as Noble did when she was a young woman. But it is Ria, a 12-year-old girl, who probably holds the key to what triggered this bizarre disorder in the first place. Ria continually paints disturbing pictures showing children being bullied and abused. Kim, who has no recollection of any abuse, may never know the truth. It may be just too painful for her to comprehend. But it seems certain that she suffered great trauma in very early childhood. Kim undergoes intense therapy sessions in order to face up to what has happened in her life, and to reintegrate the personalities so that she can finally live as one person. But for now, it is Kims rational self, Patricia, who is running the show, and she copes by viewing the other personalities as permanent house guests. She leaves notes for them, and several have email accounts so she can contact them that way. She has even managed to draw some positives from her disorder, for today she is a successful artist, exhibiting the (very different) works produced by a number of her alter egos. Her daughter Aimee, meanwhile, in the way of children, has grown up to regard her mothers various personalities as entirely normal. So much so, she even has her favourites. Aimee was taken into care for six months when she was a baby, but the psychotherapists treating Kim helped her to appeal against this decision on the grounds that none of the personalities was a threat to the child. Since then, Kim has been able to raise her daughter with the support of therapists and social workers.
Painting her thoughts: Kim has drawn some positives from her disorder and is now a successful artist, exhibiting the works produced by a number of her alter egos
When Kim was a child growing up in Croydon, South London, life was confusing and frightening as she was constantly switching between different personalities. Her parents James and Dorothy Noble, who worked in the computer industry, seemed to have largely ignored her bizarre behaviour, putting it down to naughtiness. But when Kim hit puberty, other far more disturbed alter egos starting making regular appearances such as Rebecca, who was suicidal, Sonia, who was anorexic, and Judy the bulimic teenager who binged on shredded paper. Kim was first referred to a psychiatrist at 14, and spent much of her late teens in various homes for troubled teenagers until she was mistakenly diagnosed with schizophrenia in her early 20s. 'Aimee is not just my number one priority. All the personalities love her - which is why Christmas and birthdays are such fun. Its not unusual for Aimee to get presents from a dozen of us.' Kim was sectioned, put on strong antipsychotic drugs and told she was likely to remain in a mental hospital for at least the next six years. But she instinctively knew it wasnt the right diagnosis and, sure enough, her mind came to the rescue by allowing another alter ego, a bolshie young woman called Hayley, to become dominant. Hayley appealed against the ward of court order and won. Once out of hospital, Kims problems were far from over, however. For the next few years, three dominant characters were competing for control of her body Hayley, the feisty one, Bonny, the maternal one, and Patricia, the sensible one and depending on which alter ego was in control, Kim found herself living in totally different parts of London. This part of her life sounds almost too far-fetched to be true. But Noble claims she has since found letters addressed to Hayley and Bonny, and that at one point she was dividing her life between three different homes. It sounds implausible, and even Noble cannot convincingly explain the logistics; but then we are not talking about an ordinary life. Some may struggle to believe that Kims personalities have no awareness of one another, but Graeme Galton, a consultant psychotherapist at the Clinic for Dissociative Studies in London, says it is perfectly possible. He has never treated Kim but has encountered patients with her condition. He says: Dissociative identity disorder is a complex post-traumatic stress disorder. The purpose, psychologically, is to protect the mind when a traumatic event has taken place. To do this, the mind splits off the memory of the trauma into a separate identity. That means that, in its most original and true form, there is an amnesiac (memory) barrier between different personality states, although some people can develop flashbacks or nightmares. People may just have two or three personalities, but I work with some individuals who have an enormous number. Sometimes people who have experienced multiple trauma, especially as children, have separate identities for every traumatic incident. Nobles personal life became even more complicated when she fell pregnant. She believes the father was Patricias on-off boyfriend but insists she has no memory of the pregnancy, or the birth in 1997. 'Trying to tell this story when, for a lot of my life, I was only around for a fraction of a day at a time, has been hard.'
Again, it seems that her inbuilt defence mechanism kicked in this time in order to protect her from the pain of her child being removed from her care within hours of the birth. This traumatic event is remembered by only one personality, a troubled woman called Dawn. Another personality, Bonny, then took over, and Bonny considered herself to be Aimees mother when the child was small. Kim was only able to piece all this together years later, with the help of therapists, when she was finally diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder in the mid 1990s. From the moment I (Patricia) became the dominant personality, I promised I would discover as much as possible about the life or lives of Kim Noble. After so much confusion, I needed to have the facts, however unpalatable. But trying to tell this story when, for a lot of my life, I was only around for a fraction of a day at a time, has been hard. She began to put together the pieces of the pu zzle with the help of trauma therapist Dr Evelyn Laine. It was Dr Laine who told me about a woman called Hayley and another called Bonny, two personalities that had previously been dominant and whom shed met in therapy sessions. I recognised both names instantly. Id seen letters addressed to both at my house, and had wondered who they were. She also helped me to face up to another truth that Aimee was my own daughter.
Healing powers: Kim has Aimee to thank for her paintings, as the pair used to do it together. Now 13 of her alter egos paint The little girl was returned to Kim Nobles care at six months, and has, with close monitoring from social workers, remained with her since. Aimee saw from a very early age all the different personalities coming out of Mama, says Kim. She learnt, almost subliminally, to accept each and every one of them as a person in their own right. Confusing though it may be at times, Kim stresses that there are unexpected benefits too. Aimee is not just my number one priority. All the personalities love her
which is why Christmas and birthdays are such fun. Its not unusual for Aimee to get presents from a dozen of us. They all shop for gifts themselves. I cant complain, even when I see my money disappearing. After all, its Kim Nobles name on the credit cards, not mine. Theyve as much right as anyone to spend it. It was thanks to Aimee that Kim discovered the healing powers of painting. What started as a fun thing to do with her daughter proved to be a powerful way for many of her personas to express themselves. Thirteen of Kims alter egos now paint, and Kim often wakes up in the morning to discover a new work she has no recollection of creating. By introducing painting into our lives, Ive actively helped to steady the ship, she says. According to Dr Laine, our lives have never been less chaotic. Painting seems to provide an alternative outlet for some of those with suicidal thoughts, and in other cases has just made the rest of us strong enough to resist. And Dr Laine says Aimee couldnt be in better hands. She was even voted Head Girl at her school. Kim, meanwhile, is winning plaudits for her art. Our first exhibition at a gallery in Hampstead was such an emotional experience. Seeing all our paintings hanging side by side took my breath away. I realised that part of every personality was up there. It was the nearest thing to integration we will get.

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K.M.AGRAWAL COLLEGE OF COMMERCE, ARTS AND SCIENCE.