<unk>  (DID), as defined by the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V-TR), is a mental condition whereby a single individual evidences two or more distinct identities or personalities, each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment. The diagnosis requires that at least two personalities routinely take control of the individual's behavior and that there is associated memory loss that goes beyond normal forgetfulness, often referred to as losing time or acute<unk>  Amnesia. The symptoms of DID do not necessarily need to be the direct result of substance abuse or a more general medical condition in order to be diagnosed. DID was originally called Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD), and as referenced above, that name remains in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. It is also commonly mispronounced "Disassociative Identity Disorder", and the primary symptom erroneously called "disassociation".
This condition is not the same as schizophrenia (DSM-IV Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders), as is a common misconception. The term schizophrenia comes from root words for "split mind," however it refers to a fracture in the normal functioning of the brain rather than the personality.
Dissociation is a symptom of several psychiatric disorders, including Borderline Personality Disorder (DSM-IV Personality Disorders 301.83), Post-traumatic stress disorder (DSM-IV Anxiety Disorders 309.81), and Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder among others.
As a diagnosis, DID remains controversial. For many years DID was regarded as a North American phenomenon with the bulk of the literature still arising there. However, research demonstrates a lack of consensus belief in the validity of DID amongst North American psychiatrists. Practitioners who do accept DID as a valid disorder have produced an extensive literature with some of the more recent papers originating outside North America.
Dissociative identity disorder
Somatization disorder
Fetishistic disorder
Somatoform disorder
Factitious disorder
Dissociative disorders
Somatic symptom disorder
Gender identity disorder