Stories of Survivors With Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Qualitative Investigation of Symptoms, Traumatic Experiences, and Relationships

Individuals diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID) experience both challenges and advantages in their intrapersonal (e.g., relationship to self) and interpersonal (e.g., relationship to others) relationships. However, limited research focuses on survivors of DID and their subjective experiences of their relationships with self and others. Thus, this study examined individuals diagnosed with DID (n = 12) and their perspectives on symptomology, self- disclosing their diagnosis, and the impact of surviving DID in relationships. Results identified several areas describing the DID phenomenon including symptoms, abuse and trauma history, consequences of diagnosis disclosure, and coping mechanisms.