Available online at:
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J Camosun Psyc Res. (2020). Vol. 2, pp. 1-6.
Submitted Fall 2019; accepted June 2020.

Dissociative identity disorder: Understanding its roots in
childhood experiences.
Author: Devyansh*
Supervising Instructor: Cate Pelling, Psyc 250 (“Psychopathology”)
Department of Psychology, Camosun College, 3100 Foul Bay Road, Victoria, BC, Canada V8P 5J2
*Corresponding author email: blessedalways3321@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
This paper examines Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and how it is potentially rooted in
childhood experience. The paper provides an analysis of the characteristics of DID and the
history of the diagnosis as well as current conceptualizations of the disorder. The paper explores
current understandings of the causes of the disorder and highlights various findings that indicate
the potential role of childhood experiences and trauma in DID. Reasons for linking DID with
childhood experiences are discussed; these include the long-lasting effects of trauma that occurs
during the developmental stage of childhood. The paper also analyzes the comorbidity of
Dissociative Disorders with other psychological and/or health conditions. Integrative treatment
that addresses the complexity and the rarity of the DID is also reviewed. The paper concludes
with an understanding of DID as being significantly connected to early traumatic experiences
that may interact with potential biological vulnerability and/or the individual’s social
environment. The analysis calls for further research into DID.
The process of dissociation when referred
to as part of psychological disorders can be
differentiated from the dissociative
phenomena that most individuals experience
periodically. As the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM-5) explains, individuals suffering
from dissociative disorders show
disintegration between the cognitive, social,
physical and behavioral aspects of the
individual. This disintegration or disruption
differentiates dissociative disorders from the
normal and benign dissociation individuals
sometimes face in their day to day life.
As Kennedy et al. (2013) mention, recent
studies conducted on dissociative disorders
tend to indicate a high rate of comorbidity
with various other disorders and dissociative

disorders may have roots in childhood
experiences. This paper aims to explore the
relationship between Dissociative Identity
Disorder (DID) and childhood experiences
and take a closer look at the characteristics
of the rare condition. The paper also tries to
understand the causes of DID and its cooccurrence with other disorders and mental
conditions. It is followed by a look into the
current conceptualizations and integrative
treatment options for the disorder.
The history of interest in dissociation can
be traced back to the sixteenth century.
Discussions by Kennedy et al. ( 2013 )
identify that the instances of possession and
witchcraft were sometimes viewed as
instances of dissociation. The understanding
of the phenomena in the 16th century
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provided a point of reference from which
our contemporary understanding of
dissociation emerged.
By the late nineteenth century, ideas
about dissociation were connected to
concepts like hypnosis and hysteria. These
new ways of looking at dissociation evolved
into a many different models for explaining
dissociation. One of these models
dichotomy model of dissociation.
The dichotomy model of dissociation
was developed in the 21st century. This
model binds two qualitatively different
phenomena – ‘detachment’ and
‘compartmentalization’. As Kennedy et al. (
2013 ) elucidates, “ ‘Detachment’
incorporates depersonalization and
derealization, ‘spacing-out’, feelings of
unreality that occur with little disturbance to
sense of identity. It has been observed to cooccur with trauma” (p. 12). Meanwhile, “
‘Compartmentalization’ has been observed
to be the inability to bring normal accessible
information to conscious awareness. It can
influence emotion, cognition and action and
the two distinct categories may occur
concurrently during certain conditions such

as PTSD ” ( p. 12-13 ). Figure 1 illustrates
this dichotomy.
The dichotomy model is useful in a
systematic approach to the treatment of
dissociation. Treatment can be focused on
the cues of detachment if the diagnosis
involves difficulties with the detachment
whereas, treatment addressing
compartmentalization elements of
dissociation can work toward a reintegration
of information in order to bring it into
conscious awareness. The model may also
serve to break down the presenting problem
of the client, and can be instrumental in
studying comorbidity of dissociation with
other psychological disorders. Another
consideration is the process of dissociation
and it’s relationship to neural connections –
“dissociative processes may be understood
in the connection of possible reversible
blocking of the transmission from one
hemisphere to the other across the corpus
callosum and other commissural fibers. It
may lead to the competition and chaotic
states” (Bob, 2003, p. 911). In
neurophysiological contexts, dissociation
may be understood as the blocking of

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effective communication in between the two
hemispheres of the brain in the suffering
individuals.
Individuals suffering from
Dissociative Identity Disorder typically have
an average of 15 alter personalities (Barlow
et al, 2018, p. 197). The typical age of onset
has been observed to be around the age of 4,
but the symptoms develop over a period of
approximately 7 years before the disorder
may be identified (Barlow et al, 2018, p.
197). There are a number of different causes
that contribute to the onset and development
of the disorder. Numerous studies have
found the contributing factors to be in some
way or the other linked to childhood
experiences, trauma and other stressful
events. As Spring (2012) identifies in their
conceptualization, there may be two main
contributing factors which may lead to a
dissociative disorder: trauma and
disorganized attachment. Childhood trauma
can be a result of maltreatment or abuse by
the primary care-giver (or the attachmentfigure) in the developing years. Childhood
trauma may be associated with a
disorganized attachment pattern. This
pattern or style of attachment develops
within the first three years of age (Spring,
2012). It has been observed that childhood
abuse is not the only source of trauma faced
by the patients. In many patients, extremely
stressful environments, or stimuli can act as
sources of trauma (i.e. neglect, loss of loved
ones, natural disasters, war, etc.). Some
individuals, when confronted/exposed to
trauma in childhood, have a “natural
tendency to escape or dissociate from the
unremitting negative affect associated with
severe childhood trauma” (Barlow et al.,
2018, p. 198). Research suggests that
maltreatment faced by an individual during
their childhood may contribute to
problematic adult behaviors. In addition to
the social stressors that might contribute to

the development of Dissociative Identify
Disorder, a number of biological
contributions have been suggested as well.
Spring (2012) elucidates, some individuals
may carry higher biological tendency to
experience dissociative phenomena. This
may be due to physiological changes in the
brain structure which then makes it difficult
for the individual to engage effectively with
their surroundings and their experiences.
Patients who exhibit dissociative symptoms
in adulthood have also been seen to
experience and suffer from certain
neurological conditions, particularly seizure
disorders (Barlow et al., 2018, p. 199).
Numerous reasons have been
presented to outline the causes of
Dissociative Identity Disorder. DID has its
roots in the childhood experiences of the
suffering individual. Spring (2012 )
illustrates the vulnerability of traumatized
children to DID. As children proceed
through their development, they are
physiologically and emotionally more
vulnerable to developing the disorder.
Children do not have an extensive
understanding of their social and physical
environment and they are less likely to cope
effectively with traumatic experiences they
may face. In addition, children who lack
adequate emotional and social support are
more susceptible to develop the disorder.
“Exposure to verbal abuse from parents is
associated with elevated psychological
symptoms and white matter abnormalities”
(Kandemir, et al., 2015, p. 373).
Dissociation may arise out of these stressful
and traumatic events and experiences.
Research suggests that children who
experience such traumatic events might use
the dissociation as a defense mechanism to

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deny the experience and protect themselves
from the adverse experiences.
Dissociative disorders are highly
comorbid with disorders and/or conditions
like anxiety, trauma, panic, depression,
somatoform disorders, conversion disorders,
etc (Barlow et al., 2018, p.
197).“Adolescents with DD (Dissociative
Disorders) are more likely to experience
higher rates of psychiatric comorbidity.”
(Bozkurt et al., 2014, p. 371). Research
conducted on comorbidity of Personality
Disorder with dissociative disorders has
found “ emotional abuse and severity of PD
had a statistically significant effect on
dissociation scores in patients. In addition,
patients with severe dissociation symptoms

had more pronounced Personality Disorder”
(Ural et al., 2015, p. 470 ). Patients who
displayed symptoms of Conversion Disorder
(Functional Neurological Symptom
Disorder) also showed a great deal of
overlap with the symptoms of dissociative
disorders and in some studies there was
significant comorbidity with Bipolar
Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder .
“The age at onset of CD was also found to
be significantly earlier in the DD(+) group
compared to the DD(–) group...The rates for
lifetime bipolar disorders and posttraumatic
stress disorder were significantly higher in
the DD(+) group than the DD(–) group
(55% vs. 11.8% and 20.0% vs. 0%,
respectively)” (Yayla, et al., 2015, p. 36 ).
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Research by Webermann et al., (2015)
suggests that in addition to higher rates of
comorbidity, the patients with Dissociative
Identity Disorder also display high rates of
suicide and non-suicidal self-injury. Since
Dissociative Identity Disorder appears to
develop out of extreme environmental
stressors and trauma in interaction with
some biological vulnerability of the
individual, these risk factors may predispose
the individual to a number of other severe
mental conditions.
Assessing a patient for a dissociative
disorder can be a challenging task. The
individual may display a multitude of
symptoms which the clinician or psychiatrist
might identify as part of another mental
condition or disorder. “Because of their
complex and coexisting symptoms, patients
display elevated scores on a number of the
scales on the MMPI and the MMPI-2. As
such, their profiles are often technically
invalid” ( Stadnik et al., 2013, p. 547 ).
Understandably, once the disorder is
correctly diagnosed, treatment is not an easy
task. Treatment for this complex disorder
involves multifold approach. Apart from the
efforts to reintegrate different alters through
therapeutic alliance and confrontation, the
treatment involves addressing trauma in an
early stage of therapy. “The top DID
therapists reported that they infrequently
explored trauma in detail early in therapy
.This is important because focusing too early
on traumatic processing can be
destabilizing” ( Myrick et al., 2015, p. 62 ).
“Revictimization can serve as a significant
impediment to treatment progress. Sexual
and physical revictimization is high among
survivors of childhood sexual and physical
abuse and is associated with increased
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
symptoms and dissociation” ( Myrick et al.,
2013, p. 376 ). With limited research based
on treatment, much of the treatment

approach comes from accumulated clinical
wisdom. On one hand, treatment aims at a
gradual reduction in the dissociative
experiences and reintegration of the
personalities and on the other hand,
treatment focuses on associated and wellknown psychological conditions like trauma,
conversion and/or somatoform disorders,
PTSD, etc.
In summary, research suggests that
childhood experiences and traumatic events
along with biological vulnerability are some
of the main causes for the development of
Dissociative Identity Disorder. Dissociative
Identify Disorder develops in childhood due
to the limited ability of some children to
handle significant traumatic events. It has
been proposed that dissociation develops as
a defense and escape from intolerable
situations. This can set the stage for the
emergence of the disorder in some
individuals. Distinguishing Dissociative
Identity Disorder from common dissociative
experiences has been made. A brief
discussion about assessment and treatment
and the extensive difficulties associated with
them has also been included. Research in
areas like - response of children to traumatic
experiences, defense mechanisms used by
individuals in their day-to-day lives and
effects of known medicines and drugs,
which are used to cure various psychological
disorders, on individuals suffering from
Dissociative Identity Disorder may
contribute significantly.
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