A multiple personality is a dissociative mental disorder in which two (or more) personalities coexist in a person’s mind, each of which has its own character, worldview, and even physiological characteristics (blood pressure, pulse rate , etc.). This syndrome became widely known after the publication of Flora Rita Schreiber's book Sibyl. The multiple personality that the main character suffers from consists of sixteen separate selves. Moreover, the story of Sibyl is not fictitious, it is a real case of psychotherapeutic practice, which many scientists refer to in their writings.
The diagnosis of “multiple personality” can be made if the control of a person’s behavior and abilities is alternately carried out by several ego states, the change of which, as a rule, is accompanied by memory lapses. Often even the most seemingly simple things are forgotten: date of birth, date of wedding, actions committed a few minutes ago. The patient cannot remember where these or other things come from, he thinks that he is called by strangers, his handwriting often changes, as does the perception of the people around him and the world. All this refers to the symptoms of multiple personality.
A characteristic feature of this disorder is the phenomenon of depersonalization, that is, a distorted perception by the individual of himself. The patient may feel a change in the structure of his own body or observe himself from the side. But people who have a multiple personality are not aware of their frustration and often do not believe that several different personalities coexist in them.
Most scientists are inclined to believe that a multiple personality is formed as a reaction to a severe mental trauma experienced in childhood. This process helps to prevent unpleasant sensations before consciousness. That is, this disease originates in childhood, but may not occur immediately. Its development, as a rule, is accompanied by a loss of confidence in others. Therefore, it is difficult for therapists involved in the treatment of mental disorders to establish contact with each of the subpersonalities.
The first stage in the treatment of this disorder is the patient's understanding. Specialists use hypnosis, group or family therapy for this. The next important step is the revitalization of hidden and denied memories. This can also be achieved with hypnotherapy or sodium amobarbital treatment. Since the patient will try his best to supplant unpleasant memories, he may show bouts of aggression. As a rule, after identifying the origins of the disease and restoring memory, it becomes easier to instill in the individual an awareness of his own actions and ensure the fusion of all subpersonalities into one whole self. For many of them, this process can be painful, since a merger can be perceived equivalent to death. But with a sufficient degree of understanding by a person of his disease, he himself will strive for the successful treatment of this severe disorder.