Is this just a quirk or can it develop into multiple personality disorder or something else?

Question

For years I’ve been using a fake name, address ext. on untrustworthy websites and with nosey people online both for safety and because it’s none of their bloody business. I always use the same information. If nosey people/websites ask for job descriptions, I give where I see my career in a few years. I like to be mysterious; I don’t like people knowing things about me. I think I feel this way because as a child/teen, my mother would tell everyone everything about me. She still does it. I love her but it drives me crazy... maybe literally.

I’ve started to give this fake info to people in person. It doesn’t feel like lying for some reason. When I go to a restaurant where they ask for the order name, I give them my fake one. I do this because 1.) I like to be mysterious, 2.) I feel like I can be myself more using a fake name than I can if I used my own name. It’s not that I don’t like myself as I am. It’s just more fun being someone else; who I feel is the side of me I’d be too shy to show to people. I don’t feel I’m trying to being someone I’m not... (except when I exaggerate on the occupation or a similar thing)... I mean personality. I feel I’m being me but the best I can be.

I think many people can relate to being able to be more open on the Internet. That's how I feel. But if I imagine myself as my online identity then I feel like I can be just as open in person as I am on the internet. Example, I would never be this open with someone in person, but I know I have the capability to since I’m doing it online right now. If I think of myself as the way I am online when I am talking with people in person, then I can be just as open, funny, brave, silly or whatever I want and that I can face anything.

I have never even thought about this topic as strange until... I wanted to have a garage sale but don't want to have to meet nosey neighbors. I don't have a problem meeting people... just getting to know them. I dismissed the idea of having a sale until I thought if I use my fake name/online personality that I wouldn’t be nervous. This topic never even fazed me before this. It really doesn’t feel as strange as it sounds. I didn’t even know it sounded so strange until I read everything I wrote. I ask for opinions only because I was wondering if it's mentally healthy. I’m perfectly happy doing this how it is now but I just wonder if it could develop into something like a multiple personality disorder. I was reading up on that (for an entirely unrelated reason) and found it a bit disturbing when I felt I could somewhat slightly relate to a fictional character with the disorder.

Answer 1

I mean - I'd get your head checked out if you're that concerned...

But crazy people don't typically know that they are crazy. People with dissociative personality disorder don't realize that they are changing personalities. It's not a choice. They wake up having missed a week of their life for instance...

Maybe you have some trust issues that could be worked out in therapy.

Answer 2

I have MPD  - DID and I think that you get it as an alternative to singtiplicity when your mind is under such great stress that it takes emergency action. All the people whom I know with the same problem laid it down because of childhood trauma - MPD is now Dissociative identity disorder and is on the dissociative spectrum - Everything you have done is in full awareness -

When I dissociate it is not in my gift to 'make up' characters - Unless you  lose time a lot you will not be on this dissociative scale.

Read Prof. Dave Mearns on configurations of self.

You sound like youre pretty normal if a bit obsessive.

Everyoen can relate to having 'parts' witin their personality - the difference is the discrete nature of the DID parts which dont have co-consciousness -      

Answer 3

Really?  Are you serious?  this is serious.

get to a psychologist, srsly.

Answer 4

I don't think this will lead to a multiple personality, but I do think you are unsure of yourself and of your potential. Inventing a new name and character on the internet is normal, nearly everyone does that at one point or an other. It's just safety precautions. On the other hand if you use your made up character "so you won't feel nervous..." than that suggests you are not sure of yourself as a person. It's like in the film Big Daddy when Adam gives the child glasses so he would be transparent....

If you think this thing is going to cause you  trouble, why not seek help of a therapist.

Answer 5

I don't think you have a personality disorder.  People are different in many ways, all having different, habits, routines, quirks and charactersistics -  some admittedly more different and more extreme than others, but that's still very different from having a psychiatric disorder. 'Normal' is very hard to define, but like somebody else commented, as long as you're not hurting yourself or anybody else then really there's nothing to be that worried about.  Are you making yourself unhappy by what you're doing, or do you think you will make yourself unhappy by what you are doing?  If so, then maybe that's the time to do something about it.  Talk to a counsellor or similar, but otherwise don't worry about it.

Many, many people feel more at ease over the internet.  You don't have to 'interact' as such, you don't have to think about your appearance, or how the other person is responding to you.  There is a 'safety barrier' as it were, a privacy screen.  Some people are more shy, private, self-conscious than other people.  If you don't want to share information about yourself -even your real name - why should you?  Most people don't worry about that, but if you'd rather keep your privacy completely, then that's up to you.  You're definitely not the only one.

You mentioned that your mother was very open with your personal information, and that sounds like the obvious reason for you wanting your privacy maintained to such an extent.  Equally, if you're brought up with parents who are very private about their personal details, who don't like to discuss their affairs with people who are outside the family, then often you take on that stance too -so it can work both ways.

It's unfortunate because, as you've mentioned it can get in the way of things - your garage sale for instance, or maybe avoiding going into certain shops because they'll ask how you or your family members are, etc. etc.  It would be best to see if you can find a balance - you don't have to avoid these situations, just decide beforehand how you are going to deal with them, how you're going to respond to certain kinds of questions that you find intrusive.  You don't have to lie, you can just be more general about things - you don't have to give a lot of details away.  People will soon realise you don't want to talk about it and they won't pursue it.

Answer 6

You just need more s*x.

Answer 7

Frank Abagnale Jr., the person that "Catch Me If You Can" is based on, had this problem.  He said "It's more fun living the lie."  What you've described is unusual, but as long as you're not hurting anyone, it's sounds like just a fun game you play with yourself.

Answer 8

No, it's not that odd.

People have used aliases to conceal their true identities for centuries.  Authors, actors, criminals - usually people with something at stake.

A common technique to deal with nerves in pressure situations is to approach it as though it's a play or movie.  Emergency and armed forces use this a lot.  I used to know a traffic officer who used to say out loud "It's show time" every time he got out of his car to deal with an incident.

Not giving your details away too easily in today's society is pretty prudent.  I mean, how many people on here have their full name under their avatar?

Multiple personality disorder occurs when you appear to be completely transformed - often with no conscious awareness of there being another personality.  In severe psychotic cases, people can be aware of the "bad" personality coming and taking over, but it's VERY rare.

If you're fully aware that you have this alias and are in control of how and when you use it, there's nothing psychologically wrong with you other than a bit of shyness/ trust of others issues.

Other than that it's a bit of fantasy/role play/ mischief in an otherwise boring existence.

I use an alias for pranks.  He has his own business, date of birth, email address etc.  I don't think I'm going to turn into him, but if I'm caught letting the air out of somebody's car tyres by a carpark attendant, I'm sure as h**l going to give his name...