There are many schools of thought regarding MPD/DID in psychology and psychiatry today. It is no wonder there is such confusion surrounding the disorder considering the massive variance of beliefs regarding it the psych fields today. In this article, I will address some of the contradictions and disbeliefs directed at the mental health phenomenon. *Please note: I am not a doctor, psychiatrist, psychologist. I am a long time sufferer of MPD and base this article on my opinions gleaned from my research and personal experiences.*

What are some of the theories regarding MPD/DID?

• Multiplicity is a sham and does not exist at all.

• Multiplicity is not a natural phenomenon. It is artificially induced by therapists (Iatrogenesis).

• MPD/DID is a form of self-hypnosis extremely clever minds develop in order to escape severe pain or trauma. Some believe that if the victim is subjected to enough and frequent abuse or trauma, this self-hypnosis can become automatic. Many followers of this doctrine do not believe alters are separate entities, but rather are just the emotion that is not subdued with the hypnotic trance.

• Multiples are not actual personalities, but rather possession by demons or spirits.

• Past life personalities merge to create who we each are as individuals. Some believe that in multiples these personalities try to re-establish themselves as individuals.

MPD/DID is a sham:

I find fault in this belief for various reasons. The disorder is becoming more well known and is not as rare as once believed. Though polyfragmented personalities (those with 100 or more personalities) are rare, those with 3-7 personalities are not. How could so many put on such an Oscar meriting performance? A viable question that goes along with this is why would they? For attention or to obtain benefits they don't deserve? Wouldn't these “fakes” make a lot more money and receive much more attention if they used this cleverness to deceive in acting careers? What purpose could they possibly have to try to fool the world with something few even believe in? Why not choose a more “believable” disorder?

It would also be an amazing feat to fool family and friends with such a sham throughout an entire lifetime. Again I ask, why would anyone go to that much trouble for attention?

A case of Iatrogenesis:

The theory that MPD/DID is clinically induced by well meaning or even crooked therapists does not make any sense in my personal opinion. I am not saying that there aren't any cases of this in the world, but this theory would only explain a portion of the cases away. What of those of us that knew we were multiples before we ever went into therapy? I believe many of us do know this deep down. Not all multiples/dissociatives seek help merely for depression or anxiety. Many, if not most, actually seek help because of the disruption caused by “lost time”, behavioral changes when switching, among other MPD/DID specific reasons. This theory cannot explain these cases away.

MPD/DID is a form of self-hypnosis:

Clever mind does not even begin to describe what would be needed to achieve making this theory a reality in many cases, if not most. Though it is possible this is the answer for some patients, it can't possibly explain them all. How ingenious would a child of two or younger have to be to do this? A small child not even able to form a complete sentence, yet they have the ability to hypnotized themselves into not remembering pain and trauma?

The only aspect of this theory I cannot totally debunk is “alters are separate entities, but rather are just the emotion that is not subdued with the hypnotic trance.” Some might ask the question of if MPD/DID is pure self-hypnosis, how do you explain the differences in appearances, likes and dislikes, etc.? Whether accurate or not, this can be explained away as the physical embodiment of whichever emotion is not subdued at the time. Still, this theory cannot explain the phenomenon of how some alters can have clinically proven ailments that the others, including the “core” personality does not.

Demon or Spirit Possession vs. MPD/DID:

This theory, though far-fetched and unbelievable, is impossible to prove or disprove. No one, no matter how intelligent, can show any proof that this is or is not a possibility. There is just too much in this world, and beyond, we do not understand for this to be debunked 100%.

Manifestation of Past-life Personalities:

As with demon possession, this debate will remain controversial and conjecture possibly until the end of time.

Authors Conclusion

It is impossible to say which of these theories is correct or incorrect, other than that MPD/DID is a sham. Perhaps there are cases of all of the remaining theories being accurate, among others I may not have listed. Whichever theory or theories may be correct, the fact still remains that the disorder DOES exist and requires therapy and support. In closing I wish each of us to remember, regardless of which school of thought we follow on this subject, that it is very easy to discount and/or fear that which we do not understand. There are so many things in daily life that we cannot explain, yet we believe they exist. Why then, do some consider the possibility of a fractured mind housing more than one self so irrational and unbelievable?