Is Multiple Personality Disorder or DID Genetic? Part 2

Part 1
As for younger siblings copying the coping mechanism, I have mixed feelings about that. I think they would have to see the coping mechanism to copy it. I think the only way my siblings could have copied my dissociative system would be if they could somehow get inside my head. Certainly the professionals I have come in contact with have never been able to figure it out, so I doubt there is much chance that my younger siblings could.

Also, I don't believe that anyone could tell that I was a multiple for most of my life. So how would my siblings see something to copy? Only once I began peeling the onion of my psyche did the exterior clues begin to manifest.

Appearances were everything in my family of origin. If you could appear normal, you could blend in better. Blending in was of utmost importance. Doing anything that might make the family look bad would have been yet another reason for torture. So it was imperative to be high functioning and look "normal."

To survive in my family of origin, I needed to forget but I needed to know too. My system had a safety check to ensure that I was never a victim because I didn't know something when I should or forget something when I should. Complicated yes but equally it was effective.

But I do believe that we humans have a built in protection system. When life gets too overwhelming or boring for that matter, anyone can zone out to take a break. It happens instinctively. Everyone can relate to zoning out while driving down the same old boring road.

As a multiple I know it's just a little bit farther trip down that zone out to the place that someone new takes over. I am very aware of times in my life where I passed into that zone, thought about my options, and made a choice what to do to survive or escape pain. Did I know at the time I had MPD or even that I was trying to escape my life? No, but I do remember the occurrences.

I think that multiples have such varied ways of presenting because their individual experiences are so varied. The complexity of the system created to deal with abuse must be directly related to the complexity of the abuse and the levels of cruelty of the offenders involved.

As for this part of kat_womanx2 question "certain types of abuse causing a specific problem" I have to say that I don't believe that the coping mechanism in and of itself is the problem. Without it, children would not survive horrific abuse.

I believe the problem comes when the system created doesn't adapt to living a normal life. Some people with MPD never seek out professional help and are high functioning, well respected members of society. Unless an emotional upheaval dramatic enough to upset their system comes along in their life, they will go on functioning just fine.

Because the diagnosis is found in the book, does that make someone mentally ill? Or are they mentally ill because the coping mechanism has not adapted to a life away from abuse causing the person hardship in their lives?


multiple personality disorder MPD dissociative Identity disorder did