In a novel that I'm working on, one of the characters has dissociative identity disorder (DID), though this will not ever be explicitly stated in the aforementioned novel. I was wondering how to portray such a character without accidentally being insensitive or sensationalizing anything. I know nothing about how the disease actually works. Any help?
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4Does this answer your question? I want to write a story and I've promised some people I would make the main character have bipolar but I know absolutley nothing about having bipolar– BenCommented Apr 2 at 12:38
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3If you know nothing about the disorder, why do you intend one of your characters to suffer from it? How can you make such a decision, if you have nothing you can base it on?– BenCommented Apr 2 at 12:57
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2DID was discussed in this question: How do you write a character with multiple personalities?– DiviznaCommented Apr 2 at 19:54
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2 Answers
I can’t tell you how to accurately portray a character with DID because I am still doing my own research for a character with that condition. However, I can share some of the resources I’ve found helpful so far.
First, I want to point you toward the links Ben and Divizna shared in comments because both have good basic tips for approaching the research process. My own research began with looking up common myths and misrepresentations of DID. For instance, I was surprised to learn that DID can only develop from trauma during a certain age range, currently recognized as 6-9 years old. Because one of the articles mentioned non-human “alters” or distinct personalities being fairly common, I did additional research on different types of alters and the terms for them. For fictional purposes, a key takeaway is that every alter needs to have a function within the DID system with their identity and backstory supporting that function.
Lately I’ve spent a lot of time browsing the subreddits for DID and DiscussDID. Rules on both subreddits disallow asking about writing characters with DID, so I’d advise just quietly and respectfully learning. Remember these are people sharing very personal details even if it is a public forum. Ultimately, my goal is to hire a sensitivity reader, but I have to finish writing a solid draft and gather funds first.
Since it’s hard to find without a direct link, I also want to share a film I learned about through the DID subreddit: Kintsugi: Parts of a Whole. The creators are systems/have DID themselves, and while watching it won’t teach you how to portray DID in prose, it might be helpful if you want an illustration of that point about each alter having a function in the system.
Read Blindsight?
One of the characters (the gang) has the altered herself and used the condition as a productivity tool turning herself into a research department in one person.
