Persecutor Personalities, Conspiracies and Scapegoats

“At least half or more of MPD [multiple personality disorder] patients have alternate personalities who see themselves in diametric conflict with the host [regular] personality. This group of alternate personalities will sabotage the patient’s life and may inflict serious injury upon the body in attempts to harm or kill the host or other personalities. They may be responsible for episodes of self-mutilation or for other ‘suicide’ attempts, which are actually ‘internal homicides,’ as persecutor personalities attempt to maim or kill the host. The perceived degree of separateness that allows one personality to believe that it can kill another personality without endangering itself has been called a ‘pseudodelusion' or a form of ‘trance logic.’

“Some persecutor personalities…have evolved from original helper personalities into current persecutors" after developing a contemptuous or condescending attitude toward the perceived ineptitude of the regular personality and/or the regular personality’s therapist” (1, p. 108).

Comment: Since the person with undiagnosed multiple personality is usually unaware of their alternate personalities, the sabotage by internal persecutor personalities may be attributed to outside conspiracies and scapegoats.

1. Frank W. Putnam, MD. Diagnosis and Treatment of Multiple Personality Disorder. New York, The Guilford Press, 1989.