Have you ever met someone that seemed to have multiple personalities? I’m not talking about mood differences. I’m talking about one person having more than one persona. It is rare but possible that you might have met someone diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder or now known as: Dissociative Identity Disorder.

It is estimated that approximately two percent of the world population are diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Although it is a small percentage, it still accounts for approximately 160,000,000 possible people living with the disorder worldwide. Most have their first episode at or after age 20. Most diagnosed have experienced extreme trauma and abuse that has caused a split in their personality.

The following blog is written to educate and encourage compassion and kindness towards all people because you never know what someone might be going through or have been through. If you stay towards the end you’ll learn about a program that I’m proud to share with mental health practitioners. I hope you enjoy 😉

#1 Have An Understanding Of The Multiple Personality Disorder and Its Alternative Name

The Cleveland Clinic Overview of DID⁠⠀
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Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) was formerly called Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD).⁠⠀
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It is a mental illness that involves disruptions or breakdowns of memory, awareness, identity and/or perception. ⁠⠀
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Check out this overview here.

#2 Understand How common DID Is.
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It is very rare but when they do occur more common in females according to the Cleveland Clinic.⁠⠀
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When I worked in the psychiatric hospital one of my patients was diagnosed with DID and participated in my Move Happy class.⁠⠀
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They LOVED to dance 💃 ⁠⠀
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Sometimes they mistook me for someone from their past that had hurt them.⁠⠀
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I kindly reminded them of things present in the room to bring them back to reality.⁠⠀
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Then we’d get right back to dancing and having a good time 😊 ⁠⠀
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Life is short.⁠⠀
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Be kind to everyone!⁠⠀

#3 Understand What causes DID⁠⠀
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Generally a history of abuse.⁠⠀90% of cases involve some sort of abuse according to The Cleveland Clinic.
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Let’s do society a favor.⁠⠀
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Be kind. Always.⁠⠀
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#4 Understand The Symptoms of DID
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♥️ Changing levels of functioning, from highly effective to disturbed/disabled⁠⠀
💜 Severe headaches or pain in other parts of the body⁠⠀
♥️ Depersonalization (feeling disconnected from one’s own thoughts, feelings, and body)⁠⠀
💜 Derealization (feeling that the surrounding environment is foreign, odd, or unreal)⁠⠀
♥️ Depression and/or mood swings⁠⠀
💜 Anxiety⁠⠀
♥️ Eating and sleeping disturbances⁠⠀
💜 Problems with functioning sexuality⁠⠀
♥️ Substance abuse⁠⠀
💜 Amnesia (memory loss or feeling a time distortion)⁠⠀
♥️ Hallucinations (false perceptions or sensory experiences, such as hearing voices)⁠⠀
💜 Self-injurious behaviors such as “cutting”⁠⠀
♥️ Suicide risk — 70% of people with DID have attempted suicide⁠⠀
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Bottom line?⁠⠀
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Be kind. Always.⁠⠀

#5 The Move Happy Facilitator Program© was designed to help empower individuals of varying backgrounds and ages towards their own happiness. ⁠⠀
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It is intended for medical professionals to use the program to help keep topics on point and help facilitate healthy discussion of people’s struggles so they can move towards their own happiness. ⁠⠀
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The program is available here.
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40% of proceeds goes back to mental health education ⁠& support services.

To the first ✌️ people that order I’m giving away ☝️ hour of consulting. Just email your receipt with subject line “Blog Consultation Special.”

Move Happy® Updates

Move Happy® Is getting Accredited soon! Be on the look out if you are in the medical/psychology field. Workshops are coming to medical facilities soon including continuing education credits to you! For more info, or to request Move Happy® Workshops at your hospital/clinic, email subject line “We Want Move Happy Workshops.”

The Move Happy® World Tour is coming next summer date TBD. Location is in Nashville, Tennessee. Get your tickets now for only $49 general admission and VIP starting at $299 here. 100% of proceeds goes towards mental health awareness.

So there you have it folks. Be kind to everyone regardless of the circumstances. You never know what they might have gone through, are currently going through or might go through tomorrow. If you suspect someone you work with or work for has multiple personalities, lead with compassion and kindness. Its definitely not easy if someone is being disrespectful to you from your perspective. Take a step back, evaluate the situation and assume misunderstanding on your part moving forward. Recognize that someone with mental illness does not mean they are the scum of the earth. Rather, it means they have gone through something traumatic most likely and you can learn from their experiences how to be kind to them and others similar.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s blog. If you found any value in it whatsoever, I’d be honored if you’d share it with someone you care about.

PS: Don’t forget to tell someone you love them today