Any suggestions about DID?

Im writing a paper on Dissociative Identity Disorder and co-consciousness. I am having trouble finding reading material that I consider reliable. I am unsure how to give an overview of the direction I wish it to take. I want to question the concept of co-consciousness from a clinical standpoint but so far the majority of my reading seems to accept without question that it is a major part of DID. I want to investigate the history of it because from my understanding the only understanding about it can come from persons who have been treated for it and seen as a great deal of knowledge both professionally and publically has originated in more then a precarious nature which did result in some of the more profilic DID specialists in court and in the case of Braun his licence surrended I wonder if there is any new research to counteract the old because if there is I am obviously not finding it.

I have my concept of what the disorder is and I realise it is controversial in nature, perhaps that is why I have chosen it. My understanding is that for the disorder to be diagnosed there has to be distinct and seperate identities that were initially caused by amnescic blocks in the mind that creates this discontinuity in the more hollistic identity of a one person. I tend to view it in the same way I do alzeimers though I do realise there is a difference but the basic concept seems rather alike, they have little concept of the present and can slip into the past without realising they are in the past because the linkage in the brain has broken down per se but as in the beginning of of alzeimers they are mostly lucid and aware of the present which in the case of DID those persons are highly functioning as certain triggers have to set of a change in identity.

I dont see how the concept of co-consciousness can fit with the criteria nor how a way to identify yourself can be shared amongst multiple ways to identify yourself seen as the disorder is caused by a break down in that function and this is where I would like to go with my paper. I want to question the idea of co-consciousness as its presented today. I surf the web and have been to many forums and sites where identites from various ages and various emotional states are cohabiting and I realise that yes we all have many identities, our work identity, our sexual identity, our identity with friends and so on but we are aware of them and aware of when we should wear which face and always aware even when feeling childlike that we are an adult where as people diagnosed with DID are supposedly lacking this hollistic link to their overall identity and if this is the case how can these seperate and distinct identities be co exisiting when they were seperated from that hollistic view initially and this is what supposedly formed them?

If anyone has any input or suggestions for reading or wish to share their concepts I would be greatly appreciative.

Replies:

Re:Any suggestions about DID?, by Jim Pretzer, 04/07/03

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