Multiple Personality Disorder: Symptoms & Diagnosis

There are very distinct signs of multiple personality disorder, and there are a number of symptoms that are associated with this diagnosis which may seem surprising. First and most obviously, amnesia or memory loss – where a person can’t seem to remember doing things, repeatedly – in multiple personality disorder, is generally associated with switched personalities. Clinical depression and fatigue are also associated, as are swift and abrupt mood swings that cannot be explained any other way. Other symptoms that may display are sleep disorders (anything from insomnia to sleepwalking), panic attacks, phobias and flashbacks, headaches, trances, and “out of body experiences.” Often, sufferers will engage in self-persecution, self-sabotage, and violence toward themselves and others.

Other less-anticipated symptoms associated with multiple personality disorder include confusion and difficulty concentrating. Constant changes in vision are not uncommon. A diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder is found in about eighty percent of multiple personality sufferers. And eating disorders show a surprising prevalence among this population. A very unusual sign is found in the family pet; dogs especially are sensitive to body language, and a person who has switched personalities may have very different body language. Dogs will behave differently, often avoiding that person even though that may be their favorite person in the household. All these signs will happen on a fairly regular basis, with switches occurring at both calm times and during periods of stress.

A person who is dissociating, which is a milder form of multiple personality disorder, may feel as if he or she is daydreaming, or just “not there.” This is a common feeling for a person with multiple personality disorder. The difference between the MPD patient and everyone else is that these states of fugue are intense, hard to come out of, and may lead to a loss of memory (not “How could I have missed that street?”, but rather, “How did I cut my arm?”), and they will be very frequent.

Persons with multiple personality disorder are often at risk of secondary problems such as severe depression and suicidal or self-harming behavior. They also have higher rates of alcoholism and abusiveness, as well as chronic physical illnesses.

Only a psychotherapist can correctly diagnose multiple personality disorder. This can be achieved through a combination of questionnaires, testing, and discussion with family members and/or close associates. Psychotherapists can also diagnose multiple personality disorder by examining body language and handwriting samples, electroencephalograms, and certain types of objective testing. It is surprisingly difficult to diagnose, and the average patient spends about seven years in the mental health system before being accurately diagnosed.