What is the difference between someone with M.P.D and someone with behavioural p!
Question: What is the difference between someone with M.P.D and someone with behavioural problems?
Reason: I am trying to diagnose myself.
I am a 43 year old female. I have one conscious but I also have 4 or 5 personalities/identities/behavioural patterns?
I also suffer from severe panic attacks and generalized anxiety. O.C.D and a attachment disorder.
I seem to change personalities/identity/behaviour? with the environment. i.e., In the Supermarket. In the Kitchen and when someone says something I do not like or something I do not agree with.
I am aware that I change personalities/behavioural patterns but I am unable to control this from happening.
My Alters/Identities/personalities/behaviou… patterns are as follows:
Alter 1. A extremely shy and quiet individual. Very pleasing.
Alter 2. A person who has O.C.D in the kitchen and in the bathroom.
Alter 3. A military person when in Supermarkets etc,.
Alter 4. A very closed person who can disassociate herself from anything and anyone.
Very cold and who hates with venom.
I/The Host am a pleasant, easy going (ish) sensible, rational person with a positive outlook on life most of the time.
Answers:
That really isn't DID..... in DID when the alters take control you black out and have no memory of when they were in control..... they are like having completely different people sharing the same body... Sounds to me like you have different states but that isnormal... everyone does that... sounds like your OCD comes to the front in the kitchen but that isn't DID it's just the OCD acting up. Self diagnosis almost never works... talk to a therapist or psychiatrist about your concern. Sounds to me like you are changing your behavior in order to cope with the symptoms of OCD and anxiety in different situations but what you describe is not in any way DID. I have DID and what happens is.... I will be writing in my journal, trying to remember my childhood and the next thing I know it is morning and I have to get up and get ready for work.... my alters do not want me to remember so when I try they come out... I black out... they hide my journals or tear pages out of them..... I have no memory of this and often will not even remember trying to write inthe journal at all..... the last time I did spring cleaning I found 7 journals hidden in my room..... all of them stop midsentence when I am writing abotu my childhood. I also have on alter who self harms so sometimes when I wake up I have cut myself.... but I have no memory of these times....
are you seeing a therapist or psychiatrist?
Without a thorough history a diagnosis is hard to determine, what you describe can be normal activities. MPD has a compendium where distinct features appear. I'd not recommend trying to do your own diagnosis. if in fact you have a dissociative disorder of some type you are creating more confusion for yourself. See a psychiatrist, they might recommend a mood stabilizer, after which a good therapist in a long term relationship can assist in consolidation.
Lauren,
I empathize with anyone having severe anxiety attacks. Having had them, I am aware that it can seem like you're a different person during the course of the 'attack'.
As to the rest, you need to stop trying to diagnose yourself, and see a psychiatrist. What are you waiting for?
Good luck to you.
Professional
What you have described doesn't sound like DID to me either. It could be you do have a form of dissociation , or compartmentalization occuring that you are aware of though,. Many people 'adapt' in similar ways as this, and this could be mostly normal. We all wear different 'hats' , as the saying goes, depending on what we are doing etc.
The only people who might be able to diagnose you are ones trained in this methodology and training, and have experience with DID. You could research that yourself. Or find a center where trained people could give you a comprehensive evaluation that includes brain function, hormones and the like. The only ones I know of are amenclinics.com
Sometimes we could feel these ways if our thyroid or other hormones , vitamins, minerals, blood sugars etc are out of balance also.
DID is thought to be a rare phenomena.
It sounds like you are feeling like you need something to help you feel more 'whole' and integrated.
I don't think psychology or psychiatry would have that answer for you except medications and to talk.
The best form of therapy I know of is eftuniverse.com anyway. click on 'get started free' for the free self help version.
best wishes
EDIT: At 43 I would suspect hormonal imbalances and deficiencies, or peri-menopause, and I would bet so is your shrink. Most hormone experts (not psychiatrists) believe most 'mental illness' stems from hormone imbalances, anyway. You may find some answers at thecanaryclub.org where hormone experts also contribute. thehallcenter.com feelingfff.com or call a compounding pharmacy and ask what doctors test and balance in your area. But a good comprehensive evaluation done, would test for them also. You psychiatrist will probably say this is perimenopause.
You are not even writing in 'black and white', so this is just another good reason for you to take a giant step backwards and realize you may be having all these feelings and experiences but you may not be able to gage them as to whether they are 'normal' or what.
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