Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a serious mental health condition that used to be known as multiple personality disorder. The main symptom of the disorder is feeling uncertain of one’s own identity and feeling that there are other presences or identities within one brain or consciousness.
People living with dissociative identity disorder may also deal with secondary mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, eating disorders, self-harm and suicidal ideation.
DID is a difficult and challenging disorder to live with and it may stop many people with the disorder from getting or keeping a steady job. Symptoms can be very distressing and feeling multiple presences at once can make it tricky to work in a social workplace with other people.
However, people with dissociative identity disorder can work. There are certain types of jobs that will suit people with the disorder best. There are also valid methods of support from employers and colleagues that can make it easier too.
On this page of our Disability Advice Hub, we are going to discuss more about how that can happen.
The Best Jobs for People with Dissociative Identity Disorder
There are jobs and employment opportunities that will be more suitable for someone with DID than others. Jobs with a lot of social interaction and communication with the general public may be more challenging. There might also be some physical jobs such as forklifting or driving, that are ruled out for safety. These latter decisions will normally be up to your local GP, psychiatrist, and/or community mental health team.
Often, the best jobs for people with this kind of mental health disorder will be those that are:
- Flexible, either with working hours, contracts, or requirements
- Hybrid or fully remote
- With a Disability-Confident employer
- In an inclusive and accessible working environment
These kinds of jobs will allow people with dissociative identity disorder to stay at work. Flexibility will allow them to manage their symptoms and attend the treatment that they need. Without building up lots of absences at work. Working in a hybrid or remote way will help them to manage their own working environment in a way that is safe and comfortable while limiting the need for social interaction with others.
Finding the Right Employer with Dissociative Identity Disorder
Working with a Disability-Confident employer means that the person is much more likely to get the support and adjustments they need at work. There is more likely to be an understanding of reasonable adjustments and how important they are for disabled employees. It will also make it easier for the employee in question to disclose their disability to their employer. Their Disability-Confident status will demonstrate a commitment to the fair and equal employment of disabled people.
If you want to find such job opportunities, you can do so through our disability-friendly job board on Careers with Disabilities. You can also check out our directory of accessible employers.
Outside of work, it is important to get all the support you need as someone living with dissociative identity disorder. It is not a condition you can manage alone and it will require a team of support. Make sure you are always in communication with your GP if you have or think you have symptoms. They will be able to send you for an official assessment and put you in contact with the relevant teams.
If you are feeling very low or suicidal at any point, always reach out to your local emergency services. Or, a helpline such as Samaritans, on 116 123.
How Employers Can Help
Dissociative identity disorder can be something we know too little about. Employers might worry about being able to appropriately support employees with this condition at work.
One of the best things you can do is check out the Disability-Confident scheme. This is a government scheme that helps employees work appropriately with disabled employees and disabled job seekers. Having this background can help you know what to do in a range of scenarios. It also helps show the community around you that you care about fair treatment at work and that you are doing what you can. Both to help lessen the disability employment gap and improve working conditions for disabled people.
Another great thing to do is to educate yourself as much as possible about DID and other mental health conditions. Knowing as much as you can about mental health and how it can impact people at work will be a hugely valuable skill going forward. You have made the first step in doing so by reading this page, your next step can be checking out the rest of our Disability Advice Hub and the pages therein regarding mental health conditions. We have lots of information to help you support a wide range of employees at work.
Become an Accessible Employer
If you need more help setting yourself up as an accessible employer, you can take a look at the bespoke services we have to offer employers on Careers with Disabilities. We have a range of tools and resources that can help you to be the best employer you can be for disabled people across the U.K. From posting on our inclusive job board to screening your job adverts for any potential exclusionary language, you can get access to everything you need on our site.
Being a fair employer is one of the best things you can do in 2022. Get started today with our services.
