DID is considered to be “chronic, polysymptomatic, and pleiomorphic posttraumatic dissociative psychopathology characterized by the presence of multiple identities (personality states or alters) and amnesia…”(Kluft, R.P. 1999, p.290). Richard P. Kluft, MD uses this definition as the requirements for using a stage-oriented treatment of trauma spelled out by Jan

The last stage of this model is reconnection. In this stage the therapist begins to learn as much as possible about the origins, concerns, and relationships of as many alters as possible. The therapist learns how each alter may react in stressful situations. Utilizing this knowledge, and the tools established in the first two stages, the therapist may address issues experienced by alters and encourage cooperation and collaboration among the alters. Interventions are also used to access and process overwhelming experiences. This is useful because it reminds the patient that experiences will be addressed in the interest of recovery. It also reminds the patient that the feelings associated with these experiences or the sense of relief once they have been address is not evidence of historical accuracy. (Kluft, R.P. 1999, p.292+)

Another approach to the treatment of DID is the phenomenological treatment. In this approach, understanding traumatic experiences or adaptive ways of dealing with childhood trauma are not as important as in the prior approach. Rather, effective treatment is “facilitated by abstaining from critical judgments about the ‘reality’ of multiple personalities and the ‘truth’ of childhood trauma” (Ellerman, C.P.; pg.70). There are three goals to this method; 1.) demystification of dissociation, 2.) breakdown of amnesic barriers, and 3.) integration of alter conscious states (Ellerman, C.P.; pg.71).

As encouraging as these results seems, Ellason and Ross note that the patients that participated were those who were willing to be reassessed. Merskey and Piper point out that the follow-up information obtained for this study only represented 40% of Ross and Ross’s cohort. They point out that no reference was made to the natural course of untreated patients with DID. (Merskey and Piper, 1998; pg. 1462+) Powell and Howell also dispute the validity of this study since it lacks a control group and identifiable treatment components. Therefore, it is impossible to know how much improvement can be attributed to nontreatment factors, such as spontaneous recovery. They also note, that since patients were studied at time of hospitalization, which is a time when they are at their more symptomatic, it can only be natural for after treatment, for these patients exhibit less symptoms. (Howell & Powell, 1998; pg. 1304+)

In order to accomplish this, the therapist must create a good story that replaces the metaphor of separateness with metaphors of uni

Some topics in this essay:
Kluft RP, Ellerman CP, Disorder Studies, Ross MD, Kluft RP1999, Alter Personalities, Howell Powell, Ellason Ross, Powell Howell, Herman Trauma, rp 1999, kluft rp 1999, ellerman cp, kluft rp, ellason ross, amnesic barriers, traumatic experiences, collaboration alters, breakdown amnesic, childhood trauma, integration resolution, breakdown amnesic barriers, ellerman cp pg71+, howell powell 1998, ross 1997 pg,