How many parts are there?

The typical female multiple has about 19 alter personalities; male multiples tend to have less than half of that. The number of alters is explained by 3 factors:

1. The severity of the trauma;
2. The chronicity of the trauma; and,
3. The degree of vulnerability of the child. Thus, the male multiple from ages 7 to 10 who was sexually abused a half-dozen times by a distant relative is going to have far fewer alters than a female multiple who was severely physically, sexually, and emotionally abused by both parents from infancy to age 16. The latter patient, in fact, could quite easily wind up with 30 to 50 (+) alters, even in the hundreds.

How could a person have so many different personalities and how would you tell the difference among them?

The answers to these questions require a clarification of several points:

• First, MPD is a misleading term-- DISSOCIATED SELF DISORDER would probably be better. There is but one self that is dissociated into multiple parts. MPD tends to be misunderstood to mean "multiple self disorder." In fact, there is only one self however divided, or dissociated, it may be.
• Secondly, there are usually only 3 to 6 alters who are particularly active (e.g.: assuming full executive control) on any given day. The rest of the alters are relatively quiet (even dormant for long periods of time).
• Finally, THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT THAT DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES BE VISIBLY DIFFERENT TO AN OBSERVER. It is only necessary that each alter fulfill the basic function of an alter personality-- that is, to protect the host personality from the knowledge and experience of the trauma. This task is accomplished by means of dissociative barriers or walls of amnesia. Thus a multiple could conceivably have dozens of alters that look just the same, but who, nevertheless, serve the function of walling off trauma from the host (and dispersing it among many alters). The answers to the above questions can now be more easily understood in light of the basic task of an alter personality. If the "raison d'être" of alters is to sequester trauma from the host so that he/she is able to continue to function without becoming overwhelmed, then additional alters may be produced to help contain the trauma. It is not required that these new alters look different, nor is it necessary that they all be active at one time; it is only necessary that they do their job (of containing the trauma of the abuse).

What types of alters are there?

The typical alters that are found in a person with MPD include: a depressed, depleted host; a strong, angry protector; a scared, hurt child; a helper; and, an embittered internal persecutor who blames (or persecutes) one or more alters for the abuse that has been suffered. While there may be other types of alters in any given MPD individual, most of them will be variations on the theme of these 5 alters.