Dissociation Identity Disorder in David Fincher's Fight Club

David G. Meyers defines a psychological disorder in the textbook Exploring Phycology 9th edition as a disruption to an individual’s biological, psychological, and social-cultural influences. Not to be confused with sicknesses, a psychological disorder can be caused from early childhood traumas. Dissociative identity disorder is defined as a coping mechanism to an individual’s problematic lifestyle. The individual conceptualizes aspects of their personality into actual figments that they believe exists. These figments will then idolize the trait that the person is inadequate of representing.

In David Fincher’s Fight Club, the protagonist (name is not given) endures DID or the Dissociative Identity Disorder. Opposed to the idea that Dissociative Identity Disorder can be caused by a traumatic childhood experience, the protagonist endures no childhood trauma. He does, however, suffer from severe depression and insomnia. This is possibly what creates his alter ego. His alter ego is the outgoing and outspoken individual that reflects who the narrator is not. Tyler Durden is conceptualized to help the protagonist cope with his mental issues.

Dissociative disorders usually include self-wandering or amnesia of oneself, David H. Gleaves suggests that, “Dissociative Identity Disorder is not a valid psychiatric disorder of posttraumatic origin; rather, it is a creation of psychotherapy and the media.” (Psychological Bulletin). Again, Tyler Durden (the protagonist’s alter-ego) is everything the narrator is not. He is not created from a posttraumatic experience, which Gleaves suggests, but a way for him to cope with his boring/mundane life. Gleaves also states that, “[t]he media [has] also hypothetically led to the increased creation of the disorder” (Psychological Bulletin). The protagonist has an odd fascination with buying the latest furniture. He primarily purchases from catalogs and ads on the television which are primary sources of media that can possibly be leading to the development of his disorder. There is reasonable correlation between the two but of course, correlation does not mean causation.

The case of Dissociative Identity Disorder is a relatively newly discovered disorder. It was very uncommon for individuals to be diagnosed with such a disorder but once there were formal outlines for it then the amount of diagnoses exponentially increased. In a study conducted by Geoff & Simms in 1993, the average personalities ranged from 3-12 per person. In the film, the analysis of only 3-12 personalities per person is skewed as the protagonist only has one altered personality. Along with this difference. Also, having Dissociative Identity Disorder can include being attention seeking but unlike I the film, he does not create this figment intentionally nor for a specific reason. This yet again is another point where the film alters the reality of having DID.

Hollywood films distort the reality of things to better the film. There is a difference with what happens in the film and what symptoms are of a disorder. This is clearly just to make the film seem more interesting to the public.

Works Cited:

• Gleaves, David H. “Psychological Bulliten.” N.p., 1996. Web. 03 Dec. 2015
• Myers, David G., and C. Nathan DeWall. Exploring Psychology. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

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