Split personality, or multiple personality splitting, is a phenomenon in which two or more personalities coexist in a person. They have different thinking, facial expressions, handwriting, sometimes they even have an accent. Sometimes they differ in intelligence and age.
The syndrome was widely publicized by psychiatrists Corbett Thigpen and Hervey Cleckley, The Three Faces of Eve, published in 1957. Their work detailed the case of patient Eva White.
- this term experts call a split personality. In their opinion, such a definition is more suitable for the description of this phenomenon: the personality is divided into identities that cannot be considered complete.
Symptoms of the disorder can manifest themselves at any age. The cause is often a serious injury, both physical and mental, traces of which, even with time, are difficult to erase. Most often, a person receives such an injury in childhood. Although he may not remember her, the defense mechanism kicks in when the situation calls for it.
The main symptoms of the disorder include:
- At least two states coexist in a person, in each of which he has his own pattern of behavior, values and worldview.
- At least two identities alternately take power over consciousness, which leads to a loss of connection with reality.
- A person forgets important information about himself, and this goes beyond the usual distraction.
- The cause of the condition cannot be considered the use of toxic substances, such as alcohol or drugs, or illness.
Despite the emergence of new personalities, the main one does not disappear anywhere. The number of identities can increase over time. This is due to the fact that a person creates new states for himself in which he could better cope with a particular situation.
