Dissociative Identity Disorder in Real Life: My First Convincing Case

In this episode of Case Files from the Ward, I share the first truly convincing case of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) I’ve seen in my career. DID is one of the most controversial and misunderstood diagnoses in psychiatry. Many clinicians go their entire careers without seeing a clear-cut case, and for years, I was skeptical it even existed.

This patient’s history, symptoms, and presentation challenged my beliefs and made me take a hard look at how we diagnose and treat dissociative disorders.

We’ll cover:

The patient’s background and presenting symptoms
Why DID is so often misdiagnosed or overlooked
The neuroscience behind dissociation
Evidence-based treatments for DID
If you’re a mental health professional, student, or simply curious about psychiatry, this is a case you won’t want to miss.

Time Stamps
Introduction: 00:00 to 0:53
Case Info: 00:53 to 01:37
Treatments offered in the past: 01:38 to 02:24
Primary complaint: 02:25 to 03:46
My initial reaction: 03:47 to 04:38
Understanding Dissociation: 04:39 to 05:20
Trauma and Dissociation: 05:21 to 06:03
How common is Dissociative disorders: 06:04 to 06:54
Consequences of Missed Diagnosis: 06:55 to 07:34
Diagnosis: 07:35 to 08:43
Neuroscience of dissociative disorders: 08:44 to 09:27
Treatment: 09:28 to 11:08
Conclusion: 11:08 to 11:48