My mother has MPD- or I guess now, DID.  She has 46 personalities, and has been on Lithium off and on since she was 19.  She was just put on Zoloft.  Her personalities were under control prior to Zoloft, however her anxiety and rapid-cycle bipolar were prominent.  Now, it hs completely reversed.  Before the zoloft, she wouldn't drive due to anxiety, and either couldn't sleep or couldn't stop- obviously, that goes hand in hand with the rapid- Bipolar.  Now, She can't sleep- her anxiety is lessened, and she has been cycling personalities worse than I have seen in YEARS. I am currently away in college, and feel helpless, because I have always been right there to observe and help.  Now, the last few times I have been home, she has changed personalities at least twice each time.  I believe she has also been auto-abusing again.  (She keeps having accidents, one of which looks curiously like she punched something quite hard).  Sorry, I'm rambling, I will get to the point.  Do you know of any instances where Zoloft has increased the appearance of DID?  SHe has only been on it for a little over three weeks, and I know that they tell you to stay on it for three months before it really kicks in, however, I am afraid that if this pattern continues, she will become suicidal again.  Please, any information will be helpful.
- A concerned Daughter

Dilemmica,  I was diagnosed with DID four years ago.  I have made unbelievable progress in treatment.  I am so grateful for the help that I am receiving and for the positive changes in my life.  Recently, for the first time ever, I am experiencing periodic spells of being "one".  It's hard to describe because most people do this naturally.....but it's a feeling of finally having all of my thoughts and feelings at the same time instead of only getting conflicting, fragmented, emotionless thoughts.  

I hope that some day your husband will make it into treatment.  I'm not sure how one goes about convincing someone else that they need help.  In my case, I had been in and out of therapy for a decade without really getting help.  The DID enabled me to do and say what I thought I needed to in order to get out of a therapist's office without having to reveal to much about my inner workings.  I was not yet ready to accept true help.  But I finally did reach my breaking point four years ago.  That's when I was finally diagnosed because I was finally letting someone in and being honest about my thoughts and behaviors.

Again, I am clueless how to help your husband get to that point.  However, I do know that it helped me when my husband learned how to communicate with my alters.  I think it may help if you acknowledge the alters and get to know what they are each about and what their "jobs" are.  I know it sounds a little crazy to sort of "play along" with his illness, yet I have found that once my alters were each acknowledged and cared for (by my therapist and by my husband) they were able to finally feel connected with the outside world.  They were able to sort out the details of the abuse and get to know why they were "created" by me in the first place.  Eventually, through A LOT of work, they get to a point where they realize that it is not necessary any more for them "take over", that the abuse is over and I no longer need to "go away" to survive.  That's what DID is all about:  a method of surviving unmaginable violation and physical/emotional pain.  I am actually thankful now for my DID, because I have recovered enough at this point to realize that I would have gone "nuts" without some sort of method of organizing the trauma into managable pieces.  

Good luck to you and your husband.  I am thinking of you and hoping that some day he will be on the road to recovery.  I found a book when I was first diagnosed that really helped my husband and I understand MPD.  It may be a little difficult to track down, but I'm sure your local book store would special order it for you.  It is written by David L. Calof and is called "Multiple Personality and Dissociation- Understanding Abuse, Incest, and MPD" ... the ISBN # is 1-56838-052-6.  I also found "The Magic Daughter" by Jane Phillips to be a very accurate account of what it's like to live with this disorder.  

Tell your husband that he is not alone.  Things can and do get better.  If he finally decides to go for help, remember that every therapist is different.  If he (and you) are not feeling comfortable or connected with one therapist, keep searching....there are some worderful therapists out there, but sometimes it takes a while to make the connection.

He has a phobia of doctors, probably related to his history of sexual abuse.  When I said he "blacks out," I meant it both in the literal and figurative sense.  Usually, he goes unconscious (rapid eye blinking and jerky movements of some muscles in his face and body) for about a minute or two before personality switching takes place.  Then I'll have somebody else in front of me, with completely different mannerisms, voice pitch, etc.  One of the personalities says she is a 12-yr-old girl.  (She is also left-handed while my husband is right-handed) One acts really little and scared just curls up and shakes and cries.  There are several others, so I doubt this is of purely neurological cause?
They all call themselves by different names, and some of them are sometimes aware of things that my husband has seen... but it doesn't work the other way.  My husband never remembers anything that happens when the OTHERS are around.  He just assumes he "fell asleep" or "passed out" and will be shocked to learn that hours have passed, or to find himself in a different room from where he last remembers being.

Dilemmica,

          Multiple personality disorder now known as Dissociative Identity Disorder is a disorder which is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personalities/identities that are enduring and recurrently take control of the persons behavior.  The vast majority of people diagnosed with this disorder are female.  It has been estimated that 0.5-2% of psychiatric populations suffer from this disorder.  It may be clinically confused with borderline personality disorder and rapid cycling bipolar disorder.  Treatment is primarily psychotherapy but antidepressants and antianxiety medications have been helpful.  Additionally, Tegretol has had some success.  Mood, anxiety and personality disorders often accompany DID.  Be supportive and encourage your husband to have a psychiatric evaluation to clarify his problem.  It is then that specific recommendations can be made.  I hope this was helpful.

Sincerely,

HFHS MD-JM

Keywords: Multiple personality disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder

You mentioned blackouts. I take that to mean he literally goes unconscious. Or do you mean he has periods of amnesia where he is conscious during those times but forgets later?

You may want him to get an exam by a Neurologist for possible seizure activity. Blacking out can be caused by seizures and stress can often trigger or aggravate the condition. It may not be a mental problem but physically caused. Did you have him get a physical exam by a doctor?