Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), is defined by the National Institute of Health as a “condition characterized by the presence of two or more distinct, independent identities typically associated with the need to dissociate from childhood trauma” (Harris). This definition has been controversial, however, because it raises the question of whether or not these personalities are autonomous personalities, which are personalities that are able to act independently and have the freedom to do so. Whereas some are convinced that individuals diagnosed with MPD have different aspects of a single personality, others maintain that these individuals have several different autonomous personalities. I do not believe that these alters are autonomous personalities. I do, however, believe that individuals diagnosed with MPD have different aspects of a single personality because, as a result of their subject specific trauma, they form these different aspects or “alters” of their own personality as a coping mechanism to help them deal with the trauma and continue to function and even learn to grow and become successful.

I believe that these individuals diagnosed with MPD have fragmented personalities from what they experienced when they were young. In just about every case of MPD, some form of childhood trauma is involved. Multiple Personality Disorder evolves within these diagnosed individuals as a way for them to deal with the horrific trauma that they have experienced. According to Emily Bader, a current news writer and researcher for the Wellesley College newspaper, “MPD causes people to dissociate their identities into multiple personalities” (Bader), and I support this theory. By dissociating their identities, individuals with MPD are able to cope with the excessive amounts of trauma they dealt with in their early childhood days. By allowing themselves to dissociate their identity into multiple personalities, individuals with MPD are able to place traumatic memories into these different personalities. These different personalities essentially act as specialized coping compartments for different aspects of the individual’s life. When considering MPD, a common term for a distinct, independent identity in the world of psychology is an “alter”. Certain “alters” are able to cope with trauma better than others and will take in the painful memories of the trauma, allowing for the individual to function in everyday life. 

I believe that the different personalities or “alters” that these individuals display, each serve their own purpose in helping the individual function and maintain a stable psyche. For example, if an individual that has been diagnosed with MPD was abused by their father as a child for not cleaning their room and being messy, and was also sexually abused, then it is likely that this individual would have created altered versions of their own personality in order to address this level of trauma. One of these “alters” or different aspects of their personality would have OCD or be extremely organized and neat. This aspect of their own personality allows the individual to cope with the abuse that they received as a child for being messy and not cleaning their room. Another one of this individuals alters could be a promiscuous girl that desires intimacy with several different guys. This alter stems from the sexual abuse that the individual received as a child and was formed subconsciously, allowing them to cope with that intense trauma. Alexandria K. Cherry explains that “these different parts develop separately and in adulthood help the sufferer deal with the stress by expressing resentment or help calm the main personality” (Cherry). These personalities are developed by the main personality as a coping mechanism and serve a purpose to help the main personality live a “normal” everyday routine without being overcome by the horrors of their childhood trauma. 

Multiple Personality Disorder often leads individuals into forms of aggression that they sometimes cannot remember, something which suggests the potential of autonomous personalities within an individual. Mr. D. is an individual with MPD who was sentenced to 99 years in prison for aggravated assault against a young woman. The study suggests that one of Mr. D’s alternate personalities known as the blue man took the light and committed the aggravated assault. When Mr. D was 11 years old he was abducted and at the time, the blue man was a strong protector. However, as Mr. D got older, the blue man became a troubled alter who sought to separate Mr. D from his family. By kidnapping this young girl and raping her, the blue man felt as if he was undoing the abduction that Mr. D faced when he was a child. Ultimately, the blue man succeeded in his mission to separate Mr. D from his family by sending him to prison for life. In this case, Mr. D “started arguing with the alter personality he describes as a big, dark, muscular blue person—he could see the blue person sitting beside him in the truck but could not recall noticing what clothes he was wearing” (Ross). Then, Mr. D claims that he went blank and could not remember anything. He woke up from this blank state sitting in a van that was turned on in a neighbors drive way late at night so he thought nothing of it and just went home. In actuality, “During this period of missing time, Mr. D. abducted a young woman from a parking lot at gunpoint, drove her to a remote location in the countryside, raped her, left her alive at that spot, and drove away” (Ross). Though I believe that individuals with MPD are more prone to violence, I disagree with these individuals being able to physically see their “alters” such as Mr. D did with the blue man. By claiming that he saw one of his alters, Mr. D is suggesting the possibility of these alters being autonomous and displaying themselves as their own entity. Furthermore, Mr. D claims that he has no control at all when the Blue man comes into the light and he cannot remember what happened during the night of the sexual assault. This suggests that the Blue man is an autonomous alter that is defiant to Mr. D’s best interests. However, I do not believe that Mr. D was completely succumbed to the power of the Blue man during the sexual assault because it is irrational to suggest that a fragment of Mr. D’s personality was able to take over control of the cognitive mind and body long enough to commit this sexual assault. 

Individuals with MPD suffer from this extreme level of dissociation in many different ways, affecting their lifestyles and their sense of hope, but achieving success in life with MPD is certainly attainable. According to Robert B. Oxnam, a China scholar and the author of the famous book titled A Fractured Mind, “fewer still are aware that MPD may be found in persons whose achievements are outstanding, and whose level of function may be stellar” (Oxnam). In fact, the term “The High-Functioning MPD Patient” was coined in 1986. Agreeing also with James Braum, Oxnam states that “there are several individuals with DID who end up very successful” (Oxnam). These successful sufferers are exhibiting signs of dominance over their “alters” and several personalities. Furthermore, this comes to show that these sufferers are in control and there are no autonomous personalities. James Braun, a former psychiatrist explains that “The degree of extremeness in sufferers usually depends on the individual and the severity and length of their abuse. Some sufferers need to be institutionalized, while others function as doctors and lawyers” (Braun). While some argue that these personalities are autonomous with some of the autonomous personalities being malicious, I reaffirm Braun’s point in understanding that some sufferers become extremely successful. Furthermore, it would be very difficult to become successful while dealing with several autonomous personalities.

When considering MPD, these “alters” have very distinct characteristics and attributes which allow them to seem almost autonomous. According to Michael Swelling, “When in control, each personality state, or alter, may be experienced as if it has a distinct history, self-image and identity. The alters' characteristics—including name, reported age and gender, vocabulary, general knowledge, and predominant mood—contrast with those of the primary identity” (Swelling). Though I do agree that every personality is distinct, there are limits to how much different an “alter” can be from the dominant personality. Though these fragmented personalities do possess distinct autonomous characteristics such as hand dominance, accents, vision, postures, gestures etc., I do not believe that the mind has the ability to create an entirely new personality. In the recent movie involving MPD titled Split, the main personality is referred to as the “Host”. The “Host”, in a more common form of the disorder, “is the one personality that basically dominates the person’s conscious awareness” (Morton). When considering the “Host” as the original personality, and the personality that suffered from the trauma, the premise is that all of the other personalities stem from this personality referred to as the “Host”. Therefore these “alters” or altered forms of the original personality would not have the capability of becoming autonomous. It is simply illogical to presume that these altered personalities could evolve into becoming self-ruling separate entities within an individual. 

Treatment for individuals with Multiple Personality Disorder can be laborious, but acceptance is a large stepping stone in the right direction. Through therapy, individuals with MPD can learn to work with their personalities in an attempt to pursue a normal, successful life. Amelia Joubert, an eighteen year old native of Fort Mill, South Carolina had always “heard voices inside of her head and thought that they were ghosts” (Harris). Joubert finally went to the doctor and was diagnosed with DID, formerly known as Multiple Personality Syndrome. Joubert explains how a lot of people with MPD have another world inside of their head, their inner world. She talked about how at first, she would ignore her alters but “that did not go well out all” said Joubert (Harris). Furthermore she goes on to state that embracing them actually helped with communication and allowed her and her alters to work as a system. Considering Amelia Joubert’s case of MPD, she explains that “When one of her alters is out, she is unable to remember what she experienced or did, but through therapy is able to communicate with the “alter” and fill in the gaps. This has improved her grades in school and helped her function in everyday life” (Harris). However, it seems questionable that Joubert loses track of time when switching between alters considering that her alters are just fragments of her own personality. Furthermore, the simple fact that Joubert states that she once believed that these “alters” were ghosts inside of her head, supports theories stating that these identities are nothing more than fragments of the main personality. Joubert does however make a great point in saying that acceptance helped her manage these personalities and allowed them to work as a system. I believe that the best way to treat MPD is to accept your fragmented identities, be open with the fact that they are different versions of your personality, and then work towards integrating all of these “alters” into one whole personality. 

In conclusion, I believe that individuals that are diagnosed with MPD do not have autonomous, self-ruling identities roaming inside of their cognitive mind, but instead they suffer from a fragmented personality. This fragmented personality is a result of subject specific trauma that is likely from their childhood years. The different “alters” within an individual with MPD all serve an important purpose in helping that individual function in everyday life and even achieving success in some cases. There have been several cases where individuals with MPD have learned to work with their “alters” and this can result in a very successful lifestyle. However, there are also cases of individuals with MPD that are prone to aggression and end up committing some sort of crime, such as Mr. D. Though these personalities can seem autonomous through their distinction from the host with self-ruling characteristics and attributes, they are not. These personalities can however be very different from one another in nature and not get along and this is when integration and treatment is the best route. Treatment with individuals with MPD has proven to be very successful in allowing them to better function in society and lead healthy successful lives. 
