Diagnosis Criteria for DID

"To be diagnosed, a person must have at least two distinct personalities that recurrently take control of this person's behavior, along with severe memory loss.

Some experts have suggested adding to the diagnosis criteria that the disorder causes extreme distress, including nonepiletic seizures or changes in physical symptoms in different identities. "

http://lubbockonline.com/local-news/201 ... y-disorder

My problem with the criteria for DID diagnosis...

It's not weather or not the patient meets the criteria, its if the Psychiatrists and Psychologists can recognize it! It sounds like they are trying to make it harder to get help.

DD-NOS Diagnosis - That is a catch all for things and how is someone suppose to work on what they have if they cannot even figure out what it is?

Another DD Category - If they make a category that was just like DID except you did not have to prove memory loss, etc... that would work - so that people know they have alters, they can work on inner communication, mapping and healing.
Maybe something like Functional Dissociative Identity Disorder.
I do have all those things, but initially it was hard to show the T. I wanted a direction to work and I know most go far longer than I did without a correct diagnosis! I am pretty sure what was up when I went in to see mine.

Let's look at the actual wording, meaning look at DSM.

Here is how DID is defined in the current DSM-IV:

Dissociative Identity Disorder

A. The presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states (each with its own relatively enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self).

B. At least two of these identities or personality states recurrently take control of the person's behavior.

C. Inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.

D. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., blackouts or chaotic behavior during Alcohol Intoxication) or a general medical condition (e.g., complex partial seizures). Note: In children, the symptoms are not attributable to imaginary playmates or other fantasy play.


Here is what is proposed currently for DSM-V:

http://www.dsm5.org/PROPOSEDREVISIONS/P ... rders.aspx :

Dissociative Disorders Proposed to be Subsumed Under Other Diagnoses (No DSM-5 Criteria Proposed)
* Dissociative Fugue
* Dissociative Trance Disorder

Dissociative Disorders
H 01 Dissociative Amnesia
H 02 Dissociative Identity Disorder
H 00 Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder
H 05 Unspecified Dissociative Disorder

http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/P ... spx?rid=57 :

Dissociative Identity Disorder

A. Disruption of identity characterized by two or more distinct personality states or an experience of possession, as evidenced by discontinuities in sense of self, cognition, behavior, affect, perceptions, and/or memories. This disruption may be observed by others or reported by the patient.

B. Inability to recall important personal information, for everyday events or traumatic events, that is inconsistent with ordinary forgetfulness.

C. Causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. *

D. The disturbance is not a normal part of a broadly accepted cultural or religious practice and is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., blackouts or chaotic behavior during Alcohol intoxication) or a general medical condition (e.g., complex partial seizures). NOTE: In children, the symptoms are not attributable to imaginary playmates or other fantasy play.

Specify if:**
a) With non-epileptic seizures or other conversion symptoms
b) With somatic symptoms that vary across identities (excluding those in specifier a)

* The workgroup will further consider whether Criterion C is necessary
** These specifiers are under consideration.


A big problem with both DSM-IV and DSM-V is the common error of thinking that the above requires two personality states in addition to the client (the host). Actually, the presenting patient is one personality state, so all that is required is evidence of one alter.

For sure! I always assumed they meant the host and one alter.

So if you meet all the other criteria but only have one what are you....

Back in that pile of I don't know what I am called DD-NOS?

tylas wrote:For sure! I always assumed they meant the host and one alter.

Same here, but I have encountered people who have been diagnosed DDNOS not DID only because their system appears to be just two personalities, host and alter.[/quote]
Although I know I meet the criteria for DID, I am currently diagnosed DDNOS and I don't mind because as far as I know it makes no difference to the insurance company.