Dissociative Identity Disorder is more common than we were taught

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a condition in which an individual's personality fractures in response to extreme trauma. It is often portrayed in its most extreme and obvious iterations and is thought to be so rare that a clinician is unlikely to encounter it throughout their career. Because it has been designated to the realm of niche expertise, very few clinicians recognize DID when they do encounter it. As a result, people with comorbid dissociative and eating disorders may cycle through treatment centers without receiving appropriate care.

In this episode, registered dietitian Annie Goldsmith shares how she became aware that DID is, in fact, much more prevalent and less obvious than mainstream rhetoric suggests. We discuss how, as providers, when we don't understand the protective function of symptoms, we can unintentionally perpetuate a dissociated person’s tendency to disconnect from internal experiences and create a dynamic that mirrors power structures from their past. Annie shares how recognizing dissociation in clients impacts the way she approaches treatment.

Annie has an undergraduate degree in Brain and Cognitive Sciences and has completed graduate coursework in Human Nutrition. Her work has always been guided by a strong curiosity about how biology and psychology interact to shape human experience. Before pursuing a career in nutrition, Annie worked in a neuroscience research lab. She has experience treating eating disorders in PHP, IOP, and outpatient settings.

Annie now runs Second Breakfast Nutrition, an outpatient group practice centered on weight-inclusive, social justice-oriented, and trauma-informed eating disorder care. She studied somatic and polyvagal-informed approaches to nutrition therapy at the Embodied Recovery Institute, where she now serves as faculty.

Annie has presented on the intersection of eating disorders and dissociation at the ISSTD World Conference, EDRD Pro, and the Healing Together Conference through An Infinite Mind. She recognizes that her clients—many of whom are survivors of complex trauma and live with dissociative identities—are her greatest teachers. She is passionate about working with clients from a bottom-up approach, centering and supporting the wisdom of the body and its innate capacity for healing.

To find Annie, visit https://www.secondbreakfastnutrition.com/