Dissociative Identity Disorder, more commonly known as DID, refers to the fragmentation of a person's identity, often resulting in the development of two or more personalities that differ from each other. This disorder is often employed as a coping mechanism to deal with traumatic experiences by blocking out painful events and enabling the individual to function as if nothing happened (Beidel et al., 2016, #221). DID is commonly depicted in movies, and the current article will examine its portrayal in the comedy film, "Me, Myself, and Irene" (2000).

The film follows the life of Charlie Bailegates, a pleasant police officer who falls in love with a girl and marries her at a young age. However, she has an affair, gives birth to three children, and leaves him for her baby daddy. As a result, Charlie is left to raise his children single-handedly while working as a cop. Throughout the movie, Charlie is repeatedly taken advantage of by his neighbors, who do not afford him any respect. Despite experiencing such painful episodes, Charlie does not stand up for himself or express his feelings and instead represses his emotions. Eventually, he reaches a breaking point, and a new identity takes over.

He assumes a different personality, Hank, who is the polar opposite of Charlie. Hank is rude, aggressive, and has frequent outbursts. Charlie's colleagues notice the drastic change in his behavior and refer him to a doctor, who diagnoses him with dissociative identity disorder. The film illustrates the different personalities, just like they manifest in real-life situations. Charlie is a pushover, while Hank takes control of every situation and resorts to violence or manipulation to get what he wants. Hank even refers to Charlie as "origami, he folds so easily."

The disparities between Charlie and Hank become apparent in a scene at a barber shop. Charlie politely requests the man who had parked his car there for three days to move it to another spot. Despite giving the man multiple notices to move his car in the past, he disregards Charlie's requests, knowing he can push him around. Instead of standing up for himself, Charlie swallows his anger and allows the man to take advantage of him. When Hank emerges, he drives into the barber shop, oblivious to the man's feelings or the repercussions of his actions. Charlie also respects women, as evident in his kind relationship with Irene. In contrast, Hank is domineering and deceitful, coercing Irene into sexual activity. Throughout the film, Hank makes bold decisions, particularly in situations where he and Irene need to escape. However, when Charlie is tasked with devising a plan, he is often unable to come up with something and instinctively seeks help.

The film accurately depicts various symptoms of dissociative identity disorder, as listed in the DSM-5, including Charlie's triggers that cause psychological distress and lead to Hank's emergence. For instance, a woman at the grocery store asks to cut in front of him, and Charlie agrees as he has only a single item. However, the woman tries to exploit Charlie's kindness, triggering discomfort and subsequently bringing out Hank who humiliates her in front of everyone. In another scene at a diner, a child stares at Charlie, making him uncomfortable, and leading to Hank's emergence. Hank creates a scene in front of everyone, scolding the child and his family.

The film also accurately portrays different mannerisms between Charlie and Hank as they assume different identities physically. Although the shift is sometimes exaggerated, the facial expressions of both characters and their actions are aptly depicted. Charlie sports a slight smile and a relaxed face, while Hank has a smirk and is more impulsive and confident. DID also manifests memory loss in individuals, which is also accurately represented in the film. When Charlie learns about Hank, he is baffled by his actions and cannot remember anything that happened while Hank was in charge.

In conclusion, "Me, Myself, and Irene" portrays dissociative identity disorder accurately by reflecting various symptoms and manifestation, including personality changes, memory loss, and mannerism variation.

In general, the film Me, Myself, and Irene (2000) effectively portrayed dissociative identity disorder with reasonable accuracy. It is noteworthy, however, that the onset of this condition for Charlie was rather atypical, occurring well beyond the average age for diagnosis, and that multiple personalities emerged simultaneously. Nevertheless, the movie successfully conveyed the hallmarks of DID. It is important to bear in mind, however, that this is purely a work of comedy and ought not to be taken as a definitive guide for diagnosing others.