Dissociative Identity Disorder in the Secret Window Secret Window, released in 2004, is a film based on the novel Secret Window, Secret Garden by Stephen King. The film follows increasingly disturbing events surrounding a character called Mort Rainey, played by Johnny Depp and John Turturro. This character appears to suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Rainey is a middle-aged novelist recently estranged from his wife; as a result, he isolated himself in his cottage. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Rainey has another personality called Shooter, and Rainey himself realizes that Shooter is an identity he created to protect himself from the pain of his marital breakup. The killer takes control of Rainey's mind one last time to kill his wife and the man she cheated with. After his revenge is accomplished, Rainey appears comfortable and jovial, and by the end of the film, Rainey appears to be in a positive emotional state. This is an ambiguous ending that leaves the viewer uncertain about the state of Rainey's mental health. DID is a complex condition. It is difficult to diagnose and is associated with much debate and misunderstanding, both in the public sphere and in the scientific community; CM Traub states that DID is one of the “most controversial diagnoses” (Traub, 2009). This article will review the diagnosis, prognosis, origins, therapies, and possible treatments for DID. Furthermore, the controversial nature of DID is studied. Diagnosis According to Barlow, Durand & Stewart (2012), dissociative identity disorder (DID) is one of several dissociative disorders in which a person experiences detachment or depersonalization. They go on to explain that people with DID have......middle of paper......dison, N. (2014, March 14). What is the difference between schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder? Retrieved from Wisegeek.com: http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-difference-between-schizophrenia-and-multiple-personality-disorder.htmSpiegel, D., Loewenstein, RJ, Lewis-Fernández, R ., Sar, V., Simeon, D., Vermetten, E., & ... Dell, P. F. (2011). Dissociative disorders in the DSM-5. Depression and Anxiety (1091-4269), 28(9), 824-852. doi:10.1002/da.20874Tracy, N. (2010, September 30). Everything you know about dissociative identity disorder is wrong. Retrieved from http://natashatracy.com/: http://natashatracy.com/mental-illness/did/everything-about-dissociative-identity-disorder-wrongTraub, C. M. (2009). Defending a diagnostic pariah: Validating the categorization of dissociative identity disorder. South African Journal of Psychology, 39(3), 347-356.