Hello everyone! This is an installment of the Newspaper’s series on mental conditions and disorders. I find the variety of ways that the brain works to be extremely fascinating, so I have been exploring them. I hope you enjoy these presentations of my research. Many of these conditions are considered ‘disorders’ because they are different than what we are used to and could make operating in the world challenging. But, these conditions can cause reflection on what is ‘normal’ – both in terms of brain function and in terms of what we expect in society. If you have any questions or requests on topics, email me -> Hiruni Manawadu
Dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder, is characterized by switching to and from multiple personalities. People with this disorder usually feel two or more people living in their head. They may feel possessed by these identities. The personalities often have different behaviors and characteristics. For example, one identity may be a boy with a deep voice, sarcastic behavior, and 20/20 vision. The other may be a high pitched girl who speaks French and needs glasses. This characteristic can make it very difficult to participate in day to day activities. People with dissociative identity disorder commonly experience dissociative amnesia and dissociative fugue. I will write about both in future articles! If you have any questions or suggestions about these conditions or suggestions about others I should explore, please reach and email hiruni.manawadu28@paceacademy.org.