Cognitive Dissonance and Dissociative Identity Disorder
We’ve all had thoughts that were directly opposed to each other. We may think that we want to go out with that person, but we also know they are not a good fit. That’s cognitive dissonance. In dissociative identity disorder, cognitive dissonance is a real problem as the alters vie for control and to get their needs met
This article will discuss how cognitive dissonance and dissociative identity disorder interact to make us miserable and some things we can do to ease the pain.
What is Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a mental health problem where a person who lived through extreme trauma in childhood have two or more separate personality states known as alters.
The “dissociative” in DID means to disconnect or separate. Because of the severe trauma the person has lived through, their personality did not coalesce into a whole personality but stayed separate to handle the pain and grief.
Each personality state holds the memories and feelings the survivor with DID formed separately from the person people see. Each alter can take over the body and each alter is a different age and sometimes sexual orientation.
When alters switch control, survivors may have gaps in their memory and experience “losing time.” Alters control the survivors behavior and memories of the past and current events may not transfer between alters. Amnesia is a critical symptom of DID that is often a red flag for a therapist struggling to understand their clients seemingly disconnected behavior.
Dissociative identity disorder is in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the bible for the American Psychiatric Association. The manual fifth edition and is commonly used by mental health professionals to diagnose mental health problems. So, if anyone tries to tell you that DID isn’t real, you can point out that the diagnosis is included in the DSM.
What is Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive dissonance means the discomfort you feel when you say or do something that goes against what you believe. Because you are going against your grain, you experience a disruption of your thoughts and you are torn between them.
Not all cognitive dissonance is bad as it gives you a chance to explore what is so uncomfortable about your actions or beliefs. Cognitive dissonance is an intersection with you needing to pay attention to and decide which way to go next.
Some clues that you might be experiencing cognitive dissonance are as follows:
• Experiencing discomfort because your values do not line up with your actions.
• Questioning and second-guessing your beliefs and values.
• Feeling guilty or shameful because of your decisions or beliefs.
• Having difficulty rationalizing or justifying your actions.
• Difficulty recognizing who you are and feeling a profound loss of sense of self.
• Rationalizing your decisions saying to yourself that your actions are okay
Cognitive dissonance causes a lot of discomfort and doubt causing anxiety and distress. Decision making is more difficult and so does your ability to think rationally and lowers confidence in your decision making.
Cognitive Dissonance and Dissociative Identity Disorder
While cognitive dissonance and dissociative identity disorder often overlap because both have internal conflicts. However, they are quite different. Cognitive dissonance refers to the emotional discomfort one feels from conflicting attitudes and beliefs. DID involves the presence of separate self-states withing a single person.
DID is a mental health condition with a complex presentation, but cognitive dissonance is a psychological process.
Dissociation is a way to manage conflicting beliefs or realities. For instance, a child is abused and neglected by their caregivers but they know they must be loved by them. The child will then dissociate from their child abuse to escape their conflicting thoughts about their reality.
Dissociative identity disorder alters might have conflicting beliefs or desires, creating dynamic cognitive dissonance.
How to Treat Cognitive Dissonance When You Have DID
One treatment, especially if you have DID, is to gain a therapist who is a good fit for you and at least has training in trauma-informed care. After entering therapy, your mental health professional will help you focus on open communication between all the others in your system exposing any cognitive dissonance found there.
Your therapist will also help you acknowledge any conflicting thoughts and beliefs. They will do this task by using different techniques such as like grounding and mindfulness. Unfortunately, this treatment often involves exploring past trauma, challenge long-held negative self-beliefs and developing coping mechanisms.
There are things you can do for yourself to help with cognitive dissonance. Before I began, I want to urge anyone who has dissociative identity disorder to find and go to a therapist.
The first thing you can do for yourself is to educate yourself about cognitive dissonance and dissociative identity disorder. Knowing how these two mental processes work is critical in helping you find and address your conflicting thoughts.
Second, encourage each alter to share their feelings, thoughts and experiences with you even if they are contrary to what you think know about yourself. Be open to contrasting belief systems and memories within each alter.
Third, using regular mindfulness exercises will aid you to becoming more aware of how you feel in the moment. Not all people like mindfulness and feel it does not work for them. That’s fine, they can move on to the next thing.
Finally, journaling helps you explore your thoughts and feelings. Not only should you write in your journal, your alters should be allowed to express themselves as well. Discovering the differences in their beliefs as opposed to yours can help you to learn to live with them.
Ending Our Time Together
Living with dissociative identity disorder would be hard enough but add on the problem of cognitive dissonance and you have a person who is at war with themselves.
However, it is good to know that through therapy with a good-fitting therapist you can face the differences between your opinions and memories and your alters.
I know when I began therapy that I was definitely at war with myself. I did not want to own all the trauma I had endured as a child. There were and still are many different opinions about life between me and my alters, but I knew to move ahead I needed to open a direct line of communication between the others and me.
One may be able to overcome cognitive dissonance if they don’t have any other mental health challenges. But people who also live with DID must have someone who is trained in the treatment of trauma if they are to heal.
“The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering.” – Ben Okri
“If you have a positive attitude and constantly strive to give your best effort, eventually you will overcome your immediate problems and find you are ready for greater challenges.” – Pat Riley
Good article, Shirley!!!