Definition
A severe form of the disorder dissociation when two or more "alters", or different personalities with distinctly different outlooks on life, take turns controlling the mind of the subject. On average, 2-10 alters can take control, but some cases have been reported with up to 100 alters. The brain conceives these different personalities to deal with traumatic experiences too dramatic for the brain to handle. After these experiences, the brain uses a different personality to distance itself from the trauma, therefore using the disorder as a coping mechanism.