its not that its secretive... its just that there is more to having mental disorders (any mental disorder regardless of what it is), then what you can find by reading books, watching movies, researching on the internet. its always been that way. Treatment providers have always had a way to distinguish when a person has a specific mental disorder or when they have a different mental disorder called fictitious disorder imposed on self where a person researches and for what ever reasons decides they are what they are researching and acts out what they find in books, movies and on the internet for attention.

even medical doctors hold back information so that they can tell when a person is really sick or they are just acting that way for attention or to get out of that math test or what ever.

it's just the way its done to make sure people get the correct diagnosis and treatment...

lets take this out of dissociative disorders for a moment.... think of it this way.. what if your best friend told their doctor or therapist that they had say schizophrenia with out the key information a psychiatrist would prescribe an anti psychotic when your friend didnt actually need an anti psychotic. your friend could end up dead due to being prescribed a medication that is meant for schizophrenia when they didnt have that mental disorder. but because of books movies and the internet they could act like it.

not a good situation right...getting the wrong diagnosis and wrong treatment or lack of a specific treatment can harm someone regardless of the disorder.

by treatment providers having key information that is not publicized, about mental disorders helps to prevent disasters like this from happening, ensures that ...........most times......a person presenting with a mental disorder gets the correct diagnosis and treatment.