People don’t usually set out to copy or mimic medical or psychiatric symptoms and then fake a particular illness. When they do, it is easier to understand and identify.
Women who believe they have multiple personalities do not necessarily set out to develop symptoms associated with this psychiatric malady – although that is exactly what occurs. They are not usually malingerers, or otherwise intentionally trying to deceive others. They are misled by the psychiatric industry into a belief system and a lifestyle wrought with pain and psychic distress that is in need of medical services.
The problem is the self-deceptive aspect of believing in an illness that does not exist yet is reinforced by the powerful and influential psychiatric profession, practitioners, insurance companies who pay for the treatment, and its inclusion in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (listing of psychiatric disorders) – DSM IV.
The DSM is a list of psychiatric symptoms. A disorder’s inclusion in this publication is not “proof” that it exists. The DSM was created so practitioners could list and follow psychiatric symptoms – it is not a diagnostic tool. It was not designed for that purpose, yet most do not understand the circumstances under which the DSM came into existence and mistakenly think the DSM legitimizes their illness because of its inclusion.
I am repeatedly deluged with passionate arguments from women who claim they have multiple personalities who use the DSM as “proof” that their condition is real and, therefore, that it exists. Wrong. Inclusion of MPD/DID means nothing of the sort.
Ferris Jabr eloquently addresses self-deception in his article, “Self-Fulfilling Fakery: Feigning Mental Illness Is a Form of Self-Deception.” He states that, “by pretending to be sick, people can convince themselves they really are.”
Regarding MPD, however, I would say that by believing to have alter personalities, convinces women that they have this psychiatric condition – which leads to defending its existence.
Ferris Jabr’s full article at http://www.scientificamerican.com, July 28, 2010.
Questioning Dissociative Identity Disorder, Multiple Personalities, and Plurals 
KWaldron
/ 07/18/2012quote
Regarding MPD, however, I would say that by believing to have alter personalities, convinces women that they have this psychiatric condition – which leads to defending its existence.
unquote
or …….to paraphrase
Regarding sceptics such as Ferris and Jeanette, however, I would say that by believing to have intelligent brains, they convince themselves that they have a valid opinion ,and one worth stating – which leads them to defend their position based on no personal experience or training at all.
LikeLike
Jeanette Bartha
/ 07/18/2012KWaldron. Welcome,
Your closing remark: “…defend their position based on no personal experience or training at all.”
Please take 3 minutes and read my bio – you will find you are wrong.
Then take another 3 minutes and read this blog – you will again find you are wrong.
You obviously have not read this blog.
Your erroneous statements foster disinformation – that is untruths – that only inflame emotions and perpetuate falsehoods.
Are you doing so intentionally? Or are you just ignorant of the false statements you make? Just curious.
LikeLike
Altus
/ 07/13/2012“Unfortunately, instead of resilience, women have been convinced there is another way of handling trauma and that is dependency, regressive thoughts and behaviors, and dysfunction.”
Well said, again, my friend. It’s not a misdiagnosis or the occasional rogue therapist who causes harm. The therapy itself, no matter how caring the therapist, results in all the above, over and over and over again. Dammit, I almost wish someone would come out with a DID therapy that had nothing to do with alters, trauma or giving attention to life decades ago, but focused on the here and now and goals for tomorrow with the patient from the get go. They could hang a shingle and get DID people to come into their office and grow from day one instead of languishing in dependency, regressive thoughts and dysfunction.
LikeLike
Jeanette Bartha
/ 07/13/2012wow, Altus. What a concept! I love it.
LikeLike
Altus
/ 07/13/2012Question, #32
Okay, I admit, I Googled it and found this:
“researchers have discovered that garlic also prevents the anti-gravity forces used by aliens.”
Maybe the respondents weren’t briefed well enough on the beliefs they are supposed to have. I find that when people get more in more in to a system, they start to repeat things from it and shape their reality according to it. If you have friends that believe in psychic stuff, I am sure you have heard them try to attribute common phenomena as “affirmations” of paranormal powers forgetting all the times those phenomena may have happened (say, dreams about the future) and nothing came of it.
LikeLike
Jeanette Bartha
/ 07/13/2012Oh my, Altus. The garlic thing was so absurd it didn’t occur to me to ask Dr. Google!
LikeLike
Altus
/ 07/13/2012Meant to post the survey I referred to along with my post. Here it is: http://www.maar.us/abduction_data.html
LikeLike
Jeanette Bartha
/ 07/13/2012this is #32 on the questionaire:
“Have you craved pasta with a garlic cream sauce since abductions started?”
7% claimed yes4% claimed garlic only 79% said no 14% were not sure
~~~~
Anyone get this?
LikeLike
Altus
/ 07/13/2012Women who believe they have multiple personalities do not necessarily set out to develop symptoms associated with this psychiatric malady – although that is exactly what occurs.”
Great way of putting it. Why do the majority of women who come to have MPD/DID have to wait decades after the age of the first apparent alter (often around age 5) before they are diagnosed/convinced they have MPD/DID? This is one of the most retroactive diagnoses I have ever heard of. I think the answer lies in how they look at a variety of things in their past that others (therapists, books, people online) convince them indicate DID/MPD. One of the biggies is time loss.
Came across these stats for alien abductions, before saying, “But wait, there is no correlation, clearly abductions are not real,” look at the stats.
Missing time where you can’t remember what happened? yes, 56% no, 33% unsure,11%
More than one episode of missing time? yes, 69% no, 21% unsure 10%
The majority, 62%, who believe they were abducted were women, but what really is interesting is what I posted above, the majority are also “missing time.” Losing track of time is apparently a pretty common phenomena and/or lends itself to a pretty extraordinary narratives (MPD or alien abduction are two I know of) for explanation for some people. Throw in an abusive childhood or the suspicion of abuse and if you are introduced to the MPD/DID narrative and are a woman in your 30s or so you might go for that as an explination and then start investigating, naming, and grooming your suspected alters. In the absence of the exposure to MPD/DID maybe you go into an abduction chat room and start suspecting that.
This is just sad for me. It indicates to me that women might be much more susceptible to harmful belief systems. In the face of stress, they are vulnerable and likely to lean toward confirmations of fears rather than constructively deal with fears and stresses. Once they allow themselves to slip into the possibility of extraordinary explanations for the phenomena in their lives, their lives become a looped feed-back system. I suspected I was DID, missing time confirms it, therefore I am DID. I sometimes feel I have a child personality inside of me (most people have personas and many regress, it’s just the way us humans are) therefore I have alters, etc…and thus begins the sad slipping away, of job, friends, partners, as the extraordinary narrative overtakes their life.
This is not faking anything, this is allowing a belief system that professes to offer an explination but offers very little by way of growth to stagnate you for years. It’s all very real and very sad.
LikeLike
Jeanette Bartha
/ 07/13/2012Agreed, multiple personalities are not inherently faked or fabricated. They are a product of a belief system that is heavily influenced by particular theories regarding the long-term effects of child sexual abuse.
Unfortunately, instead of resilience, women have been convinced there is another way of handling trauma and that is dependency, regressive thoughts and behaviors, and dysfunction.
LikeLike