CH716992A2 - Tools and methods for recording the behavior and structure of personality components in people with dissociative identity disorder. - Google Patents

Abstract

The tool for recording the behavior and structure of personality parts in people with a dissociative identity disorder includes fields of perception (7) and bodies representing personality parts (27). The bodies (27) are arranged according to the respective basic emotions in a certain situation on the associated fields of perception (7) and relocated in the event of changes in the therapeutic process. This visualization improves the efficiency and quality in recognizing and analyzing the behavior and structure of personality components.

Description

The invention relates to an aid and a method for recognizing and analyzing the behavior and structure of personality components in people with a dissociative identity disorder, also known as "multiple personality disorder". The classification in the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" is DSM 5: 300.14, that according to "International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems" ICD-10: F44.81.

In a dissociative identity disorder, often called "DIS" for short, different parts of the personality alternately take control of a person's feelings, thoughts and actions. The person concerned is often not aware of this. Each personality component has its own character, individual perception and typical skills and behaviors. The complex actions, reactions and interactions of intrapersonal personality parts are often not visible from the outside and the person concerned is often not even aware of them.

Dissociative identity disorders are a consequence of serious traumatic events that could not be processed in childhood, especially up to the age of about 5 to 6 years. Extremely negative living conditions can prevent the development of an integrated personality in this phase of life. In particular, traumatic experiences in the development of the brain can lead to neurophysiological and structural changes that lead to the encapsulation of memory contents and changing identities. In addition, there may be gaps in memory.

Diagnosing dissociative identity disorder is very challenging. The symptom picture includes many symptoms that also occur in other disorders, e.g. post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. In addition, parts of the personality are often only experienced separately and are sometimes hidden from the person concerned and the therapist.

In psychotherapy, personality components are conventionally recorded using questionnaires, trauma maps and overviews of ego states. The findings are listed in writing and / or recorded in two-dimensional graphic representations. A whiteboard, for example, can be used as an aid.

It is also assumed that the person concerned is already aware that their personality is fanned out into different personality components. The person must be able to name and characterize these personality parts.

If not all personality components and their functions are known, a new, updated representation is required after each recognized change. There is also the risk that the personality components are understood as separate personalities and not as fanned out components of a personality.

[0008] Furthermore, a major problem is the dynamics and the seemingly chaotic interplay of different personality components. With the known techniques, such dynamic processes and behavior patterns cannot be appropriately recorded, represented and reproduced. They remain closed to the person concerned and especially to the therapist. With the means conventionally used, it is difficult or even impossible for the person concerned to communicate. It is easy to misunderstand the communication between the person concerned and the therapist.

An object of the present invention is to provide an aid and to specify a method with which communication between a person concerned and a therapist is facilitated and the detection and understanding of the behavior of personality parts are improved.

This object is achieved by an aid and by a method for recording the behavior of personality components in people with a dissociative identity disorder according to the features of claims 1 and 10.

The aid comprises several fields of perception, each of which represents a basic emotion. The category “basic emotions” includes in particular terms for a) emotions and conditions that are rather difficult to bear, such as anger, injustice, contempt, loneliness, fear, depressed, worthless, humiliation, mistrust, shame, disappointment, guilt, disgust, hatred, sadness and b ) rather easily bearable emotions and states such as trust, security, self-esteem, courage, valuable, surprise, love, sympathy, togetherness, joy, humor, curiosity, serenity, hope, justice.

Instead of or in addition to the terms explicitly listed here, fields of perception can also include other terms or symbols for basic emotions.

Preferably, the perception fields have smooth surfaces, which can be written on with marker pens, for example, or individually labeled by sticking on removable labels. At least some of the fields of perception can also be designed neutrally without fixed terms.

By deleting existing expressions and / or adding new expressions, such fields of perception can easily be adapted to individual needs.

Each field of perception preferably comprises a plate and a primary holding means for form-fitting and / or force-fitting attachment to predetermined locations on a base plate. The primary holding means can in particular comprise protruding or recessed structures on the underside of the plate. These correspond to complementary structures which are arranged as secondary holding means at the fastening points of the base plate.

[0016] The aid also comprises several preferably similar geometric bodies. In particular, these have the same color, for example an inconspicuous blue. By attaching an identifier, each of these bodies can be used as a representative for an already recorded part of the personality of the person concerned. The bodies are preferably straight prisms with a polygonal, in particular a hexagonal, base area. Such bodies can easily be grouped into an ensemble with no substantial spaces between them. The integration of personality parts aimed for in a therapy can be visually represented by grouping the corresponding bodies.

The top surface of each prism can be used as a contact surface for attaching an identifier. Self-adhesive labels are particularly suitable as identifiers, which can be labeled with a name for the respective personality component, for example. Such labels, the size and shape of which are matched to those of the contact surfaces, can, for example, be provided as accessories for the aid on pre-cut sheets. Alternatively, small flags that can be written on, for example, could be used as identifiers. In this case it is advisable to provide a hole on the top surface of the prisms for inserting the respective flag sticks.

The aid can comprise further such geometric bodies, which, however, have a different color, for example the natural color of wood from which they are usually made. These additional bodies can, for example, represent unidentified parts of the personality. They can also be used when the device is being used in another therapy, such as behavior therapy, couples, family or group therapy. The aid is also ideal for use in supervision. If several people are involved, the bodies can be used to represent the people involved.

In a therapeutic conversation, the base plate is arranged on a work surface or on a table that the therapist and the person concerned can see them well. If necessary, several or all of the perception fields are arranged at the intended locations on the base plate.

Associated geometric bodies marked with appropriate identifiers are provided for personality parts that have already been recognized. Additionally or alternatively, neutral bodies can also be provided to represent parts of the personality that have not yet been broken down.

At least some of the bodies are now placed on the fields of perception depending on the situation. In this way, for example, a constellation of feelings or the patient's internal situation can be represented in an external conflict-ridden situation. During the therapy conversation, the personality components or the associated bodies can now be dynamically placed on different fields of perception. Inner emotional states and their dynamics can be shown comprehensibly through this visualization. The dynamically changeable assignment of the bodies representing the personality parts to different fields of perception makes actions, reactions and interactions of these personality parts visible. This visualization helps both the patient and the therapist to better understand what is happening and to avoid misunderstandings. The person concerned can also communicate when something cannot be expressed or is difficult to express verbally.

The aid can also be used in hypothetical scenarios to represent the dynamically changing world of emotions. For example, it can be analyzed how the personality components behave in different situations. If personality components have not yet been recorded, neutral bodies without such identifiers can be used to record behavior patterns instead of bodies with identifiers. The visualization of the behavior in certain situations helps significantly in the recording of as yet unidentified parts of the personality.

[0023] In addition to bodies representing perception fields and parts of personality, the aid preferably comprises one or more of the following further elements: a base plate with holding means for attaching fields of perception, Four elongated frame elements that can be grouped laterally around the base plate to form a frame. Several status fields, each of which represents a condition. The category "state of mind" includes in particular terms such as safe place, uninterested, powerlessness, power, freedom, trapped, absent, island of disappearance, island of time out. Status fields can be designed similarly to the perception fields. If necessary, they can be arranged on one of the frame elements. Status fields can be designed without holding means. Three reaction fields “fight”, “flight” and “freeze”. These fields each designate one of the typical reaction patterns in stress. A trigger. This is an object that serves as a symbol for the trigger of feelings and behaviors. A pyramid, a cylinder or a stone, for example, can be used as a trigger. For example, it can be arranged in the middle of the base plate in a free area between the holding means for the perception fields. When bodies representing personality parts are relocated, the trigger figure reminds that this has been triggered or triggered by something specific, e.g. a memory, a feeling or an experience. The symbolic trigger object helps to identify such triggers. A therapist figure, preferably in the form of an abstract person A question mark field. On this, both the therapist figure and bodies representing personality parts can be arranged. This signals that something is not clear or cannot be expressed.

An exemplary embodiment of the aid according to the invention is described in more detail below with the aid of a few figures. 1 shows components of the aid shown in perspective, FIG. 2 shows two views of a field of perception, and FIG. 3 shows two bodies with different identifiers.

The aid comprises a base plate 1, which is preferably composed of two similar partial plates 1a made of wood. This facilitates space-saving storage, e.g. in a wooden case or a cardboard box.

The length of the partial plates 1a is in the range of about 30cm to 50cm, preferably between 38cm and 42cm, in particular 39cm or 40cm. The width of each sub-plate 1a corresponds essentially to half the length. The height of each sub-plate 1a is less than 3 cm. It is preferably in the range from 1 cm to 2 cm and is, for example, 1.5 cm. The sub-panels 1a are preferably separate panels that can easily be joined together and separated again. Alternatively, the partial plates 1a can also be connected to one another in a hinged manner. In further embodiments, the base plate 1 could comprise a plurality of sub-plates 1a.

The base plate 1 is framed by four frame elements 3, preferably from four boards made of different types of wood. These distinguishable frame elements can, for example, symbolically represent areas or zones with different meanings. In particular, an area ANP for apparently normal personality components, an area for fragile emotional personality components EP1 and an area EP2 for controlling emotional personality components can be created in this way.

The height of each frame element 3 corresponds to the height of the partial plates 1a. The width of each of the frame elements 3 is in the range of approximately 5 cm to 8 cm and is preferably approximately 6 cm. The lengths of the frame elements 3 are matched to the dimensions of the base plate 1 in such a way that they can be joined together to form a frame which rests against the four end faces of the base plate 1 without any space between them. In particular, two longer and two shorter frame elements 3 can be provided for this.

In each of the partial plates 1a three rows with five recesses 5 each in the form of cylindrical blind holes are arranged from the top at regular intervals. In each of the sub-panels 1a, these are offset towards the outer longitudinal edge, so that the base plate 1, which is composed of the two sub-panels 1a, comprises a free space or a strip without recesses 5 in the middle area. In alternative embodiments, the number of recesses 5 in the base plate 1 can be in the range from 20 to 50, i.e. in the range from 10 to 25 for each sub-plate 1a 7 are determined. In the illustration in FIG. 1, if there are several recesses 5 in the base plate 1, one of several perception fields 7 is arranged.

FIG. 2 shows such a perception field 7 enlarged in two different views. It comprises a plate 9 and a cylindrical base 13 protruding from the underside of this plate 9. The plate 9 is preferably a square wooden cuboid with a side length in the range from approximately 4 cm to approximately 6 cm, in particular approximately 5 cm, and with a height in the range of approximately 0.5cm to about 2cm, in particular about 1cm. The top of the plate 9 is a flat standing surface. It is smooth and coated, for example, with a protective layer of lacquer or a preferably white film, which is suitable for re-erasable writing with a marker pen and for sticking releasable self-adhesive labels. At least in some of the perception fields 7, a term 11, in particular a word or a symbol from a category of basic emotions, is preferably shown in an edge area of the plate 9, the width of which is not more than a quarter of the side length of the plate 9. This term 11 can, for example, be permanently or non-erasable printed directly on the plate 9 or on a film glued to the plate 9. Alternatively, the term 11 could also be embossed, burned in or engraved and optionally colored. The entire standing area including the term 11 is preferably covered by a transparent protective layer. Some of the fields of perception 7 are designed neutrally, that is, without being marked by a term 11.

A cylindrical base 13 protrudes from the underside of each plate 9. The base 13 is a primary holding means for fastening the perception field 7 to one of the secondary fastening means or one of the recesses 5 of the base plate 1. The diameter and the height of the base 13 are adapted to the dimensions of each recess 5 that the base 13 with little play can be introduced into each of the recesses 5 in order to hold the perception field 7 in a form-fitting manner in the respective position.

The diameter of each base 13 is preferably between about 50% and 100% of the side length of the respective plate 9. This results in a comparatively large support surface, so that several fields of perception 7 can be stacked stably on top of one another. This is helpful, for example, if several basic emotions are to be displayed that occur in connection with one another.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 1, there are several status fields 15 on the rear frame element 3. These include, analogously to the perception fields 7, an erasable, inscribable plate 17 and a term 19, in particular a word or symbol from a category of sensitivities. In contrast to the perception fields 7, the status fields 15 do not include any pedestals 13. Some of the status fields 15 can be designed in a neutral manner for free labeling without a fixed term 19. To illustrate the free placeability, two perception fields 7 and two status fields 15 with and without term 11, 19 are shown in isolation in FIG. 1 at the bottom left.

In addition, further elements of the aid are arranged, namely a preferably somewhat larger question mark field 21 and three preferably somewhat smaller reaction fields 23, which are identified with terms 25 from a category of reaction patterns, in particular “fight”, “flight” and “freeze” .

A trigger object 31, also called trigger 31 for short, has the shape of a cylindrical body in the arrangement shown in FIG. 1. It is placed in the middle of the base plate 1.

The aid usually comprises a therapist figure 33. This can for example be symbolically represented by a cylindrical body with a spherical head. A plurality of bodies 27 are formed in the shape of hexagonal straight prisms. These bodies 27 are preferably made of wood. A part of these bodies 27 is preferably painted or marked in a first color, for example in an inconspicuous shade of blue. These bodies 27 are intended to represent parts of the personality. They can be marked with an identifier 29 for this purpose.

FIG. 3 shows two possible exemplary embodiments for identifiers 29 and their arrangement on a body 27. On the left-hand side, the identifier 29 is a preferably white self-adhesive label that is labeled or can be labeled with a name and is stuck to the top of the body 27 . On the right-hand side, the identifier 29 is a flag labeled with a name, which is attached to a flag pole. The flag pole can be inserted into a blind hole in the top of the body 27.

Preferably, several or all of the following parts of the aid are at least partially made of wood: the base plate 1 or its sub-plates 1a, the perception fields 7, the status fields 15, the question mark field 21, the reaction fields 23, the body 27, the trigger 31 and the therapist figure 33.

The aid enables even complex and chaotic appearing, dynamically changing situations to be displayed in a simple manner, both for the therapist and for the patient, in a way that is visible and comprehensible. The representation of personality components by three-dimensional bodies 27 makes them visible and even literally comprehensible and understandable. This significantly improves the efficiency and quality of the recording of personality components. This includes in particular the recognition of such personality components and the analysis of the behavior and structure of these personality components.

The use of the aid is not limited to the therapy of dissociative integration disorders. It can also be used, for example, in other therapies, in supervision, for conflict management in companies or as a teaching aid, e.g. in schools, for the comprehensible representation of complex relationships in the behavior of people, especially in conflicts in a social structure. If necessary, snapshots of the arrangement can be made in certain situations, e.g. with a mobile phone camera. The development of the complex interplay of emotions can be recorded with several successive snapshots. This also enables a more in-depth analysis of what is happening at a later point in time. The captured snapshots can be used to document changes in behavior in certain situations in the course of a therapeutic process. Depending on the respective circumstances, the captured snapshots can be used in the further therapeutic process, e.g. to depict an initial situation or to understandably illustrate the complex interplay of emotions, especially in groups with several people.

Claims (10)

1. Aid for recording the behavior and structure of personality components in people with a dissociative identity disorder, characterized by several fields of perception (7), each comprising a term (11) of a first category to represent a basic emotion, and by several bodies (27) which can each be marked with an identifier (29) as individual personality components and which can be placed on one of the perception fields (7) depending on the situation. 2. Aid according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a base plate (1) which is formed in one piece or can be assembled from at least two partial plates (1a), that this base plate (1) comprises several secondary holding means, and that the perception fields (7 ) comprise primary holding means for fastening to the positions of the base plate (1) predetermined by the secondary holding means. 3. Aid according to claim 2, characterized in that each perception field (7) comprises a flat plate (9), the upper side of which is a standing surface for arranging at least one of the bodies (27), that the primary holding means on the underside of the respective plate (9) is an excellent base (13), and that the secondary retaining means are recesses (5) embedded in the top of the base plate (1). 4. Aid according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises several status fields (15) each with a term (17) of a second category for representing a state of health. 5. Aid according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it comprises several reaction fields (23) each with a term (25) of a third category for representing a reaction pattern in the event of stress. 6. Aid according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises a question mark field (21). 7. Aid according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises a trigger object (31) and / or a therapist figure (33). 8. Aid according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises several similar geometric bodies (27), and that several of these bodies (27) can be marked with an identifier (29) to represent individual personality components. 9. Aid according to claim 8, characterized in that the bodies (27) are straight prisms with a hexagonal base. 10. A method for recording the behavior and structure of personality components in people with a dissociative identity disorder, characterized in that bodies (27) representing personality components are placed in certain situations on fields of perception (7) which represent these basic emotions, and in accordance with the respective basic emotions that the arrangement of the bodies (27) is adapted accordingly in the event of changes in the basic emotions of one or more personality parts during a therapeutic conversation.