Woman with multiple personalities explains what it's like to switch between them

A woman who has ‘multiple personalities’ has explained how it feels when she switches between them.

Mental health conditions such as dissociative identity disorder (DID) can mean that the person has at least two different personalities that control their behaviour at different times.

And typically, it is believed that when these personalities switch, the person will have gaps in their memory. However, advocate Gianu System believes this isn’t always the case.

With a focus on living with DID and trauma, she shares content across social media to help others understand it better and often takes questions. In one Instagram video, she explained: “Contrary to what popular media might make you think, there’s not always amnesia with a switch. It's not always apparent even to the person with DID.”

This came after one follower asked what ‘does switching feel like’ for her.

“It depends, some switches are hard, and it feels like being drawn down way down, like in a tunnel,” she said on Instagram, addressing her own personal experiences.

“Other switches, I am very much still co-conscious and present for and those feel different.”

The woman explained that it’s sometimes just ‘a little change’ as she goes on to use camera filters and effects to say it’s like the ‘difference of a filter’.

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“And a lot of times, the picture is still the same,” Gianu added, “but the lens you view it in is very different.

“This difference in viewing the world means that the alters [this word means the different personalities or identities] can have very different opinions about the things going on around them; one might come up puppies and roses and the other might look at the exact same situation and see something very different.”

Gianu explained that the ‘erupt view’ an alter may see things in is what can make a ‘switch feel frightening’ as though you’re ‘losing control’.

“Like you don’t know why you were just seeing things in the whole different light and now why you’re not anymore,” she added.

“And those switches are so subtle, you don’t even notice until somebody else points it out.”

DID is more commonly known as multiple personality disorder and split personality disorder. While it may seem to differ for some, there is typically amnesia for those with it, as the memories from one identity may not transfer to another.

If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.