Dissociative identity disorder is a complex condition to diagnosis because of the nature of symptoms. Signs of Split Personality Disorder can mask as so many other conditions that it may be difficult for a Split Personality Disorder survivor to pinpoint the root cause of their issues.  The disorder is so misunderstood that some psychologists are skeptical of its existence.  People suffering from Split Personality Disorder are often misdiagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar, or psychosis. Moreover, the nature of the disorder makes it hard for suffers to want to connect with the memories or trauma that caused their dissociation.  Those dealing with Split Personality Disorder often want to dissociation from the condition itself, making it even harder to diagnosis. To help, we have compiled a list of some obvious and hidden signs of Split Personality Disorder.  
 

Mood Swings

People with DID and those around them often notice sudden swings in mood, temperament, or emotions on any given day. These swings can be drastic and without cause, indicating that the person may be switching to another identity. DID suffers can find themselves happy one moment then crying hysterically the next with little change in external circumstance.

 

Flashbacks/Unexplained Memories

At the heart of dissociation is the desire to forget painful and traumatic memories. These memories, however, can sometimes break through the dissociation unintentionally. Constant flashbacks of things that happen in one's past that a one does not remember is a sign of DID. Moreover, those with DID seem to “find” memories of themselves at a certain event or interacting with others that they do not remember, particularly if they are painful or traumatic.

 

Demonic Oppression/Possession

DID survivors often find themselves dealing with demonic possession/oppression. This happens when broken, tortured, or abused alters are intentionally or unintentionally layered with demonic oppression or bondage with parts or alters. If you are a Christian and have participated in numerous deliverance sessions and still are not free, you may have a deep issue of fragmentation which must be addressed for total healing.

 

Losing Time/Black Outs

When DID survivors switch parts, the part at the surface may be in control of the body and interact as its own distinct personality. The presenter may not be aware of what the part is doing for a period of minutes, hours, or days. Survivors often describe this phenomenon as losing time or blacking out. When the presenter reappears, he or she often cannot give an account of their actions or whereabouts.

 

Sexual Dysfunction

The trauma associated with dissociation often involves sexual abuse at a young age and can continue throughout one's life. This sexual abuse often creates sex alters who come to the surface during sexual intercourse, allowing other parts of the person to escape. DID survivors may have an addiction, fear, anxiety, or an inability to connect during sex.

 

Derealization

Derealization is the feeling that someone’s reality, surroundings, or external world is not real.

 

Depersonalization

Depersonalization can mean a survivor detaches from one's own mind or body. Those who depersonalize often consider themselves as a detached observer of oneself.

 

Depression/Suicidal

DID survivors may suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts as a result of trying to cope and deal with their condition.

 

Substance Abuse

Those with DID may have an impaired ability to cope with life circumstance and deal with the memories that surface. Some turn to substances to help deal with pain and anxiety.

 

Physical Symptoms of DID

1. Switching from one personality to another- Switching occurs when two or more personalities or personality states are at the surface or near the surface and change back and forth. This can result in a loss of time or an amnesiac fugue episode.

2. Physical symptoms that have no medical cause

3. Unusual physical changes such as change of eye color, etc.

4. Body memories

5. Self-mutilation

6. Change in voices

7. Change in handwriting

8. Frequent or intense headaches

9. Eating disorders

10. Difficulty in swallowing

11. Unusual pain in sexual organs

12. Scarring of genital organs and rectum

13. Frequent urinary infections

14. Night terrors

15. Temporary paralysis

16. Unusual change in eyesight or visual problems

17. Immune system deficiency

18. Unusual body scars

19. Choking sensation

 

PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS OF DID

1. Sense of helplessness

2. Sense of hopelessness

3. Sense of shame

4. Guilt complex

5. Low sense of self-worth

6. Abreactions

7. Intense affect- emotions that come to the surface

8. Unhealthy focus on death

9. Borderline traits- lack of healthy boundaries

10. Personality changes

11. Unusual fears

12. Lack of normal childhood memories

13. Unusual compulsions

14. Frequent introspection

15. Difficulty in relationships

 

SPIRITUAL SYMPTOMS OF DID

1. Fear and anger towards God

2. Fear of Jesus

3. Fear of the Lord’s Supper

4. Sense of feeling demon possessed

5. Strong sense of the presence of evil

6. Trouble reading the Bible

7. Trouble praying

8. Unhealthy attitudes towards Christianity