Do people hide DID/MPD?

Q: Do people with multiple personality try to hide it? - Anon

A: For a large percentage of the time, for a very large majority of the people who have Dissociative Identity Disorder, the answer is YES! There are several reasons.

1. Early on, they may not realize they have anything unique or different about themselves. They may assume all people have the same experiences. So they may not tell anyone.

2. In childhood, adults expect (naturally so) that kids will create imaginary playmates, wild stories, and my act out different role playing or identities. This is all a normal part of development. So the early signs of Dissociative Identity Disorder may be mistaken as normal play.

3. Many survivors of abuse and trauma learn to cope with their trauma by learning to ignore it. They avoid memories, avoid triggers that might bring up those memories, and distance themselves from the emotions too. If they are aware that the Dissociative Identity Disorder exists, they may ignore it because they know it's a symptom of the trauma. To avoid the DID is another way of "acting normal" after something very abnormal happened.

4. Some survivors were threatened that if they told people of the abuse that very bad things would happen to them or to loved ones. Hiding the alters becomes important then because if people see them they will ask questions, and those questions may lead to very dangerous truth.

5. Shame is a powerful motivator. People who carry the shame of their abuse may also feel shame towards their Dissociative Identity Disorder, too. They may be afraid of the judgements people might make if they knew. They may be afraid of losing friends, family, spouses, jobs, even the custody of their children.

6. They may not think their DID is important or a vital part of who they are. Many Multiples go through a period in recovery where they want people to know about the Dissociative Identity Disorder. But they also go through a later period of recovery where they want to be known for their other aspects, talents, interests, quirks, etc. DID becomes just one small part of the whole picture of who they see themselves to be.

7. They may not know they have Dissociative Identity Disorder. Some of the alters know, but they may be protecting themselves and others inside by keeping the knowledge a secret. They may also not know how to reach the other alters yet to communicate.