Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Last reviewed Saturday, October 24, 2026

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a mental health condition in which a person’s sense of self is divided between two or more distinct identities, sometimes called alters, with gaps in memory for everyday events and personal information. It is strongly linked to severe, repeated trauma in childhood, and it can be treated with long-term talking therapy.

Also called: multiple personality disorder, its old name. The identities are also called alters, personality states or identity states. DID is not schizophrenia.

Signs and symptoms

More than one identity: two or more identities, each with its own name, voice, history or mannerisms, which take turns shaping what the person does.
Memory gaps: “lost time”, and forgetting everyday events, personal information or parts of the past far beyond ordinary forgetfulness.
Detachment: feeling cut off from yourself, or as if the world around you isn’t real.
Uncertainty about identity: not being sure who you are.

People with dissociative disorders may also have depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, eating problems, insomnia, self-harm or suicidal thoughts. Clinicians who doubt that DID exists are less likely to ask about dissociation, so it can be missed.

Causes

Most people with DID describe severe abuse or neglect in childhood; in studies in North America and Europe, about 9 in 10 did. The leading explanation is that dissociation begins as a way for a child’s mind to cope with experiences too overwhelming to take in, and the separation carries on after the danger has passed.

DID has long been debated. Some researchers argue that suggestion, fantasy and the way therapy is done can shape it. Reviews by trauma researchers find stronger support for the trauma explanation, and a 2022 review argues that neither model explains it fully. One overview estimates that about 1 in 100 people have DID, though figures vary and are debated.

Treatment

Talking therapy is the main treatment, and it is usually long-term. Treatment is often done in phases:

Safety and stabilisation: reducing self-harm and distress, and learning grounding skills for dissociation.
Working through trauma: carefully, with a trained therapist, once the person is stable.
Working together: helping the identities communicate and cooperate, and integrating them if that is the person’s goal.

There is no medicine for DID itself. A doctor may prescribe medicine for depression or anxiety alongside therapy. The NHS says many people with dissociative disorders recover with treatment and support.

In Nigeria

We found little Nigerian research on DID. A survey of over 2,000 people in south-western Nigeria found that supernatural causes were among the most common explanations for mental illness, so losing time or switching identity may be read as spiritual first. In many cultures, being possessed by a spirit can be a normal part of worship, and that is not a disorder. DID is diagnosed only when the experiences are unwanted, cause distress, and are not part of an accepted cultural or religious practice.

Faith can be a real support in recovery. Harm comes when prayer or deliverance replaces care, or when someone is chained or starved. Nigeria’s National Mental Health Act 2021 bans chaining, including at faith-based and traditional healing centres.

DID vs schizophrenia and everyday dissociation

DID is not schizophrenia, and it isn’t “split personality” in the everyday sense. Schizophrenia involves psychosis: hallucinations or fixed false beliefs and losing touch with reality. DID involves a divided sense of identity and memory gaps. DID also differs from milder dissociation, such as feeling unreal under stress, which is common and usually passes. Our guide to dissociation explains the difference.

When to get help

If you’re thinking of harming yourself or ending your life, call 112 (or 767 in Lagos), or Safe Place Nigeria on 0800 800 2000. The full list is on our helplines page.

Self-harm and suicide attempts are common in DID, so tell your therapist or doctor about them honestly. If you lose time, feel there is more than one of you, or often feel detached from yourself, see a doctor and ask for an assessment by a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist who knows dissociative disorders. You can book a licensed therapist on Mytherapist.ng who works with trauma and PTSD.

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