What is a partial DID?
In the case of Partial DID the person still experiences a disruption of their identity, like in DID, but there is a 'dominant' personality which is usually at the front.
Intrusions from other parts are infrequent and irregular, perhaps only happening during a particularly distressing or emotional experience.
Partial Dissociative Identity Disorder is a dissociative disorder described in the ICD that is similar to Dissociative Identity Disorder, but rarely exhibits full switches. It is defined as having one dominant headmate with one or more non-dominant headmate(s), that primarily influence the dominant headmate or go co-conscious with them.
This is described as intruding on the dominant headmate, and may change their behavior, self-perception, cognition, motor function, and more. These intrusions may be irregular, only occur during emotional episodes, or may be frequent.
Partial dissociative identity disorder is characterized by disruption of identity in which there are two or more distinct personality states (dissociative identities) associated with marked discontinuities in the sense of self and agency. Each personality state includes its own pattern of experiencing, perceiving, conceiving, and relating to self, the body, and the environment. One personality state is dominant and normally functions in daily life, but is intruded upon by one or more non-dominant personality states (dissociative intrusions). These intrusions may be cognitive, affective, perceptual, motor, or behavioral.
They are experienced as interfering with the functioning of the dominant personality state and are typically aversive. The non-dominant personality states do not recurrently take executive control of the individual's consciousness and functioning, but there may be occasional, limited and transient episodes in which a distinct personality state assumes executive control to engage in circumscribed behaviors, such as in response to extreme emotional states or during episodes of self-harm or the re-enactment of traumatic memories.
Partial dissociative identity disorder is found in the ICD-11, but not the DSM. It is unknown if the American Psychiatric Association, the group in charge of putting out the DSM, is considering adding it to the manual, but it is unlikely as the definition already falls under Otherwise Specified Dissociative Disorder and Unspecified Dissociative Disorder.