ciative identity disorder do not. There may be many types of alters in any one disassociative identity disorder individual, but most are variations on the theme of five primary alters: a depressed, depleted host; a strong, angry protector; a scared, hurt child; a helper; and an embittered internal persecutor who blames one or more alters for the abuse (Rainbow House 4).Disassociative identity disorder individuals are usually not diagnosed until they approach or reach adulthood, and even then, not until having undergone years of misdiagnoses. There are many reasons for this. A person with DID often presents symptoms that are common to many other mental disorders. Depression, panic disorders, sleep disorders, and suicidal tendencies are but a few of the reasons these people seek help. Furthermore, their host personality may be amnesiac with regard to their alters and/or the experiences of those alters. Their personality changes may be passed off as mood swings, or, they may have gone for a long time without experiencing a disassociative episode. These are compounded by reluctance on the part of professionals to diagnose DID, and the DID individual to be able or willing to provide necessary information.At one time, some psychiatrists began to believe that DID was simply a ...artifact of hypnotic suggestion (Alexander, et al. 101). Many are hesitant to believe that the bizarre abuse to which their patients were subjected as children actually occurred. (This is particularly true when incest was a part of the abuse, as it frequently is). Also, because DID was long thought to be extremely rare, it simply was not a considered diagnoses for many clinicians. The great majority of DID individuals know they have a problem: they may fear that they are crazy, but do not realize they have multiple personalities. Once diagnosed, they may themselves be strongly resistant to the idea, spending months of therapy denying what their therapist ha...
