split personality... I think?

Question

I think I have a split personality::::

alrighty it all started at work, I would start talking this british accent out of nowhere. This accent would last until for some reason I would talk normal. So I thought ooo..it's nothing, now it's becoming more so... now I've even given IT a name (Emma). This personality is more bolder, funnier, blunt..etc. Whenever I get in that accent people always say watch out, she even comes out when Im drunk..it's sad. Now..how did I develop this other personality???.. (curious). thanks!!

Answer 1

The correct name out of the DSM-IV is Correct Dissociative identity disorder. Many will argue it does not exist. There is no evidence to support it. It is not related to any other mental illness.

I highly doubt you have this. I did see a special on 20/20 where people out of the blue change their voice and accent for no reason. It can last for a few weeks, up to many years. Doctors have no idea what causes it or how to treat it. They have found the issue is of course in the brain, but are not sure why. This new disease does not even really have a name at this point. The leading researcher is out of Duke.

Answer 2

Don't worry, you don't have DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). If you did, you wouldn't be aware of "Emma"; for you it would just be a gap in time where you couldn't remember anything.

For a while, when I would talk to myself (like thinking through a shopping list or making plans in my mind) I would hear my thoughts in other voices and accents - maybe a French woman, a British child, a man from the deeep South - I asked my psychiatrist is this was weird; he said "yes" - then caught himself and tried to back up. It was funny. He did put me on an atypical antipsychotic though, just to be on the safe side.

Then I realized I only did the accent thing when I was working on transcribing a news report where people with different accents had been speaking. I had these voices and accents pouring in my ears for hours on end, and I think my mind was just amusing itself.

If Emma starts to say things that you consider inappropriate, or unacceptable to you, see a professional. But as long as it's your words just pronounced a little differently, unless it's affecting your job or personal relationships just call it a quirk and have fun.

Answer 3

This new personality gets attention, be it good or bad. You can be a different person when the accent takes over, I would say its a sub conscious thing and that there is not a split persona. A split persona doesn't really acknowledge the times not in the personality. Your being may feel better and like the attention and or person you have become when your subconscious brings on the british accents.

Answer 4

Have to disagree with lots of people here. Alter personalities can speak with different accents. They can even speak different languages, if a child was exposed to another language growing up, or made-up languages.

You could have multiple personalities, and just be discovering them, or you might not. Sometimes writers experience the characters becoming real as they write a book. Alice Walker talks about this- she said her characters started talking to her in her mind, even telling her how she should write the story. She doesn't have multiple personalities, but it's a similar experience. Really interesting!

People become multiple because of trauma- it's a way to protect yourself from severe abuse. You could try talking to Emma. Ask her what's up, who is she, are there others? Don't worry, you can't make yourself crazy. But if you do have multiple personalities, find yourself a good therapist- one who specializes in dissociative disorders. Healing from trauma can be really hard- but very possible, and worth it.

There's lots of info on the web- just look up dissociation, DID, multiple personality, etc.

One last thing- multiple personalities is rare, but just because something is rare doesn't mean you don't know somebody who has it. I'm multiple myself, and over our lifetime, we've met about eight other multiple people, including two good friends. We've also met three people who've been hit by lightning (four if you count the guy who's truck got hit while he was in it), and a guy with eight nipples! We never saw the nipples, but a friend whom we trust swears it's true! Point being, just about everybody knows somebody who has something rare...

Answer 5

Split personality is a psychiatric disorder that causes the sufferer's personality to divide into sub personalities, also known as alters. The alters have their own memory, and don't know of each other's existence. Consequently, the sufferer has episodes of amnesia.
Now that you are completely aware, it must be somthing else. But I have a feeling that you can control it but you don't. I believe you might like it this way. If this is not the case talk to a therapist.

Answer 6

This is the person you want to be and feel you can only be that person when you talk differently. If you were really suffering from split personality, you wouldn't know about the other person. since you do, its just you trying to be a better person.

Answer 7

if it doesn't affect your life, I wouldn't worry about it. it may just be a wierd stage you are going through. a really wierd stage. if it really is taking a toll on your life, then i'd talk to a therapist about it. i don't thin kit is that serious. try staying like that for three days straight. tire it out. hate it and then try and never do it again. maybe it will work. hope so. i hope Emma stops bothering you.

Answer 8

i am not a person to say,
cause i am not in you shoes,
maybe you was bored and wanted to lighten things up,
Sometimes when your bored and have nothing eles better to do, you may do someyhing out of the unusal.
It does not mean by that statement that you are.
Of course i would need to know more information, to know for sure, but by just that, no, i would doubt much.
And i do agree with some people above, that its just a better pesonality that is desired to be pleasant in your own special way.

Answer 9

i think there is only about 100 or so cases of proper diagnostic split personality ever being diagnosed in recorded history. So i would really doubt that its a split personality

Answer 10

My sister starts talking like she is Irish, which she is but, no reason for her to talk like that, she's born and raised in the US. Your just being different. Sorta your alter ego. A little wilder, somethings , that you wish you were, more like.