Abstract
Individuals with dissociative identity disorder (DID) have been known to show varied skills and talents as they change from one dissociative state to another. For example, case reports have described people who have changed their handedness or have spoken foreign languages during their dissociative states. During an interview with a patient with DID, a surprising talent emerged when she wrote a sentence for the Folstein Mini-Mental State Exam—mirror writing. It is not known whether her mirror writing had a deeper level of meaning; however, it does emphasize the idiosyncratic nature of dissociative identity disorder.
Highlights
Ms A, a 46-year-old woman, was admitted for global amnesia
The psychiatry team was consulted, and it was discovered that Ms A had a previous diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder (DID)
Further investigation revealed that her family recently experienced enormous stress, which may have precipitated the current episode. She calmly sat with her eyes closed and insisted that they were already open when asked to open them. She repeatedly fluctuated between referring to herself as “I” or “she.” When asked to write a complete sentence during the Folstein Mini-Mental State Exam, Ms A took the pen with her right hand and effortlessly wrote, from the right margin to the left, the mirror image of “I’m tired of being here.”
Summary
Ms A, a 46-year-old woman, was admitted for global amnesia. She was awake and alert in the emergency room but was confused about her identity, past events in the last 2 days, and how she had arrived at the hospital. Ms A, a 46-year-old woman, was admitted for global amnesia. She was awake and alert in the emergency room but was confused about her identity, past events in the last 2 days, and how she had arrived at the hospital.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
