The Dissociative Character: A Reconsideration Of “Multiple Personality”

Abstract

The author has interviewed and reviewed the cases of over 100 patients with a suspected diagnosis of multiple personality disorder (MPD). He finds it clinically useful to think of a continuum of character pathology in which dissociative and defensive altered states predominate. At one end of this continuum is MPD, which he considers a lower-level dissociative character. He redefines dissociation as a defensive altered state, due to autohypnosis, which augments repression or splitting. Depending on the degree of integration of the ego, it may result in a broad range of disturbances of alertness, awareness, memory, and identity. Four vignettes are presented which illustrate a transient hypnoid state, "characterological" dissociation in an upper-level dissociative character, and two cases of MPD, including one emerging in analysis.

Over splitsen, splijten en dissociëren

“…Ze zijn gericht op het omhoog halen van herinneringen, het doorbreken van de amnestische barrie`re, het verwerken van traumatische ervaringen en het integreren van de afgesplitste persoonlijkheidsdelen (Herman, 1992;Kluft & Fine, 1993;Putnam, 1989;Ross, 1989). Een psychotherapeutische behandeling van een patie¨nt met een dissociatieve identiteitsstoornis vertoont vele trekken van een langdurige, inzichtgevende, psychodynamische therapie aan de steunende kant van het spectrum (Berman, 1981;Brenner, 1994;Davies & Frawley, 1994;Loewenstein & Ross, 1992).…”

From “It's Not Me” to “It Was Me, After All”: A Case Presentation of a Patient Diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder

“…My integrationist approach was informed by the work of Josephs (1995), who has cogently written about the relevance of character analysis and how this traditional approach is enhanced by integrating contemporary psychoanalytic perspectives. My model for understanding was also influenced by Brenner (1994) and Davies and Frawley (1994). And so, we entered into the difficult process of her treatment.…”

Does the Mind Fall Apart in Multiple Personality Disorder? Some Proposals Based On a Psychoanalytic Case

“…Brenner (1994), who takes dissociation as a term descriptive of a spectrum of symptoms that can occur within a variety of personality configurations. This is the essence of the approach taken by I.…”

“…Nor do I view dissociation in MPD solely as a defense or defense mechanism, unlike the few analysts who have written about it (Marmer 1980;Brenner 1994). Nor do I view dissociation in MPD solely as a defense or defense mechanism, unlike the few analysts who have written about it (Marmer 1980;Brenner 1994).…”