multiple personality

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Word: Multiple Personality

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: Multiple personality is a mental health condition where a person has two or more distinct personalities or identities. Each of these personalities may have its own name, age, history, and characteristics. This condition is now often referred to as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).

Explanation:

In simpler terms, imagine a person who feels like they are not just one person but several different people living inside them. Each personality can act, think, and feel in different ways. This can happen because of very difficult experiences or trauma in their life.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "multiple personality" when talking about someone who has this condition. However, it's important to note that the more current term used by professionals is "Dissociative Identity Disorder" (DID).
• Be sensitive when discussing this topic, as it relates to mental health.

Example:

• "After many therapy sessions, Lisa learned she had multiple personalities that emerged due to her traumatic childhood experiences."

Advanced Usage:

• In psychological discussions, you might say, "The treatment for dissociative identity disorder often involves integrating the multiple personalities into a single, cohesive identity."

Word Variants:

• Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): This is the modern clinical term for multiple personality disorder.
• Personality: Refers to the specific traits and characteristics of an individual.

Different Meanings:

• "Personality" can also refer to the general character or behavior of a person, not necessarily related to multiple personalities. For example, "She has a cheerful personality."

Synonyms:

• Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
• Split personality (though this term is less accurate and can be misleading)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "multiple personality," but you might hear phrases like "put on a different face" to describe someone acting differently in various situations.

Summary:

Multiple personality disorder, or Dissociative Identity Disorder, is a complex mental health condition where an individual has two or more distinct personalities.

Academic

Noun

1. a relatively rare dissociative disorder in which the usual integrity of the personality breaks down and two or more independent personalities emerge

Synonyms

• split personality