Identity disturbance

An identity disturbance or identity diffusion is an inability to maintain major components of identity. It refers to the fragmentation of one's self-image.

In the DSM-5, identity disturbance is defined as a distinctly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self. It is a core symptom of borderline personality disorder and can manifest as dramatic changes in goals, values, aspirations, and self-perception. It is also included in the category of Other Specified Dissociative Disorder (OSDD) in cases where the disorder results from long-term and intense coercive influence.

A person suffering from an identity disturbance may adopt the personality traits of those around them, as they struggle with their own identity. They may confuse their own characteristics, emotions, and desires with those of another person. In the 1930s, psychoanalyst Helene Deutsch described the "as if" personality, in which an individual's identity appears superficially intact but lacks authenticity and depth. Such a person imitates the emotions and identities of others to conceal an inner emptiness, living as if they had genuine feelings and desires.