The paradox of multiple personality

According to him Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disordersthe most important of these imbalances is the so-called “dissociative identity disorder”, or multiple personality. A disorder that is described as the existence of at least two personalities or identities in the same person.

Each of these identities acts in a different way. It has its own ways of perceiving and interacting with the environment and is associated with memory loss (small amnestic lapses, not the lack of memory that we know).

Multiple personality and dissociation

So, dissociation is a defense mechanism in which ideas, feelings, identity, memory and self-perceptions are separated from conscious and unconscious knowledge. They cannot be “recovered” voluntarily.

We all have a stage of dissociation at some point in life.

AND We are dealing with a case of severe dissociation when this occurs more than once and for longer periods. Something that causes a rupture and a lack of perceptions of the events of daily life or sensations at certain moments.

Psychologists and psychiatrists are very cautious when using the term “multiple personality” and not many give it the seriousness it deserves. Most consider this to be a culturally based delusion. or a trauma, not a mental disorder as it really is.

The multiple personality in cinema and literature

In popular culture, the problem of multiple personality is quite deep-rooted due to literature and cinema. The most famous novel is The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide , by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Also the problem of the poet Fernando Pessoa can be highlightedwho had several heteronyms (pseudonyms, each with a different personality and biography) and thought they were real.

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The three faces of Eve, from 1957 is the first film that talks about multiple personality. And then the film industry, especially in Hollywood, used it on various occasions because it was a “sticky” theme. It is necessary to know that in these two sectors, the diagnosis is carried to limitless exaggeration.

But There are interesting movies to learn a little about this disorderor, always taking into account the director’s vision or the actor’s interpretation, among them:

Spider (by David Cronenberg)Psychosis (by Alfred Hitchcock)Identity (by James Mangold)The black swan (by Darren Arofnosky)Fight club (by David Fincher)The two faces of the truth (by Gregory Hoblit)Session 9 (by Brad Anderson)The Machinist (by Brad Anderson)The number 23 (by Joel Schumacher)Sybil (by Daniel Petrie)Frankie and Alice (by Geoffrey Sax)Never talk to strangers (by Peter Hall)High voltage (by Alexandre Aja)The root of fear (by Gregory Hoblit)The color of the night (by Richard Rush)

Disorder or ability?

The number of personalities that an individual can have is not infinite.

So, the question that arises is, does multiple personality exist or not? It is necessary not to confuse when a person assumes several roles in diverse groupsthat is, behaving one way at work and another at home or among friends.

This case no. or it implies a psychological problem, but rather a “chameleonic” ability to be better or worse in any sense, to always want to be accepted, avoid problems, etc.

People diagnosed with multiple personality disorder almost always have two very distinct personalities. However, one is more dominant than the other and is the one that takes control in most cases and time. This can result in substantial memory loss.