What is Dissociative Identity Disorder?

Dissociative Identity Disorder is a severe form of disassociation when there is a lack of connection between an individual’s thoughts, feelings, memories, actions, or identity. This is a coping mechanism where individuals dissociate themselves from a situation or experience. Individuals with this disorder have multiple identities or personality states which take control of their behaviour.

Symptoms of Dissociative Identity Disorder

Symptoms of this disorder include the presence of two or more different identities which control a person’s behaviour. When an individual experiences this change, they are unable to recall their own personal information as this disorder makes them forgetful of their identity.

Each identity they experience can have its own age, sex, or race. This disorder can also cause a person to speak or act differently than they usually would. The process of each personality change is known as switching, and it can take seconds or even days to switch between different personalities. This switch can have several effects on the individual, such as depersonalization, amnesia, and identity confusion.

Depersonalization is when their sense of being is detached from their body, causing an out of body experience. Amnesia is when they are forgetful and fail to remember their personal information. Lastly, identity confusion is whena person feels confused about their identity and interests in life.

Treatment for Dissociative Identity Disorder

When treating Dissociative Identity Disorder, hypnosis can greatly help a person control their identity. While there is no cure for this disorder, long term treatment is available. This includes therapy, hypnotherapy, and art or movement therapy.

As there is no medication to treat this disorder, psychology based therapy is the recommended approach when treating this disorder. However, if an individual experiences anxiety or depression as a result of this disorder, there is medication available to help treat these symptoms.

Eligibility Criteria for Disability Tax Credit for Dissociative Identity Disorder

The disability section that this disorder would likely qualify under is mental functions. Medical doctors or psychologists are qualified practitioners who are able to sign on behalf of their patient for this tax credit program.

Mental functions required for everyday living include adaptive functioning, memory, problem solving, goal setting, and judgment. As this disorder can cause amnesia, this would qualify under mental functions for memory loss.

Please note that a restriction in problem solving, goal setting, or judgements that markedly restricts adaptive functioning would also qualify. Patients who are considered as markedly restricted are unable to leave the house the majority of the time or cannot make common transactions.

This may be caused by the individual experiencing psychotic episodes. They may also be unable to express their needs or anticipate the consequences of their behaviour when interacting with others.  Due to the unpredictability of these psychotic episodes, the patient may requiredaily supervision.

Click Here To Check Your Eligibility for Disability Tax Credit for Dissociative Identity Disorder

How To Apply for Disability Tax Credit for Dissociative Identity Disorder?

To apply, our experts will assist you in filling out form T2201 where you will need to get your medical practitioner to complete this form. This will ask your doctor to describe how you are impaired by your disability. It is important to be descriptive in this section as a patient can be affected in a variety of ways by developmental delay.

Disability Tax Credit Consultants at DCC can help to +claim this tax credit and collect up to $40,000 in disability tax credits.