Treatment of Dissociative Identity Disorder with Neurotherapy and Group Self-Exploration

Abstract

The efficacy of integrating Neurofeedback techniques with internal self-exploration was evaluated as a procedure for the treatment of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). These procedures employed a modification of the alpha/theta neurofeedback procedures previously described by Peniston and Kulkosky (1991). Eleven female subjects meeting DSM-121-R (1987) criteria for DID were provided with 30 sessions of Neurofeedback and 10 group sessions as treatment. Subjects were administered the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-II (Millon, 1987) and the Global Assessment of Functioning scale (DSM-III-R, 1987) before and after 30 neurofeedback sessions. One to three years post treatment, subjects completed a Dissociative Experience Scale questionnaire (Bernstein and Putnam 2986) to assess the long term efficacy of treatment. Neurofeedback training coupled with internal self-exploration served as an effective treatment modality for the unification of patients with DID. Of 11 patients treated, 11 were assessed as unified post treatment. All subjects scored as normal on the Dissociative ExperienceScale (Bernstein and Putnam, 1986) for at least one year post treatment.