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Dissociative Identity Disorder Facts and Misconceptions

Laura Botnari·Sep 9, 2026

An Introduction to the Disorder

You may have stumbled upon this terminology or its more common abbreviation, DID, in certain pieces of media, like the film Split or the 1973 novel later adapted into a film, Sybil. For the last few decades, dissociative identity disorder has been getting a surge of attention from the general public, mostly because of various cinematic works such as those listed above. While the increased representation has helped spread awareness of the issue, the unrealistic and often problematic portrayal of characters with DID has created a flawed general image of the disorder. In this article, we will be exploring the facts regarding dissociative identity disorder while dismissing harmful myths.

What Is Dissociative Identity Disorder

Formerly known as multiple personality disorder, DID involves two or more distinct identity states and recurrent gaps in memory. It is often associated with severe, repeated trauma, although individual experiences vary. These personalities, nicknamed alters, usually appear to deal with a certain situation from which the individual seeks to separate themself, with many people describing a “host”, an identity that may feel most like themselves. Different identity states may be experienced as having distinct names, memories, behaviours, or perspectives, and some people refer to the whole of these identities as a system. This disorder is often misdiagnosed and may require multiple assessments for an accurate diagnosis. Patients often present with self-injurious behaviour and suicide attempts.

DID is thought to be a coping mechanism, so symptoms may not be obvious to those surrounding the person, and, in some cases, not even to the individual themselves. Some of these include:

Treatment varies for most individuals suffering from DID, but the main form is long-term psychotherapy. This can sometimes include hypnosis.

Tales of Possession and Fear A Short DID History

Historical accounts have sometimes been interpreted through modern concepts of dissociation, but they cannot establish a retrospective diagnosis. Accounts of Jeanne Fery, for example, describe experiences that have been compared with dissociation, although the available historical evidence is limited and her case should not be presented as a confirmed diagnosis.

Across documented history, DID was initially labelled as possession, and when that became unfashionable, its symptoms were absorbed by the umbrella term for many disorders and mental diseases at the time, hysteria. Double personality disorder, bearing a much closer resemblance to what we call dissociative identity disorder today, was recognized in France until the first documented case of “multiple personality disorder”, Louis Auguste Vivet, in 1882. Both his case and that of Felida X, another patient treated by a physician of the time, had only two declared alters, even if later examination of medical records indicated at least three, probably because the only diagnosis they could fit was that of double personality disorder.

Even when DID became a recognized disorder, practitioners continued to diagnose patients with other mental health conditions. Because it used to include multiple personalities and because it was better known, schizophrenia was often what individuals with dissociative identity disorder would be diagnosed with.

As progress was made in the field of mental health, DID gained some attention from professionals, the link between childhood trauma and the disorder’s symptoms being made. In 1994, the DSM-IV renamed multiple personality disorder as dissociative identity disorder. The term remains in the DSM-5. The general public, however, came into contact with the disorder through questionable sources.

Negative Media Portrayal and Mass Fascination

Dissociative identity disorder is a layered condition that manifests quite differently in each individual. While some media interpretations might fit the frame of what DID is supposed to be, they are often exaggerated versions of how the disorder manifests and looks. Dissociative identity disorder has also fallen victim to media glamorization, with inaccurate self-diagnoses emerging from misinterpreted or minimized criteria.

One of the most common negative portrayals of DID in cinematography is the presumption that some alters are destructive. While people with dissociative identity disorder are not inherently violent, the popularized belief that an alter with aggressive and uncontrollable tendencies exists in every person suffering from the disorder is entirely fabricated. In a film portraying DID in an evil light, Split, the main character, Kevin, contains 24 different alters, with the last, nicknamed The Beast, being a monster that wishes to consume the three little girls kidnapped by the other personalities. An older movie representing the disorder, The Three Faces of Eve, also presents an alter with violent predilections, when the newly emerged Eve Black attempts to murder Eve White’s daughter.

While some might be inclined to believe that this negative stereotype and any others represented in the media affect the general public’s opinion on the disorder, but not that of the professionals, studies have shown that treatment for those suffering from this condition has been negatively impacted by faulty representation. Other impediments arise from a lack of clinical training in the field and generalized diagnostic requirements.

Conclusion

In the age of the internet, misinformation is always just around the corner. While some may assume that fictional media won’t influence their view on a mental disorder, it’s better to check with a trusted source after witnessing a depiction that looks exaggerated, or any depiction at all. Dissociative identity disorder, a mental health condition often associated with severe childhood trauma, has fallen victim to undeserved hate and fear because of alleged violent tendencies. The result of some harmless movies and general disinformation is professionals who may have limited understanding of people living with the condition. Luckily, the DID community has taken matters into their own hands with various initiatives seeking to inform the public about their disorder. Hopefully, in the future, qualified professionals and regular people alike will have a better understanding of dissociative identity disorder.

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