Neurological Difference Between the Host and Alternate Identities of a Patient Diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder

Abstract

What is Dissociative Identity Disorder? The American Psychiatric Association characterizes dissociative identity disorder as “the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states that recurrently take control of the individual’s behavior, accompanied by an inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness” (Ringrose, 2012, p. 3). Rather than the emergence of numerous distinct personalities, dissociative identity disorder is characterized by identity fragmentation; thus, it is important to understand the structure of the personality of an individual diagnosed with DID (Ringrose, 2012).