Treatment

Since Dissociative Identity Disorder is a mental disorder, treatment involves much time and patience. Also, there are very few effective methods for such a problem. One method is group therapy in which people with the disorder come together to talk to and help each other. As far as medication is concerned, it is not recommended.
Another good method, which is considered the most effective treatment is long-term psychodynamic/cognitive psychotherapy, which is further, facilitated by hypnotherapy. This type of therapy consisting of trauma work can take anywhere from 3 to 5 years. Before this type of work can be done, however, there must be a period of assessment and stabilization.
The assessment covers a wide range of topics. These include history, symptoms (e.g. depression, rage, flashbacks, anxiety, one's self), relationship difficulties, family history, eating disorders, substance abuse, social support system, safety (of self, to and from others), and medical status.
The next step is stabilization of the patient. The therapist, as well as the patient should develop a plan for stabilization using different types of treatments. These include individual psychotherapy, expressive therapies (such as poetry, art, movement, music), group therapy, and psychoeducation. For a more comprehensive assessment and stabilization, hospital treatment may be necessary.
Stabilization includes ensuring both emotional and physical safety as well as developing a "cognitive framework". This framework involves sorting out the thoughts and feelings of the patient as well as undoing damaging self-concepts. Basically, "Stabilization is a time to learn how to ask for help and build support networks. This particular stage of treatment may take years to complete. Generally it should take, as much time as is necessary for the patient to move safely in the next stage which is the trauma stage.
This stage includes revisiting and re-working the trauma. One way to accomplish this arduous task is to "re-experience a traumatic event accompanied by the release of related emotion and the recovery of repressed or dissociated aspects of that event . This is an example of an abreaction. An abreaction can be defined as a method to release pain and allow dissociated trauma back into the normal memory track.
A useful tool in abreactive work is hypnosis, which not only safely contains the abreaction, but also releases the painful emotions more quickly. When doing this type of work, one must keep in mind to keep it "paced and contained" as to prevent retraumatization as well as giving the patient a feeling of "mastery" .
To ensure this is done correctly, the speed of the work must be carefully monitored. Also, the release of the painful material must be well managed and controlled so as not to be overwhelming. One last point to keep in mind is that an abreaction of a person diagnosed with DID may involve different alters of the individual which must "all" participate in the work .
When ready, the individual must move into the final stage of therapy. This stage involves further processing of traumatic memories and cognitive distortions in order to let go of the gathered shame. Towards the end of therapy, "the survivor can reclaim self-worth and personal power and rebuild life after so much focus on healing".