The Diagnostic Journey of Dissociative Identity Disorder

Trigger warning: This episode mentions suicidal ideation, attempts, self-harm, eating disorders, and specific types of trauma. Being diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder is a complex journey fraught with misdiagnoses, unnecessary medications, and well-meaning therapists that miss the mark, unfortunately. This leads to years of suffering, which we hope to shorten by educating and raising awareness of what having DID really looks like. While we detail how the DSM-V criteria shows up in our lives, we also go over many signs and flags that were missed that indicated dissociative identities. References:  Skałbania, J., Polewik, K., Pietkiewicz, I. J., & Tomalski, R. (2021). Divided mind – divided brain. the neurobiology of dissociative identity disorder from the perspective of dynamical systems theory. Journal of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, 21(1), 27-27–35. doi:https://doi.org/10.15557/PiPK.2021.0003.

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Remember, this podcast is not a substitute for therapy. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and provide information on dissociative identity disorder. We share our personal stories, interview guests who also live with DID, and we interview mental health professionals to share their clinical knowledge.

And most importantly: remember that every system is different. What works for one may not work for another—and that’s okay. Your journey is valid, your healing is real, and we’re so glad you’re hanging out with A Couple of Multiples.

Articles cited in Seasons 4 & 5:

Brand, B. L., Sar, V., Stavropoulos, P., Krüger, C., Korzekwa, M., Martínez-Taboas, A., & Middleton, W. (2016). Separating Fact from Fiction: An Empirical Examination of Six Myths About Dissociative Identity Disorder. Harvard review of psychiatry, 24(4), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.1097/HRP.0000000000000100