Is Dissociative Identity Disorder Real?

This article describes the controversy surrounding one of the most mysterious of all mental disorder diagnoses: Dissociative Identity Disorder.
According to the DSM. IV, the critera for diagnoses are as follows:

A. The presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states (each with its own relatively enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self).

B. At least two of these identities or personality states recurrently take control of the person's behavior.

C. Inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.

D. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., blackouts or chaotic behavior during alcohol intoxication) or a general medical condition (e.g., complex partial seizures). Note: In children, the symptoms are not attributable to imaginary playmates or other fantasy play.

Those who support the diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder often disagree on the similarities and differences between dissociative identity disorder and borderline personality disorder , although they do agree that both are caused by childhood sexual trauma and severe abuse.

The article mentions extensive case studies on patients as well as brain imaging scans that seem to indicate that the disorder is in fact, real (different alters may exhibit different EEG or FMRI patterns.)

Another part of the controversy is that D.I.D. is diagnosed far more often in North America than in the rest of the world; a point of contention amongst it's skeptics.

Overall, the article presents a compelling argument for both sides of the issue, and posits the question that maybe we need to rethink how we diagnose mental illnesses to better understand their nature.