Person taking over body -- psychosis or DID?

There have been instances when I've felt a strong presence of different personalities within me and some have even managed to take over my body several times. I specifically remember this one time when it happened and I desperately tried to get back to myself but I couldn't even remember who I was -- it was as if that part of my mind or memory had been completely removed.

I've talked about this with both my psychiatrist and psychologist -- neither who is very well-versed in DID -- and they both think it's a symptom of psychosis whereas I suspect it might have something to do with dissociation. Now, I don't think I have DID as such but perhaps what I described could at least be a symptom of it as opposed to actual psychosis?

Have any of you guys with DID ever had someone tell you that your DID experiences are psychotic, and would you happen to know how to perhaps differentiate the two in my case?

Well, it could be psychosis, specifically a delusion (wait for it. . .) that you have DID. But more likely it is DID.

Yes, many of us who now have a diagnosis of DID have been told we are psychotic. Many of us have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, even treated for schizophrenia for years, to no good effect.

There are resources available to help you find DID-savvy mental health care providers or to help you bring the ones you have up to speed. First stop is ISSTD (isst-d.org); there are FAQs and diagnostic interview tools. The initial screening tool is the DES. There are also diagnostic interview tools.

If your team are reluctant to learn new stuff, then ask them this: How do they make the differential diagnosis between a psychotic disorder and a dissociative disorder? On what basis have they ruled out your having DID?

You are not alone.

Una+ wrote:Well, it could be psychosis, specifically a delusion (wait for it. . .) that you have DID. But more likely it is DID.

Yes, many of us who now have a diagnosis of DID have been told we are psychotic. Many of us have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, even treated for schizophrenia for years, to no good effect.

There are resources available to help you find DID-savvy mental health care providers or to help you bring the ones you have up to speed. First stop is ISSTD (isst-d.org); there are FAQs and diagnostic interview tools. The initial screening tool is the DES. There are also diagnostic interview tools.

If your team are reluctant to learn new stuff, then ask them this: How do they make the differential diagnosis between a psychotic disorder and a dissociative disorder? On what basis have they ruled out your having DID?

You are not alone.

Can you experience what I am with the different personalities and not have a full DID diagnosis?
And did you ever get diagnosed with psychosis/schizophrenia? If so, how did you in the end figure out that it all had to do with DID? Basically, how did you make that differentiation?

Thank you, I'll check that resource out.

I actually asked my psychiatrist if he could tell whether it's more likely dissociation or psychosis and he basically said that it's next to impossible to know, so he couldn't tell...
My psychologist has pretty much said that he doesn't believe in DID to begin with and that it is very controversial (which I knew).
I haven't really talked with any of them about me possibly having DID, though (since I don't think I do myself), so it's not something they have officially ruled out.

several things can look similar to DID which is why it helps to have a professional who is open minded and willing to look at things with you.

for example, schizoaffective disorder can be a differential diagnosis which includes psychosis, delusions, hearing voices, etc.

you would have to talk with the professionals working with you in order to sort out what it really is so that you can get the right treatment.

Yeah, but the question which still stands is, how can one differentiate between a person taking over their body being psychosis or DID -- if it just stands between those two?
Because if there's no way to tell, there's no way to figure it out to begin with. But surely, you must be able to find out the truth behind it -- but how? Where does one draw the line?
That's why I'm asking anyone here who has gone through the issue of psychosis vs. DID before, how they came to separate the two.

Also, I'm not looking for a diagnosis of any sort, I just want to read about other people's personal experiences with this.

honestlywhatever wrote:Yeah, but the question which still stands is, how can one differentiate between a person taking over their body being psychosis or DID -- if it just stands between those two?

Psychosis comes and goes, DID is permanent and lifelong.. so time will tell what it is

Honestlywhatever, the differential diagnosis needs to be made by a licensed heath care professional who knows how to differentiate between psychosis and DID. Your psychiatrist has told you directly he does not know how. Again, ISSTD is a source of expert guidance, if your psychiatrist would like to learn how. Or you can consult another psychiatrist or psychologist who knows how.

Dissociative disorders are easy to differentiate from psychotic disorders: the diagnostician just looks for symptoms that are not common to both classes of disorder. For example, you experience possession states. That is not a feature of schizophrenia.

Your symptoms indicate a dissociative disorder: either DID or OSDD, depending on whether you have any amnesia. Amnesia is tricky; often the person with amnesia has amnesia around the amnesia. It is other people who know about that.

Re controversy: so what? There are many controversies in psychiatry, like around the personality disorders. Are they treatable or not? Are they mental heath problems or not? Also around autism: is it caused by vaccines or not?