Dissociative identity disorder (DID), previously known as multiple personality disorder, is a complex psychological condition where a person develops two or more distinct personality states called alters. DID typically develops as a result of severe trauma in childhood as a coping mechanism to help the child detach from the trauma. An important question many with DID have is – can a DID personality/alter go away?
What are alters/personalities in DID?
Alters or personalities in DID are distinct identity states that involve shifts in behavior, memory, perception, cognition, and sense of self. Alters hold experiences, emotions, memories, behaviors, relationships, even names that are walled off from other alters. Some key things about DID alters:
- They have a role – Protector, caretaker, trauma holder, inner child etc.
- They hold different memories and experiences
- They have a sense of ownership – ‘my hand, my feelings’ etc.
- They have different behaviors, food preferences, abilities etc.
- They can be various ages
- They can be same or opposite gender as the body
While alters develop as a protective mechanism, living with uncontrolled switching between alters can be distressing and disruptive to functioning. Treatment aims to improve communication between alters and final integration into one identity.
Do alters/personalities go away?
Whether alters or personalities can permanently go away is a complex topic with diverging expert opinions. Here are some key points on this issue:
According to some experts, alters cannot be permanently eliminated
Many DID specialists believe that while alters can fuse together or become dormant, they cannot be completely eliminated. Reasons include:
- Alters form as a result of trauma. As long as the trauma memory exists, potential for that alter remains.
- Attempts to permanently eliminate alters may recreate the abusive control from past trauma.
- Alters hold vital roles – trauma holder, inner child, protector etc. Getting rid of them can be dysfunctional.
- Alters carry important memories and experiences that can enrich the final integrated identity.
- Alters often go dormant as integration progresses but potentially can resurface during regression.
Instead of elimination, the goal of therapy is internal cooperation and gradual fusion of alters into a unified self.
According to others, alters can be completely eliminated
Some practitioners believe that with therapy, alters can be completely eliminated. Their arguments include:
- As trauma memories are processed, related alters may no longer be needed and can disappear.
- Alters are not full distinct personalities but more like dissociated emotional states.
- Integration involves mourning loss of alters and discovering a new consolidated identity.
- Well-integrated systems report alters permanently “disappearing” over time.
- Brain imaging shows DID patients can reach normalized identity integration.
Proponents believe complete elimination of alters is possible with good therapy and life improvements that make dissociation no longer necessary.
Alters can go dormant
Whether alters can be completely eliminated remains debated. What is agreed upon is that alters can become dormant for long periods with integration. Reasons alters become dormant:
- Their defensive role is no longer needed as the trauma is processed.
- Improved communication makes their autonomous emergence less.
- Fusing with other alters makes them less distinct.
- Internal cooperation reduces need for their protective role.
- Lifestyle improvements and stability reduces need for dissociation.
A dormant alter personality may remain capable of resurfacing in times of stress or regression, unless they are deemed to be completely integrated.
Steps alters/personalities can take to “disappear”
While debate remains if alters can permanently disappear, there are steps the DID system can take to help integrate alters:
Trauma processing
Processing trauma memories in therapy can help “dismantle” the reason for dissociative parts, allowing integration.
Mapping the system
Understanding the makeup of the DID system, alters roles, hidden trauma, and internal relationships helps integration.
Communication between alters
Increased communication, cooperation and understanding between alters facilitates fusion and resolution of any conflicts.
Fostering teamwork
Encouraging alters to work together for shared goals rather than competing or sabotaging fusion efforts.
Unburdening trauma holders
Sharing out the difficult memories held by certain alters so they can heal.
Inner child work
Healing the wounded child alters through validation, nurturing and compassion to enable integration.
Restoring memories
Recalling memories held by different alters to create a unified history of the body’s life.
Fusing personalities
Blending together personalities with similar traits or functions into a consolidated identity state.
Improving daily life
Establishing stability, coping skills, relationships and life meaning to reduce need for dissociative protections.
Reducing stressors
Limiting re-traumatization and triggers that might cause dormant alters to re-emerge.
Signs an alter is integrating or going away
Some indicators an alter may be integrating or going dormant include:
- Reduced frequency of their emergence and influence
- Their appearance, voice etc. becomes less distinct
- Memories and emotions become more accessible
- Switching to them becomes more intentional than automatic
- Their emotions and memories blend with others’
- A sense of melting or fusing with other alters
- Their role is no longer needed by the system
Final integration usually takes time. Alters may come and go through the process, with dormancy often preceding complete fusion into one identity.
Can integration make DID symptoms worse?
The process of integration can sometimes temporarily worsen DID symptoms like:
- Increased switches as alters connect
- Emotional flooding as memories are shared
- Crisis of identity as alters fuse
- Reliving of trauma during memory processing
- Grieving the loss of identities being merged
Slow pacing, communication, stabilizing daily life, and coping skills can help smooth the integration journey.
Does successful integration mean no more alters?
In successful integration, many systems do reach a point of no more distinct alters emerging and report feeling singly identified. However, debate remains if intact alters with potential to re-emerge persist at deeper levels.
In one survey, around two-thirds of individuals with well-integrated DID continued sensing former alters somehow within, while one-third felt their alters were completely gone or “dead”.
For optimal functioning, the focus may be less on ‘eliminating’ alters, but establishing internal harmony and a unified sense of identity, whether or not some dormant potential remains.
Can integration fail or reverse?
Integration can encounter setbacks or reversals in cases like:
- Prematurely pushing for integration without resolving trauma.
- Failing to map and work through conflicts between alters.
- Pressuring alters to go away against their will.
- Losing needed alter roles like traumatized child or protector.
- Regressing to an overwhelmed state requiring dissociation.
- New trauma or major life stress causing identity fragmentation.
Gentle pacing, resolving roadblocks, establishing stability and avoiding re-traumatization help ensure integration progresses in a sustainable way.
Does DID treatment require alters to integrate?
Many systems do work towards full integration as their therapeutic goal. However, there are also cases where:
- Some alters remain but with cooperation and agreed roles.
- There is fluidity between identity shifts rather than amnesic switching.
- Parts fuse into groupings rather than one identity.
- The focus is on functioning and communication rather than integration.
There is no set endpoint – some see integration as full fusion, others see it as internal resolution and adaptive functioning regardless of system makeup.
Conclusion
Whether alters can fully and permanently integrate away remains an evolving area of understanding in trauma therapy. Many systems do reach a point where they identify singularly and report alters fusing away. However, there are differing views if potential for dormant alters remains unconsciously.
Rather than insisting on alter elimination, optimal DID therapy focuses on trauma processing, building cooperation between parts, developing stability and skills to reduce dissociation needs, and enabling the system to function adaptively. With this approach, dormancy and integration tend to unfold organically for most. Patience, self-compassion and inner teamwork are key in the integration journey.