Üsküdar University Founding Rector Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan gave information about the causes, triggers and treatment methods of multiple personality disorder.
Stating that multiple personality disorder is an interesting subject and many movies have been made about it, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “Since it is a disease group whose artistic aspect is also very easy, many films were made by exaggerating a bit. In fact, it is not a very common ailment. About 20 percent of the situations in the movies are true. And 80 percent is usually an exaggeration.” said.
Pointing out that there are many types of multiple personality disorder, Tarhan pointed out that it should not be confused with other cognitive disorders. Tarhan said, “In multiple personality disorder, the individual experiences a temporary split in his personality. Bipolar disorder occurs when areas of a person's emotion regulation are disrupted. Perception and ego disorder is also schizophrenia. Multiple personality disorder occurs when there is a disruption in perception, memory, consciousness and identity processes. explained the differences between cognitive disorders.
Stating that the individual suddenly takes on an alternative personality type, also called 'alter personality', while living with the personality A, Tarhan said, “Suddenly, he becomes a child. He acts like a child, talks like a child. He does childish things. Or different situations may arise. For example, I had a case; She was a girl whose father was a retired military officer. When that girl's alter personality came out, she described people as corporal, sergeant, and was giving orders.” he said.
Noting that childhood traumas are very important in personality disorders, Tarhan said, “The person experiences a trauma in his childhood. This is a trauma that cannot be resolved, cannot be confronted and talked about. The brain is putting that trauma into such a form of illness with a more acceptable defense. The brain does this automatically. If he doesn't do that, there will be schizophrenic disintegration. A brain region that talks to itself and dreams will be formed. He will be completely isolated and disconnected from reality. Multiple personality disorder is not like schizophrenia. The person does not experience this situation constantly, but from time to time.” he said.
Underlining that the treatment should be done with both medication and therapy, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, “This disease has both biological and psychological dimensions. In these people, one part of the brain works differently from the whole. Brain imaging studies show how the brain works. For example, different parts of the brain work when speaking different languages. We do not mix words. A healthy person can speak any language without confusion. It is the same in people's daily life. Automatically learned things are immediately extracted and used. In this disorder, the brain puts unresolved traumas on the shelf. But under intense stress, that lid opens again. The situation, which was like an extinct volcano, flares up again and erupts just like volcanoes erupt from time to time. It creates chaos. The person strengthens their sense of control and defense and can return to normal life or improve with treatment. For this reason, we should not think of this as a disease with a neurobiological dimension, such an abstract disease. Psychiatric diseases largely have biochemical counterparts in the brain.” he said.
Referring to the fact that the genetic factor is seen as a predisposition, Tarhan said, “If the parents and close relatives have it, the child also uses it as a defense under stress. Even if he has a childhood trauma, he can express that unresolved trauma in this way in the future. This is not done consciously, the problem is already there. Perception and memory work differently. The person lives that period and forgets it most of the time. You are describing why he did it, how he did it, in a completely different state of consciousness. That's why hypnosis works very well in his treatment, we use hypnosis." said.
Stating that multiple personality disorder can be defined very easily, Tarhan said, “If the person sometimes behaves very mature and sometimes like a child, talks to himself, laughs and does not remember or rejects them, it means that the Alter personality in a part of the brain comes into play. If you confront the person with this situation right away, he can question and get out of this situation. In therapies, it can be ensured that the ingrained personality structure is restored. Self-concept can be restored. Therefore, it is necessary to define the alternative personality correctly. For example, some people may have an autobiographical memory of their own. It has its own distinct identity, its resume, and lives it. You can understand this by observing and questioning. This person often goes back to childhood trauma, physical and sexual abuse is common. Since sexual abuse is something that one's own family cannot accept, the person cannot tell it to anyone. He feels guilty and remorseful. For example, there are abdominal pains for no reason, it is being researched that there is a feeling of sexual guilt behind situations such as those abdominal pains. He forgets about the sexual abuse he experienced as a child, but experiences what he feels at that moment, as if the event is repeating, along with contractions such as abdominal pain.” made a statement.
Stating that the disease disrupts social life and that the patient should be hospitalized in advanced cases, Tarhan said, “The memory is temporarily erased with electrical treatments that erase the memory. The person remembers the necessary things, the unnecessary ones are sent to the remote memory. There is also the clinical hypnosis technique. For this, the person must first trust the specialist. If he trusts, he lets himself go, pays attention, the body opens a window and the expert wanders around in his brain. It is conscious sleep called hypnosis, or conscious but relinquished control. There is an emotional radar in our brain, it uses the information in whichever part of the brain it goes. If the specialist knows the past of the person, he finds the traumas according to that past. He says there is no more threat and danger for him. One remedy for this is relieving their fears by making positive reinforcements as there is a solution. With a few sessions of suggestion work, the person can get better. However, the person must be fully surrendered to the treatment. Hypnosis works very well for people who are susceptible to suggestion. People who are accustomed to receiving commands, such as police and soldiers, fall into hypnosis easily because they are open to suggestions. However, you cannot easily put someone who questions everything and has a scientific identity into hypnosis.” he said.