“The Stranger in the Mirror: Dissociation, The Hidden Epidemic” by Marlene Steinberg, M.D. (author of the SCID-D)

When psychiatrists, psychologists, and related professionals do formal research on multiple personality disorder (a.k.a. dissociative identity disorder) or other dissociative disorders, the manual that is the gold standard for diagnosing the persons to be included in formal studies is the SCID-D.

“People with DID (dissociative identity disorder) may look whole on the outside, but inside their sense of self and connection with the outside world has been splintered into bits and pieces. Every day is a quietly heroic struggle, not only to keep unthinkable [traumatic] memories hidden from consciousness, but also to conceal frightening symptoms from others. No matter what their level of education or socioeconomic background, all these people have an extravagantly rich and creative inner world. Not surprisingly, many high-functioning multiples [persons with multiple personality] are gifted writers and artists, who, as they heal, are able to find an aesthetic outlet for the sealed-off rage and pain they have not allowed themselves to feel (1, p. 17).

“People with DID tend to be highly imaginative and inventive, able to express in writing and art what they have been forbidden to say. Therefore, writing letters to the hidden parts of themselves or drawing pictures of them is an effective technique for fostering communication among them (2, pp. 27-28).

1. Marlene Steinberg, M.D., Maxine Schnall. The Stranger in the Mirror: Dissociation, The Hidden Epidemic. New York, Cliff Street Books/HarperCollins, 2000.