Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder,(MPD) is a psychiatric diagnosis, which according to the DSM-IV- TR multiaxial system, falls under the "Axis I Clinical Disorders and other conditions that may be a focus on clinical attention". (DSM-IV-TR, 2000, p.28).
DID comes under the category of Dissociative Disorders, along with Dissociative Amnesia, Dissociative Fugue, and Depersonalization Disorder (DSM-IV-TR, 2000). Dissociative Disorder was for the first time added to the DSM-111 in 1987, as separate category, and diagnostic criteria for Multiple Personality Disorder was outlined (Greaves, 1993). DID is a Psychiatric disorder that describes a condition in which an individual displays multiple distinct identities, each having its own pattern of perception and interaction with the environment (DSM-IV-TR, 2000). A diagnosis of DID is based on the patient's self-reported experiences, behavior reported by relatives or friends, and their current mental state. There is no laboratory test although physicians generally request tests for physical condition that may cause similar symptoms. History of Dissociative Identity Disorder There is some historical evidence that suggests that DID is as old as humankind. In ancient cave paintings of the upper Paleolithic Era, 100,000 years ago, the theme of transformation of shamans into animals, as well as reports of demonic possessions, although once thought to be bizarre disease or phenomenon, is by some considered possible evidence of the disorder throughout time.
