One of my friends

[Fictional]

One of my friends has been drivelling on to me for almost an hour over MSN about how he thinks he's got "dissaciotave identity disorder" which is "really complicated
and theres no way [he'd] be able to explain it all". His symptoms are :

• "periods when i ve relaised ive done something, like picked up somthing, drawn or write something and such like, with no memory of doing it"
• "starting to get emotions with no justifiable cause"

Those both seem perfectly normal to me; I myself have completly forgotten conversations I've had, only to repeat them later on, and I forgot I'd taken two exams right up until my results were read out in class, yet I'm prefectly sane. He refuses to admit that it might just be a little bit of paranoia, and he says he's considering a mental health assesment - yet he wouldn't go to a doctor to get it done - "ill go to a counselorr or whatwever, the peoples whose jobs involve talking to people about mental health" - that would be a doctor, then. I've said to him that I just don't believe he's mentally ill, because the only symptoms he's said are things that affect normal people every day. His response to this is "i give up trying to explain it to you, youdve made your decison and now your refusing to see my point of view at all" which is how he responsd whenever he doesn't get the pity and sympathy whatever his recent bit of cock-and-bull is supposed to gain him.

I know this seems like just another rant (i guess for the large part it is) but does anybody think that there might be some justification for what he's diagnosed himself with - going on what he's told me, which is quoted for you up there? I think it's a load of shit myself, and that he'll give it up in a week or so, but I might possibly be proved wrong ¬.¬

[ChaosControl]

If he goes to a councellor, which is what he should do if he's worried, then there's really no reason for you two to argue. If he doesn't go, you could be right, but then again he might be worried he's going to get a similar response from the coucellor, which is not a nice feeling. I myself am terrified of going to see a doctor about something, only to hear something along the lines of "You're just making a fuss about nothing".

I think yes, he could be right, but I'm not a psychiatrist and I wouldn't know for sure. It does sound like the sort of thing that everyone experiences but if he feels it's having a negative impact on his life he needs to sort it out by talking to someone about it. Quite often, the symptoms of mental illness are things that everyone gets, but to a much greater extent.

The short answer is if he wants to get a mental health assessment, don't try to put him off. There's no harm in him finding out, and if it turns out to be a sympathy trip then you don't have to listen to him, just block him on MSN.

[Thirteen]

Jessy, it sounds like you have a right to be skeptical.

In fact, Dissociative Identity Disorder is a rather large leap, and a controversial diagnosis (that many professionals don't even believe in, long story, it goes back to other DID questions on the forums though). Your friend would have to see a professional and talk to them if he even wants a diagnosis.

I have a friend who does the same things, though. She's made up having mental illnesses, based on stupid little things that are perfectly normal. Some people just, want to have something that makes them special, I guess. Although with my friend, I have a theory, but I don't know if it'd be relevant to your friend or not.

[Fictional]

I mentioned it to my mother, who's a mental health worker, and she said it's very rare, and usually triggered by serious long term abuse (which my friend hasn't endured ¬.¬) s it probably is just a load of b.s. but thankyou for the replies =)

[ChaosControl]

Originally Posted by Fictional

usually triggered by serious long term abuse (which my friend hasn't endured ¬.¬)

Sorry to ask an awkward question, but how exactly do you know your friend hasn't been abused?

He might well be bullshitting, but none of us here know what he's been through, nor are we professionals, so it's difficult to say.

[Fictional]

You know him, Hand-grenade, and it's pretty clear through knowing him - it also helps that he's a pretty close family friend.

[ChaosControl]

Originally Posted by Fictional

You know him, Hand-grenade, and it's pretty clear through knowing him - it also helps that he's a pretty close family friend.

OK, that's fair enough, you know him better than I do after all. I just live by the motto "Don't judge until you know everything, and you will never know everything".

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

DID is highly controversial, I don't believe it's a real disorder but that aside, the theorized cause of it is long-term severe child abuse. If he hasn't had that, then it's so doubtful to the point where a doctor who does believe DID is a real disorder wouldn't diagnose him with it. He can go to a counselor all he wants but if he begins with his self-diagnosis, he has to realize, the counselor isn't going to like that and they cannot diagnose him.

If he does get a mental health assessment, he will have to explain his reason for the self-diagnosis, otherwise he may be diagnosed with something else, such as malingering, fictitious disorder, Munchausen syndrome, somatoform disorder, psychotic disorder or simply no disorder.

If you want, you can try to have him explain himself saying you're willing to understand but he has to explain and not simply say there's no way to explain it. If he still won't or cant explain it, then if I were you, I'd tell him to bugger off and find attention elsewhere.