Social, personality and abnormal psychology session 6: Dissociative Identity Disorder
DSM-5: Dissociative Disorders
Characterized by a disruption of and/or discontinuity in the normal integration of
consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, body representation, motor
control, and behavior.
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
Dissociative Amnesia
Depersonalization/derealization disorder
Other specified personality disorder: e.g. identity disturbance due to prolonged and
intense coercive persuasion, e.g. brainwashing, thought reform, indoctrination while
captive, torture, long-term political imprisonment, recruitment by sects/cults or by
terror organizations)
Criterion A. Disruption of identity characterized by:
two or more distinct personality states, which may be described in some cultures
as an experience of posLecture. The disruption in identity involves marked
discontinuity in sense of self and sense of agency, accompanied by related
alterations in affect, behavior, consciousness, memory, perception, cognition, and/or
sensory-motor functioning.
Criterion B. Recurrent gaps in the recall of everyday events, important personal
information, and/ or traumatic events that are inconsistent with ordinary forgetting.
The Possession of Jeanne Fery
van der Hart et al. (1996): described in detail the case of Jeanne Fery, the earliest
well-documented case consistent with DID (1584-5).
Jeanne Fery was a Dominican Nun in late 16th century France.
Became increasingly disturbed, and so began a prolonged 21-month course of
treatment which included constant care from her fellow nuns and her exorcists.
Course of treatment was documented by the Dominican order and in notes
afterwards by Jeanne herself.
Alter identities:
Mary Magdalene: rational, helpful, appeared in times of crisis (Comstock 1987:
internal self helper)
Internal 'devils’ (50 approx.):
Belial (7 sub-entities representing the 7 deadly sins)
Cornau ("horns") - controls disturbed eating behaviours.
Sanguinaire - demands pieces of her flesh.
Garga ("throat") - protected her from pain of beatings in childhood, but also
responsible for current head and body-banging, and attacking her throat with knives
or self-strangulation.
NOVEMBER 12, 1585: Severe pain recurs. Jeanne goes into ecstasy, sings a psalm in
Latin and is told by Mary Magdalene that she must publish all her secrets. She
assembles everyone, her entire "family." There is a terrible dialogue and fight with
the devils, who leave, all 50 of them, thrashing her body in the process.
Mary Magdalene is still present and orders Jeanne to write her story after telling it to
the assembly.
The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel
Anneliese Michel (1952-76):
, religious family background.
first epileptic siezure in 1968, then depression and psychiatric care.
~1973: became intolerant of religious objects, began hearing voices.
Increasingly showed symptoms consistent with ‘possession’: Claims were that she
was possessed by six demons: Lucifer, Judas Iscariot, Nero, Cain, Hitler, and
Fleischmann.
1975-6: 1-2 exorcisms per week.
Annelise died on 1st July 1976, from malnutrition and dehydration.
Legal and social recriminations continued for many years afterwards.
Dissociation
Pierre Janet (1886): traumatic experiences lead to ‘extreme dissociation’ and
multiple personalities in vulnerable individuals (hysteria) (form of coping with the
trauma experienced by the victim):
Simple form of hysteria = dissociation of a single movement system, such as paralysis
of a limb.
Most complicated form = multiple personality disorder (DID or MPD).
Devils, demons or other entities experienced as "possessing" a person were
understood similarly as dissociated systems of ideas and functions (Witztum & van
der Hart, 1993).
DID: Real or Faked?
Schreiber (1973): published a book on the psychoanalysis of ‘Sybil’ (Shirley Mason)
by Cornelia Wilbur.
16 separate personalities, e.g:
Sybil Isabel Dorsett, the main personality
Victoria Antoinette Scharleau, nicknamed Vicky, self-assured and sophisticated
young French girl
Peggy Lou Baldwin, assertive, enthusiastic, and often angry’
Marcia Lynn Dorsett, an extremely emotional writer and painter…
Most ‘alters’ had limited or no knowledge of the others.
Psychoanalysis ends with integration of the alters into a new self called ‘The Blonde’.
Nathan (2011): no evidence of ‘Sybil’s’ alters until extensive psychoanalysis:
‘Sybil’ was coached and encouraged to produce these multiple personalities.
Mason wrote letter to Wilbur in 1958 admitting she had been lying:
"I do not really have any multiple personalities, I do not even have a 'double.' I have
been lying in my pretense of them."
Nathan & Snedeker (1995); Harris (2011): ‘Sybil’ responsible for huge damage caused
by subsequent belief in false or ‘repressed’ memories.
Understanding DID: Sociocognitive / ‘Fantasy’ Model
Dissociation prospensity (Pathological or nonpathological forms of dissociation) –>
mediators (Fantasy proneness/Absent-mindedness/Executive dysfunction/External
suggestibility) –> ‘memories’ of trauma (false memories/unreliable self-reports of
truama)
Dalenberg et al. (2012): ‘Fantasy’ model - DID is an intrinsic propensity of some
individuals, that is generated through fantasy-proneness and related factors, and is
responsible for false memories and related phenomena said by some to be the main
features of DID.
Understanding DID: Sociocognitive Model
DSM-5: Dissociative Disorders
Characterized by a disruption of and/or discontinuity in the normal integration of
consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, body representation, motor
control, and behavior.
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
Dissociative Amnesia
Depersonalization/derealization disorder
Other specified personality disorder: e.g. identity disturbance due to prolonged and
intense coercive persuasion, e.g. brainwashing, thought reform, indoctrination while
captive, torture, long-term political imprisonment, recruitment by sects/cults or by
terror organizations)
Criterion A. Disruption of identity characterized by:
two or more distinct personality states, which may be described in some cultures
as an experience of posLecture. The disruption in identity involves marked
discontinuity in sense of self and sense of agency, accompanied by related
alterations in affect, behavior, consciousness, memory, perception, cognition, and/or
sensory-motor functioning.
Criterion B. Recurrent gaps in the recall of everyday events, important personal
information, and/ or traumatic events that are inconsistent with ordinary forgetting.
The Possession of Jeanne Fery
van der Hart et al. (1996): described in detail the case of Jeanne Fery, the earliest
well-documented case consistent with DID (1584-5).
Jeanne Fery was a Dominican Nun in late 16th century France.
Became increasingly disturbed, and so began a prolonged 21-month course of
treatment which included constant care from her fellow nuns and her exorcists.
Course of treatment was documented by the Dominican order and in notes
afterwards by Jeanne herself.
Alter identities:
Mary Magdalene: rational, helpful, appeared in times of crisis (Comstock 1987:
internal self helper)
Internal 'devils’ (50 approx.):
Belial (7 sub-entities representing the 7 deadly sins)
Cornau ("horns") - controls disturbed eating behaviours.
Sanguinaire - demands pieces of her flesh.
Garga ("throat") - protected her from pain of beatings in childhood, but also
responsible for current head and body-banging, and attacking her throat with knives
or self-strangulation.
NOVEMBER 12, 1585: Severe pain recurs. Jeanne goes into ecstasy, sings a psalm in
Latin and is told by Mary Magdalene that she must publish all her secrets. She
assembles everyone, her entire "family." There is a terrible dialogue and fight with
the devils, who leave, all 50 of them, thrashing her body in the process.
Mary Magdalene is still present and orders Jeanne to write her story after telling it to
the assembly.
The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel
Anneliese Michel (1952-76):
, religious family background.
first epileptic siezure in 1968, then depression and psychiatric care.
~1973: became intolerant of religious objects, began hearing voices.
Increasingly showed symptoms consistent with ‘possession’: Claims were that she
was possessed by six demons: Lucifer, Judas Iscariot, Nero, Cain, Hitler, and
Fleischmann.
1975-6: 1-2 exorcisms per week.
Annelise died on 1st July 1976, from malnutrition and dehydration.
Legal and social recriminations continued for many years afterwards.
Dissociation
Pierre Janet (1886): traumatic experiences lead to ‘extreme dissociation’ and
multiple personalities in vulnerable individuals (hysteria) (form of coping with the
trauma experienced by the victim):
Simple form of hysteria = dissociation of a single movement system, such as paralysis
of a limb.
Most complicated form = multiple personality disorder (DID or MPD).
Devils, demons or other entities experienced as "possessing" a person were
understood similarly as dissociated systems of ideas and functions (Witztum & van
der Hart, 1993).
DID: Real or Faked?
Schreiber (1973): published a book on the psychoanalysis of ‘Sybil’ (Shirley Mason)
by Cornelia Wilbur.
16 separate personalities, e.g:
Sybil Isabel Dorsett, the main personality
Victoria Antoinette Scharleau, nicknamed Vicky, self-assured and sophisticated
young French girl
Peggy Lou Baldwin, assertive, enthusiastic, and often angry’
Marcia Lynn Dorsett, an extremely emotional writer and painter…
Most ‘alters’ had limited or no knowledge of the others.
Psychoanalysis ends with integration of the alters into a new self called ‘The Blonde’.
Nathan (2011): no evidence of ‘Sybil’s’ alters until extensive psychoanalysis:
‘Sybil’ was coached and encouraged to produce these multiple personalities.
Mason wrote letter to Wilbur in 1958 admitting she had been lying:
"I do not really have any multiple personalities, I do not even have a 'double.' I have
been lying in my pretense of them."
Nathan & Snedeker (1995); Harris (2011): ‘Sybil’ responsible for huge damage caused
by subsequent belief in false or ‘repressed’ memories.
Understanding DID: Sociocognitive / ‘Fantasy’ Model
Dissociation prospensity (Pathological or nonpathological forms of dissociation) –>
mediators (Fantasy proneness/Absent-mindedness/Executive dysfunction/External
suggestibility) –> ‘memories’ of trauma (false memories/unreliable self-reports of
truama)
Dalenberg et al. (2012): ‘Fantasy’ model - DID is an intrinsic propensity of some
individuals, that is generated through fantasy-proneness and related factors, and is
responsible for false memories and related phenomena said by some to be the main
features of DID.
Understanding DID: Sociocognitive Model
