[Rive1976]

I was diagnosed DID NOS in 2005 or so. Cant remember exact year. I do not believe I have this. I was just curious about the fact that it is very rare. How hard is it to disgnose. The reason I sm asking is because another person gave her a rating on a website and said she was obsessed with DID and gave those diagnosis freely. The thing is though is that I have no recollection of anything we discussed. She shredded my file but said she woulf be willing to talk to my new T. Im interested and scared. Anyone know about US guidelines in diagnosing this disorder?

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Dnester

I was diagnosed DID NOS in 2005 or so. Cant remember exact year. I do not believe I have this. I was just curious about the fact that it is very rare. How hard is it to disgnose. The reason I sm asking is because another person gave her a rating on a website and said she was obsessed with DID and gave those diagnosis freely. The thing is though is that I have no recollection of anything we discussed. She shredded my file but said she woulf be willing to talk to my new T. Im interested and scared. Anyone know about US guidelines in diagnosing this disorder?

the diagnostic criteria you are looking for is in a book called the DSM 5 (DSM 5 stands of Diagnostic Statistical Manual 5th edition,) this is what psychiatrists go by for diagnosing DID here in america, since 2013, please keep in mind that treatment providers also receive whats called "supplemental updates" which are updates since 2013 that only treatment providers receive and have access to. ...

Dissociative Identity Disorder 300.14 (F44.81)

A. Disruption of identity characterized by two or more distinct personality states which may be described in some cultures as an experience of possession. The disruption in identity involves marked discontinuity in sense of self and sense of agency, accompanied by related alterations in affect, behavior, consciousness, memory, perception, cognition, and or sensory-motor functioning. These signs and symptoms may be observed by others or reported by the individual.

B. Recurrent gaps in the recall of every day events, important personal information, and or traumatic events that are inconstant with ordinary forgetting.

C the symptoms cause clinical significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.

D. The disturbance is not a normal part of a broadly accepted cultural or religious practice.

Note in children the symptoms are not better explained by imaginary playmates or other fantasy play.

E. The Symptoms are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g. Blackouts or chaotic behavior during alcohol intoxication) or another medical condition (e.g. complex partial seizures)

....................

along with this diagnostic criteria are 5 pages that go into more detail in categories of diagnostic features that explains the above diagnostics in more detail, Associated features supporting diagnosis, the statistical prevalence of the disorder, the development and course of the disorder, Risk and Prognosis Factors, Culture Related Diagnostic Issues, Suicide Risks and the Functional consequences of this disorder. The DSM 5 also addresses Differential Diagnosis (other dissociative disorders that share the same symptoms) and Comorbidity (having more than one diagnosis)

your treatment provider can show you their copy of the DSM 5 and explain more in detail what all the definitions are at this time and how this fits with you and why they diagnosed you as DID.

if you dont believe you have DID you can request retesting. theres lots of tests involved with diagnosing mental disorders here in america now. the tests can not be found on line you get them from a psychiatrist or psychologist who's licensing allows them to administer these tests.

[sophiebunny]

Originally Posted by Dnester

I was diagnosed DID NOS in 2005 or so. Cant remember exact year. I do not believe I have this. I was just curious about the fact that it is very rare. How hard is it to disgnose. The reason I sm asking is because another person gave her a rating on a website and said she was obsessed with DID and gave those diagnosis freely. The thing is though is that I have no recollection of anything we discussed. She shredded my file but said she woulf be willing to talk to my new T. Im interested and scared. Anyone know about US guidelines in diagnosing this disorder?

If you question the diagnosis, definitely get a second opinion from someone who is qualified to do the differential. Ask your psychiatrist for a referal to someone he's comfortable with. DID is not a label you want to have if it's not your diagnosis. The stigma that DID carries in the mental health treatment community is huge. Plus, you might be getting the wrong treatment for the illness you do have. Go for a second opinion and take it from there.

[MickeyCheeky]

I agree, Dnester. Get a second opinion from a professional if you feel like you may have been uncorrectly diagnosed. You may be getting the wrong treatment instead of what you actually need at the moment. Wish you good luck! Let us know how it goes. Sending many hugs to you

[Rive1976]

Originally Posted by sheltiemom2007

If you question the diagnosis, definitely get a second opinion from someone who is qualified to do the differential. Ask your psychiatrist for a referal to someone he's comfortable with. DID is not a label you want to have if it's not your diagnosis. The stigma that DID carries in the mental health treatment community is huge. Plus, you might be getting the wrong treatment for the illness you do have. Go for a second opinion and take it from there.

Can you tell me about the stigma?

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Dnester

Can you tell me about the stigma?

stigma with DID is the same with any other mental disorder. its just how people react to you after you tell them you have a mental disorder. some look down on it. only you can know whether you have told someone you have DID or not and how they reacted to you...

with me I had no stigma in regards to any of my mental disorders. those I chose to tell about it reacted very positively and helpful. why because they knew me before I was diagnosed. DID isnt something that just happens one day. it is there from before I was 5 years old. which means everyone in my life already knew me so to them seeing me as DID was just ok your no different than we have always known you to be....

in other words getting the diagnosis of DID doesnt change anything other than puts a name on what and how a person is since before they were 5 yrs old. if you have it then you are no different than you already have been since you were a very young child.

[susannahsays]

Many mental health practitioners don't even believe in DID. So yes, it's extremely stigmatized.

[Amyjay]

DID is still very much stigmatized in the mental health community. It's inclusion in the DSM hasn't done much to reduce the stigma that became attached to it during the 80s and 90s and the "false memory syndrome" debacle associated with that era. In a recent thread about DID on a therapists forum (in which most participants are based in the USA) only about 3 of the respondents said they have ever treated or diagnosed someone with DID while the vast majority of therapists said they didn't believe it even existed and were very skeptical of therapists who said they had seen it.

Meanwhile the general public is still really only informed on the topic by whatever garbage they are fed by the media. So. Yeah.
The general stance on DID tends to be one of two extremes: The majority of people are either informed by Sybil, the Three Faces of Eve, The United States of Tara, Split or Billy Milligan; or they believe its a fake disorder caused by bad therapists.

Thankfully there are also many wonderful therapists and researchers out there who carry on doing what they know regardless.

This is definitely not a "disorder" that anyone wants to have. It is far, far less socially understood or recognized than many other mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

[Rive1976]

Originally Posted by Amyjay

DID is still very much stigmatized in the mental health community. It's inclusion in the DSM hasn't done much to reduce the stigma that became attached to it during the 80s and 90s and the "false memory syndrome" debacle associated with that era. In a recent thread about DID on a therapists forum (in which most participants are based in the USA) only about 3 of the respondents said they have ever treated or diagnosed someone with DID while the vast majority of therapists said they didn't believe it even existed and were very skeptical of therapists who said they had seen it.

Meanwhile the general public is still really only informed on the topic by whatever garbage they are fed by the media. So. Yeah.
The general stance on DID tends to be one of two extremes: The majority of people are either informed by Sybil, the Three Faces of Eve, The United States of Tara, Split or Billy Milligan; or they believe its a fake disorder caused by bad therapists.

Thankfully there are also many wonderful therapists and researchers out there who carry on doing what they know regardless.

This is definitely not a "disorder" that anyone wants to have. It is far, far less socially understood or recognized than many other mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

It gets mixed up with schizophrenia alot doesnt it?

[Amyjay]

Originally Posted by Dnester

It gets mixed up with schizophrenia alot doesnt it?

There are a lot of lay people that don't understand the difference, yes. I would hope most therapists do understand the difference, but that is still different than believing in the disorder. I was shocked and disbelieving that so many of those therapists openly admitted they don't even believe it actually exists, or if they believe in it they think it is exceptionally rare (it isn't). Scary.

Dnester I know this doesn't relate to this thread but I just came across this while looking at some other things and thought it might interest you. Questions and Answers about Memories of Childhood Abuse

[Rive1976]

Originally Posted by Amyjay

There are a lot of lay people that don't understand the difference, yes. I would hope most therapists do understand the difference, but that is still different than believing in the disorder. I was shocked and disbelieving that so many of those therapists openly admitted they don't even believe it actually exists, or if they believe in it they think it is exceptionally rare (it isn't). Scary.

Dnester I know this doesn't relate to this thread but I just came across this while looking at some other things and thought it might interest you. Questions and Answers about Memories of Childhood Abuse

Thanks! I thought it was rare as well.

[Rive1976]

I read the article. I definately believe in repressed memories. Have you always remembered?

[Amyjay]

Some things I have always known. Some things I have not. Recovered memories are murky territory. Some things I remember I know have some truth in them and others I don't believe could be true. Some incidents my siblings remember very, very differently to me. Whose memory is the closest to the truth? Nobody knows.

[sophiebunny]

Originally Posted by Dnester

Can you tell me about the stigma?

Many psychiatrists believe DID is an extremely rare disorder and do not readily accept it as a real diagnosis. Also, some mental health professionals, psychotherapists and psychiatrists, view DID as "borderline personality disorder on steroids". It is often dismissed as a creation of overly zealous psychotherapists who don't know what they are doing. Trauma therapists are far more accepting. Approach psychiatrists expecting they will be skeptical and with a lot of medical evidence of trauma as back-up.

Integrated 7 years and my psychiatrist is amazing even when he was a skeptic

[sophiebunny]

Originally Posted by Amyjay

DID is still very much stigmatized in the mental health community. It's inclusion in the DSM hasn't done much to reduce the stigma that became attached to it during the 80s and 90s and the "false memory syndrome" debacle associated with that era. In a recent thread about DID on a therapists forum (in which most participants are based in the USA) only about 3 of the respondents said they have ever treated or diagnosed someone with DID while the vast majority of therapists said they didn't believe it even existed and were very skeptical of therapists who said they had seen it.

Meanwhile the general public is still really only informed on the topic by whatever garbage they are fed by the media. So. Yeah.
The general stance on DID tends to be one of two extremes: The majority of people are either informed by Sybil, the Three Faces of Eve, The United States of Tara, Split or Billy Milligan; or they believe its a fake disorder caused by bad therapists.

Thankfully there are also many wonderful therapists and researchers out there who carry on doing what they know regardless.

This is definitely not a "disorder" that anyone wants to have. It is far, far less socially understood or recognized than many other mental illnesses such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Well said. I keep my DID diagnosis confined to my trauma therapist and my psychiatrist. My psychiatrist is amazing, but he was a skeptic about the diagnosis until he obtained my medical records and got a complete picture of my trauma history. Coupling my documented injuries with the fact that I was raised by schizophrenics convinced him. Evidence works well with MDs. I integrated 7 years ago. The day I walked into his office and told him I now had continuous memory was a proud moment for both of us. I finally own myself. It doesn't get better than that.