Dissociative identity
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Two diseases documented in the Diagnostics Statistical Manual, the general protocol for diagnosing mental illness, that have repeatedly been reclassified and renamed are borderline personality disorder (BPD) and dissociative identity disorder (DID). The two have a history of being confused as the same disease or the development of one being dependent on the other. This is because the two diseases are caused by similar environmental factors and exhibit similar psychological symptoms. These are in fact two distinct diseases that can occur independently, albeit similar origins and psychological symptoms. Due to this, the two diseases have co-evolved, or rather, developed because of the same reasons but in different fashions. As a metaphor, these two diseases share a ‘common ancestor’ such that they are more closely related than other diseases, while still maintaining individual independence. Accordingly, treatment for one can be expanded to both, but only when both are present.