Dissociative Identity Disorder (Mental Disorders) - Essay Example

Multiple personality disorder is a serious condition that many use to protect themselves. This use of different personalities allows the individual to set aside one person and allow another to deal with the bad. In a way multiple personality disorder is somewhat of a defense mechanism the brain and body use to protect itself from harm. Karen, who faced an extremely terrible childhood, had multiple personalities that she chose to handle certain events. Karen would do this by assigning a new person to each aspect of her life.

One person would deal with acting normal while another person would handle the abuse and sexual assault. Since Karen was doing this at such a young age, Karen began to get herself lost in the multiple personalities. Since Karen became lost in all the different personalities she fell into a deep depression. The diagnosis given to Karen as having multiple personalities is an accurate diagnosis. Karen was not born with the disorder but developed the disorder after dealing with so many traumatic events.

If Karen was unable to develop these multiple personalities she may not have been able to cope for as long as she did with all the abuse she was subject to at home. Karen was also influenced by shows she seen on TV and private relationships she shared with others. These influences and relationships allowed Karen to develop different individuals that were able to play the role that was needed. Once the specific aspects of her life were over she could shift into a new personality in order to handle a new event.

In a sense Karen was very smart at developing this technique.ReferencesUnderwood Anne ( 2007), “Inside Karen’s Crowded Mind”, The Daily Beast, In Newsweek MagazineVermetten E, Schmahl C, Lindner S, Loewenstein RJ, Bremner JD (2006). "Hippocampal and amygdalar volumes in dissociative identity disorder". The American journal of psychiatry 163 (4): 630–6.