Dissociation and Suicide Myths
Suicide risk in complex dissociation should be taken seriously without treating people with DID as hopeless or doomed. 1 2 3
Main ideas
- Risk can rise with trauma symptoms, shame, unsafe environments, internal conflict, and poor support.
- Safety planning may need to account for amnesia, switching, access to means, and parts with different levels of risk.
- Taking risk seriously is a form of care, not a statement that recovery is impossible.
Questions for reflection
- Does every part know the safety plan?
- How are means restriction and crisis contacts handled during amnesia?
- What support is needed after high-risk states pass?
Clinical note
If there is immediate danger, contact local emergency services or a crisis line. A website cannot replace urgent support.
Footnotes
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International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation. (2011). Guidelines for treating dissociative identity disorder in adults, third revision. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 12(2), 115-187. pp. 115-187. Full adult DID treatment guideline PDF. ↩
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Myrick, A. C., et al. (2017). Six-year follow-up of the treatment of patients with dissociative disorders study. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 8(1). Long-term outcome study. Open access treatment follow-up article. ↩
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Brand, B. L., Sar, V., Stavropoulos, P., Kruger, C., Korzekwa, M., Martinez-Taboas, A., & Middleton, W. (2016). Separating fact from fiction: An empirical examination of six myths about dissociative identity disorder. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 24(4), 257-270. Abstract and overview of six myths. Text-fragment link to the article's summary claim. ↩