Does this sound like dissociative identity disorder?!
Question: Does this sound like dissociative identity disorder.?
My cousin is 16 and she's been depressed for a long time. She's on 40mg fluoxetine and 1mg risperidone. After a recent trip to hospital when she took an overdose (again), her Mum asked her for her computer password to check she wasn't getting bullied or something. She found some disturbing things on Yahoo answers.
My cousin has been 'pretending' to be a girl called Emily. It is a character she initially made up and has been asking questions which have been disturbing for the family to read. When she was asked about Emily, she was reluctant to talk. She says that she only did it to make herself feel better and she knows that this Emily character came from her imagination. But she feels that there is a character taking over her body in certain situations, that she becomes Emily without meaning to - who is braver and emotionally stronger than she is. Emily isn't the only one either, there have been other internet characters she has made up.
She is really confused about it and doesn't understand whether it's in her head or whether it is real.
What does it sound like to you.?Health Question & Answer
My cousin has been 'pretending' to be a girl called Emily. It is a character she initially made up and has been asking questions which have been disturbing for the family to read. When she was asked about Emily, she was reluctant to talk. She says that she only did it to make herself feel better and she knows that this Emily character came from her imagination. But she feels that there is a character taking over her body in certain situations, that she becomes Emily without meaning to - who is braver and emotionally stronger than she is. Emily isn't the only one either, there have been other internet characters she has made up.
She is really confused about it and doesn't understand whether it's in her head or whether it is real.
What does it sound like to you.?Health Question & Answer
Answers:
It does sound like a disassociation of sorts, but not necessarily DID.
It is common for people to make up different personas online and, in a sense, somewhat turn into that person. Before there was online, people did that with pen pals and other ways to anonymously be another person. When they feel braver hiding behind that alter ego, they can take on the characteristics of this persona they have invented.
I am not saying that she cannot have DID, but what you described so far is not enough information to say that she has it one way or another. Health Question & Answer
It is common for people to make up different personas online and, in a sense, somewhat turn into that person. Before there was online, people did that with pen pals and other ways to anonymously be another person. When they feel braver hiding behind that alter ego, they can take on the characteristics of this persona they have invented.
I am not saying that she cannot have DID, but what you described so far is not enough information to say that she has it one way or another. Health Question & Answer
It sounds like personality disorder, however I'm not the one to be diagnosing your cousins illness, neither is anyone on the internet, I assume if your cousin has had mental health problems for some time then she'll be getting support from professionals who know her history, does it really matter what the diagnosis is anyway, just be there for her, she is obviously a very ill young girl.Health Question & Answer
No one actually gives out true information on the INTERNET. Why people create avatars. So with that being said, if you know anything about role playing , or gamers. some actually take it to the real world. So that is from internet to real world.
Sounds like any person who prefers the Virtual world then the real one.Health Question & Answer
Sounds like any person who prefers the Virtual world then the real one.Health Question & Answer
Sounds to me like a typical kid with a parent who makes up excuses for there kids actions maybe even other family members. Reading more into what a kid does, kids are kids and do stupid things.
But hey want to call it dissociative identity disorder, go for it. Health Question & Answer
But hey want to call it dissociative identity disorder, go for it. Health Question & Answer
I don't think she has DID or multiple personalities. The person usually don't have control over them and they take over the person with a different voice and personality. Emily sounds like she is the one in control, but she does sound unhappy and looking for an escape. She may not like being herself so she imagines she is someone else who handles life much better. She just sounds troubled to me and I just did a paper on multiple personalities for college. Emily could use some counseling anyway to help her learn to be more assertive so she doesn't have to escape through her imaginary selves. God bless.Health Question & Answer
It is very difficult to correctly diagnose dissociative identity disorder, but in true documented cases the sufferer has periods of black out and cannot identify the other personalities. This sounds more like a person who feels more comfortable expressing herself as an anonymous entity than as her true self in a place she perceives as safe like the internet. It's similar to someone going to a bar in Mexico on spring break and telling everyone their a big lawyer even though they've only taken a few political science classes. There can be a certain rush to feeling anonymous.Health Question & Answer