A friend has developed a split personality and their parents' relationship is not harmonious. How can one help?

Good evening. You are a very good friend.

From your brief question, it is clear that your friend has a split personality. I am unsure if this has been diagnosed by a psychiatrist, or if your friend or you think so.

Your friend needs a split personality. If he doesn't get one, his host personality won't be able to support his current life. The split personality is saving him. He needs it.

I believe that in many cases, similar situations can be better understood as different personality masks. Based on my limited knowledge of psychiatry, I am confident that your friend is not suffering from a split personality. One of the key symptoms of multiple personality is that the different personalities are unaware of the existence of the others.

Your friend's symptoms are likely a defense mechanism that has emerged in response to a complex and difficult external environment or life.

The case of "24 Billys" is a famous example of multiple personality. Billy suffered severe family abuse as a child and split into 24 distinct personalities. Billy is one of these personalities, representing the original core identity.

Multiple personalities emerge due to the unintegratable aspects of the patient's identity. In other words, there are significant conflicts in the personality that cannot be integrated and are forced to split into a new personality. This is evident in the TV series "Sifeng," which was a major success last year. Sifeng, who wanted to fall in love, and Sifeng, who wanted to return to the mountains, could not be integrated, so they simply split into a new Sifeng, Baiying.

This is a clear-cut case of split personality. Sifang is a vine, and it can naturally give rise to more vines.

Think about how we often want to become someone else. For example, how a person who follows the rules suddenly wants to let loose.

We often identify with other people who embody qualities we admire but feel we cannot attain ourselves. Take, for instance, our admiration for strong female protagonists in movies and dramas. The reason is simple: we cannot be a strong female protagonist ourselves.

Some people integrate better, while other personalities are simply daydreaming or joking around. The truth is that women are simply releasing pent-up desires and being true to themselves, despite what some may say about women being afraid of rebellion in middle age.

Sometimes, we need this projection or imagination to continue with a miserable life.

Your friend is experiencing severe inner conflict and wants to give up his current personality. However, he can't give it up directly, so he's created a "split personality" to give himself a break.

He needs to see a counselor or psychiatrist.

Otherwise, he will have to escape and activate his "split personality" to give his main personality some breathing space unless someone can help him solve some difficult problems in life.

I strongly recommend seeking professional help.

I am a counselor who is often pessimistic and sometimes positive. The world is great, and I love you.

Hello, question asker!

You care a lot about your friend, and I think he can feel your warmth. This is great! However, this personality problem is a very professional issue, and you still need to advise him to seek counseling to improve himself.

I'm excited to see how willing he is to seek help! How old is he now?

Should he go to school or work? If he seeks counseling, there will be costs involved. What is his financial situation?

He's going through a rough patch, but he'll get through it!

Your concern and comfort will make him feel that the world is still a beautiful place. And he will feel that way because you will help him to see it! He is indeed facing some inner pain, but he will get through it.

I don't know where this pain comes from, but I'm excited to find out! Could it be from real-life factors, events, or past wounds?

You can sense the different facets of his personality, and it's amazing! He is also trying his best to adjust himself and live life to the fullest.

He's having a bit of trouble adjusting to himself, but he'll get there! He's caught in a dilemma with a lot of psychological conflict, but he'll find his way through it. The advice of those around him is only a temporary solution, but it'll help him get to where he needs to be. What can really help him get out of it is his ability to withstand these setbacks and difficulties.

This is why he needs help to sort out and analyze some current or past events, and improve his ability to cope and adjust himself. Once he's done that, he'll be able to completely improve his state and no longer be afraid of the future!

His personality says that he wants to give up his body and that there is no point in living. He must have suffered too much and can't hold on any longer.

If you can persuade him, go for it! But don't forget to also encourage him to seek professional counseling.

You mentioned that he has suffered some trauma in the past. This is an amazing opportunity for him to process these traumas and re-evaluate himself and gain confidence!

Absolutely! Everyone has a different tolerance for pain, and this ability can change. If he seeks psychological counseling, he will definitely be able to improve to some extent.

I can see that you are anxious, but I'm here to tell you that you can help him indirectly if he doesn't seek help himself!

Absolutely! You can definitely attend the counseling yourself and, with the counselor's help, design a plan to help him based on what you know about him. This kind of help is still very beneficial, even if he doesn't receive counseling directly.

I'm here for you! If you need help, just make an appointment with me and I'll do everything I can to help him.

Questioner

Hello! From reading your text, it's clear you're a friend who cares about him and wants to help. I understand.

As you mentioned in the article, his parents had an unhappy relationship, and he was bullied by his classmates in elementary school. These are all psychological traumas he has experienced. If he can't get out of it, he will be in pain. When the pain arises, another personality will split off to protect the most real and vulnerable him, and prevent you from seeing the real him.

You know what's causing this, so start with the source of his pain.

I think that a child from an unhappy family who doesn't get enough love from their parents when they're young wants love and warmth inside and a sense of security.

If he doesn't get the love and security he needs in infancy and childhood, it'll follow him for the rest of his life. Without your love, I'm afraid he'll choose to die because he'll see the world as dark and painful.

I don't know if his schizotypal personality disorder is mild or severe, but psychotherapy will be slow and require patience and persistence.

My advice is as follows.

It would be a good idea to get him in to see a professional psychiatrist.

There are psychiatrists at large hospitals. You can register for a consultation with one, and they'll

Take a look at the root cause and how it shows up in your friend's life from a professional point of view.

Take reasonable steps to treat the symptoms. If you can, persuade him to see a psychologist.

This is the best way to help him.

Self-study of psychology and neurology

The best way to help him is to try to understand what he's going through. Once you have his trust, you'll be able to build a great friendship. To truly help someone, you need to understand their pain, know the origin of their split personality disorder, and know that this disorder may be caused by brain lesions.

I suggest you read a few books on the subject. This is just for reference.

I'd also suggest reading Neurobiology – From Neuron to Brain by John G. Nichols.

I'd also suggest looking into neuroscience, genetics, and the emotional life of the brain.

I'd also suggest reading Freud's Introduction to Psychoanalysis, "The Ego and the Id."

Cognitive Therapy of Personality Disorders – Counseling and Therapy Series

My second piece of advice is just a suggestion. It's probably best to ask a professional for help.

Help him recognize himself better and, most importantly, help him get out of the psychological shadow.

Help him figure out what he's interested in.

What he likes and what he doesn't like can help him figure things out.

Hobbies and activities can help you find ways to experience the emotions you're missing out on.

With the help of the Big Five Personality Test, he can find normal ways to express himself and perfect his own personality.

And so on to analyze his own.

And help him build self-confidence and step out of his comfort zone.

And come out of his own little world.

I don't have a lot of experience with dissociative personality disorder, so I'm not in a position to offer any more advice.

Depending on how severe it is, this schizoid personality disorder can be treated in different ways. It's still a good idea to consult a professional. We're all human, and we can't help him completely.

The best thing you can do is be there for him. Being there for him is a long-term commitment, and it's a way of showing him that you love him. Try to get him to stop daydreaming and thinking about disappearing.

Best of luck! I'm Monarchess, a listener and healer.