Expository Essay on Dissociative Identity Disorder and how it relates to Breaking Bad.
Formerly known as multiple personality disorder, dissociative identity disorder is a condition where a person has two or more distinct personalities. There have been lots of examples of dissociative identity disorder in the media. One of the more well-known is the book The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Thesis: In the television series Breaking Bad the main character Walt has Dissociative Identity Disorder.
Sadly educated and non- educated individuals often confuse DID with schizophrenia. Society labels these people’s suffering from DID as demented, idiotic, crazy and deranged. Consequently, these patients desperately struggle personally, professionally and socially. Mentally ill people are often stereotyped. Society often judges, dismisses and mistreats DID individuals. Caregivers and family members have to make difficult and drastic decisions some often choose to send DID people to facilities and/or institutions. These mental conditions are hard to control and can cause great grief within a family. His marriage struggles because of his lies and dishonesty. People feel that individuals with DID just do not want to take accountability or responsibility for their actions. That leads to even more misunderstandings and people with DID will be less likely to ask for help.
DID is usually caused by a traumatic experience. Some of the symptoms of dissociative identity disorder (DID) are blackouts or memory loss commonly referred to as “losing time”, no or limited memory of childhood, anxiety, feeling detached from self, mood swings, altered consciousness, depression, and flashbacks, or guilt. They could develop a self-destructive and/or aggressive behavior (“Dissociative Identity Disorder…”). Why people develop dissociative identity disorder is not completely understood, but people with it generally report having experienced severe physical and sexual abuse or traumatic events, especially during early childhood. At least two of these identities or personality states regularly take control of the person’s behavior. Each may possess its own distinct history, self-image, behaviors, and, physical characteristics, as well as possessing a separate name. Different identities may surface in specific circumstances. Transitions from one identity to another are often triggered by psychosocial stress. Suffers have frequent gaps in their memories of personal accounts, including people, places, and events, for both older and more recent past. Different alters may remember different events, but passive identities tend to have more limited memories, whereas hostile, controlling or protective identities have more complete memories (Dissociative Identity Disorder…”).
Dissociative Identity Disorder has a range of triggers associated with a specific event. Mentally ill patients use DID as a defense mechanism. They voluntarily and non-voluntarily separate themselves from their actions. They do not remember when they disassociate. Some of the alternate personalities (alters) have different characteristics, hobbies, or style of clothes even physical differences. Whether it be posture, clothing and in some cases allergic reactions (Goleman). Walter’s cancer diagnosis is what triggered Walt’s DID. Walt physically changes when he becomes Heisenberg. In episode six of season one he shaved his head, so it would not fall out because of the chemotherapy (Crazy Handful of Nothin’”). Heisenberg also wears a black hat, jacket, and sunglasses. Alters have different characteristics and personalities. Walt and Heisenberg have very distinctive characteristics. Heisenberg behaves differently than Walt. Heisenberg is bold, prideful, demands the respect of his constituents and has flexible morals. He has the swag of a drug dealer. He is aggressive, calm, fearless and intimidating. He will murder if necessary, which was made evident in episode two and three when Walt kills Jesse’s previous meth partner, Emilio, and Emilio’s’ cousin Krazy-8 also known as: Domingo (“Cat’s in the Bag…”, “…And the Bag’s in the River”). Walt is a good wholesome man who is an approachable and phenomenal chemistry teacher, yet Walt is weak. He gets over looked and stepped on. Heisenberg symbolizes what could have been Walt’s life.
Walt created Heisenberg as an escape from his life and his disease. The “dual existence allows him to grow a separate identity… one existence remains Walter White, husband of Skyler, and father of Walt Jr. and the other is Heisenberg (Dustin Freely)”. Walter uses Heisenberg to physically separate himself from the evil deeds. Walt doesn’t take responsibility for any of Heisenberg’s actions. He constantly denies things, “forgets” things, lies about things, dodges questions, and neglects to reveal information. Walt attempts to separate the lives as much as possible. In his mind, he never confuses the two personalities. Heisenberg participates in illegal transactions and thinks quickly on his feet. He is confident and absolutely focused on making money. Heisenberg is a coping mechanism to deal with his cancer.
In conclusion dissociative identity disorder causes a person to have two or more distinct personalities. In the television series Breaking Bad the main character Walt has dissociative identity disorder which is usually caused by a traumatic experience. This experience has multiple triggers associated with a specific event. Mentally ill patients use DID as a defense mechanism. All DID patients like Walt/Heisenberg have struggled personally, professionally and socially. Walt loses his career as an educator and does not have many friends. Walter uses Heisenberg to physically separate himself from the evil deeds. Walt does not take responsibility for any of Heisenberg’s actions.