Is Dissociative Identity Disorder caused by anything other than childhood trauma?

[RVA21]

I was just wondering if it can be caused by other traumas (in adulthood) but I feel like the answer is no? Does anyone know?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ronin]

While you *can* split a person's mind in ways DID does in adulthood...

The D.I.D. itself is AFAIK childhood *only* derived.

Or, to answer you, one can have similar symptoms / issues / presentation from some types of later trauma.

But it's not exactly DID, that's rooted in childhood.

I'll grab an example from other disorders spectrum I grok explaining in better:

One can develop psychopathy traits & feelings & action styles in some life styles as its norm.
But it's not 'pathy the same as the ones who had it in childhood, trauma or non trauma.

Even if on tests & paper & acts in reality it can check the same, still different.

The roots matter.
And a whole lot gets very murky with time, even with 'a simple' disorder... and DID is heckuva complex one.

 

[RVA21]

But it's not exactly DID, that's rooted in childhood.

That's what I was thinking. I'm wondering if there are any articles that state it only comes from childhood trauma.

Someone on another platform tried to tell me it can also be caused by irresponsible therapy and domestic abuse but I was thinking that doesn't sound correct?

 

[Ronin]

Not sure about articles but sure it is established research consensus within researchers of dissociative disorders.

And you are very right the person who told you that is wrong.

The irresponsible therapy controversy... or: creating new layers of perception & acting by therapist induction - is an issue, but that is not really DID.

As in the therapy-induced alters don't act as a survival *lifelong* stable mechanism. They don't stick around across all contexts in life DID parts do (even after integration of trauma contents / what have you, when the most DID presentation calms down.)

And DV sure can cause drastically altered perception, sense of self & behavior from person's usual... but that returns to baseline after DV. Again, not DID.

The kind of splitting DID does would mean it *stays* - after therapies, after danger situations, after medication, after hell, electroshocks... still stays.

Because it becomes brain's normal way to orient in the world, own body, relationships.

And most of adult trauma just doesn't produce that deep alteration to the person's very core.

 

[grit]

It is possible an experience in adulthood may trigger a latent fragmentation of the self. I do not know much about full Did and I am not expert by any stretch of imagination but there are a lot mysterious ways the self forms and adapts.
I learned I had dissociation - severe one all my life as an adult without ever having any idea or other issues. After diagnosis and therapy, I could not get out of it without almost breaking down.

Dissociation of any kind is one of the earliest defense mechanism in human organism or an infant.... We share this mechanism with a lot of animals...so Quite primitive.

 

[Ronin]

@grit

But that would have to be pre-existing and just coped with, tho.

Much like PTSD can be gotten once, lay dormant several years or decades, new trauma / stressors / loss of cope brings it back full force.

It isn't creating something in adulthood upon vulnerability...

It's something that, in your example, would still be there.
Not *due* to adulthood adversity.

Again, originating? Childhood.
Manifesting / brought forth? Adulthood.

But you'd be back to that break being childhood schtuff.

 

[grit]

@grit

But that would have to be pre-existing and just coped with, tho.

Much like PTSD can be gotten once, lay dormant several years or decades, new trauma / stressors / loss of cope brings it back full force.

It isn't creating something in adulthood upon vulnerability...

It's something that, in your example, would still be there.
Not *due* to adulthood adversity.

Again, originating? Childhood.
Manifesting / brought forth? Adulthood.

But you'd be back to that break being childhood schtuff.

I feel we are saying similar things. That is what it sounded to me as a lay person. Yes.

 

[Ronin]

Totally... To be clear, I was thinking aloud at you about what you said, not disagreeing :)

When I mean posts as disagreement I usually disclaimer it.

 

[RecoveryGuy]

Everything I have read about DID specifically references childhood trauma.

It seems likely that what @Ronin and @grit are talking about can happen (i.e. the original trauma that forms the DID occurs in childhood may go dormant, and then be brought active again by additional trauma/ stress etc as an adult), but the DID is still tied to the childhood trauma.

Adult trauma can lead to other Dissociative Disorders, but my lay person's understanding is the DSM-5 specifically requires childhood trauma for a diagnosis of DID.

 

[whiteraven]

I'm going to both agree and disagree with what's been said here.

According to current psych guidelines and education, DID stems from childhood trauma.

I have a problem - personally - though, with what is standard and accepted. Much of it is based on the opinions (educated though they may be) of professionals - usually predominantly men - who have an agenda.

I was diagnosed with DID many years ago. I have met a lot of people who meet the official criteria but who also have additional experiences. I've met some who don't meet the official criteria but who are clearly DID. I've had therapists who believe and treat by the standard, therapists who don't believe in the diagnosis at all, and others who are very open to a wide variety of experiences and ways to work with the diagnosis.

I *did* have significant childhood trauma. But I've also split again and again in my 30s and 40s. Some will say they weren't true splits; that those insiders were always there, but no one - NO ONE - can prove that.

DID is complex. And, my opinion only, much more so than the "official" diagnostic criteria.

 

[RVA21]

usually predominantly men - who have an agenda

What sort of agenda?

 

[grit]

I think and again this is my opinion it depends what is the DID and how is it experienced by the person? There are people who have DID and do not expreince it as pathology but actually as a gift... One of them is my favorite author barbara ehrenreich....
This is one of the issue. The question is could there be an underlying genetics?
I think what we often forget is the dms is not only cultural but also societal times book rather than scientific and it is one reason I am not too attached to it. There were times they had official diagnosis for the runaway slaves???? In the same book.... Even being gay was a diagnosis? You gotta wonder? What is our blind spot today?

The human mind and self is fascinating to me