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Challenging Dissociative Identity Disorder

I have met my share of multiples who not only break the mold put forth by psychiatrists, but do so well enough, that invariably they seem to get a different diagnosis than the expected DID one. Now, some feel this is a form of invalidation, but I have found myself wondering if it is a function of simply not understanding how to categorize a functional multiple. They aren't losing much time, if at all, and are working together to have smooth enough memory of imporant information such that what they do forget can be explained away as "ordinary forgetfulness". In short, they don't fit the diagnostic criteria for DID, however the "distinct identities" have to be accounted for somehow. So, not suprizingly, all sorts of dx's [ed: diagnoses] get thrown out there. To diagnose them with DID still will call the last two criteria into question, which are important in maintaining the last D in DID. To not apply a disorder would be to acknowledge a functional state in which someone can have multiple identities within one body. Suddenly, it wouldn't be something that has to be fixed, just a way to exist. I suspect that's a little more than society is ready to handle. It'd be funny if it weren't depressing --Arashi

While DID as a diagnosis can at first bring great stress to the life of one who is losing time, acting in ways they feel are out of control, or very confused about many of the events of their past that have been unexplained, it quickly can bring comfort in a back-handed kind of way as all of the above mentioned issues begin to make sense under the title of DID. Enter the therapist. One goes immediately to some kind of person who has understanding or experience that might offer help for the newly discovered DID person. Eventually the time-loss is well, lost, and the the other issues fall back into manageable place. Is the DID person now cured, or just functional? What then, is the goal of therapy? Many people with DID are functional, yet not singular in their personality. Are they still dysfunctional simply because they are multiple? Questions to ponder...

Disorderly vs Orderly in Multiple Personality

Any person in society who goes around throwing temper tantrums, stealing, violating the rules and laws, hurting themself or others, is disordered. Any individual personality within a multiple system who does those things, whether internal or external, whether stealing time or committing outwardly blatant atrocities, is disordered. They are not orderly. Dis-ordered.

However, to assume that the entire multiple personality system -- the collective within one physical entity -- is disordered is a lot more complicated and requires the assumption that all the entities with the body are actually one person somehow subdivided and that they all share a single fate, a single social fascade, that can be labeled disordered. Certainly, when it comes to law enforcement, the entire system is responsible for it's sub-entities, regardless of their origins, and the law must properly punish them. Laws of nature, laws of social justice, laws of opinion, are supposed to rule our government before our government enforces the rules they create that limit and define every individual's behavior. The multiple system is governed by the legal laws of any jurisdiction they encounter. We're not talking about that.

Somewhere above and beyond the right to freedom of speech is supposed to be the freedom to think. I am entitled to opinions, to fears, to thoughts, to mental crimes, to mental sin, and no law enforcement agency (yet, anyway) may come into my head to tell me otherwise. Who is running my body is MY business, and I can choose to advertise it via freedom of speech, as long as it does not make me disorderly -- as long as my body, my outward actions, and my speech, do not violate the legal laws of the jurisdiction in which I am at any given time. If my system is behaving in an orderly fashion, then I am not disordered.

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