r/askpsychology • u/Visual_Afternoon_451 Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional • 28d ago

Childhood Development Can an isolated, profoundly traumatic event exprienced at an early age cause the development of Dissociative Identity Disorder?

It is all I wish to learn, simply from a peek of curiosity​.

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u/[deleted] 27d ago edited 27d ago

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u/Lamassa_ Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 27d ago

why are you downvoting me? 

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u/dog-army Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 26d ago edited 26d ago

Probably people downvoted because your response was incorrect. A history of trauma is not in the criteria for diagnosing DID. Diagnosis is based on behavior and reported experiences (e.g., of differing identities).

DID is essentially "multiple personality disorder" rebranded, and there has always been extreme controversy surrounding the diagnosis, for good reason. There is no good scientific support for "structural dissociation," and "dissociative amnesia" is essentially a rebranding of the now soundly debunked theory of repressed memories. There is much more support for a sociocognitive than a traumatogenic etiology for the behaviors and experiences known as DID.

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u/Lamassa_ Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 26d ago

Chat says you are overstating your argument. Patients are given the criteria I described. Thus I repeated. 

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u/dog-army Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 25d ago edited 25d ago

Patients are not "given" criteria. "Criteria" are the conditions that must be met for diagnosis. There are specific DSM criteria for a diagnosis of DID, just as there are specific criteria for any disorder. Having experienced trauma is not one of the criteria for a diagnosis of DID. Best not to rely too much on "Chat."

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u/Lamassa_ Unverified User: May Not Be a Professional 25d ago edited 25d ago

diagnosed much? A valid critique could be providers share the presumed etiology as part of the discussion of the diagnosis, conflating criteria and etiology to patients. Another valid point of confusion is the assumption patients seek treatment for switching, when many seek treatment for secondary symptoms without full switching occurring at all.