They were not malicious people. This belief has since gained near universal acceptance among MPD therapists. As increasing numbers of therapists became active in the MPD field, new concepts were introduced. Patients were no longer limited to only a few alters. Therapists uncovered dozens of alters - even hundreds, and eventually as many as 4,500 within some individuals.
Some therapists claim to have uncovered vegetable and even inanimate personalities.
5 Different personalities exhibit different speech patterns, mannerisms, attitudes, thoughts, and gender. Some alters are allergic to penicillin or certain foods, whereas the host personality is not. During the 1980s and early 1990s, the number of people diagnosed with MPD increased enormously. As of 1998, there were over two dozen clinics in North America which specialize in this disorder. In recent years, belief in MPD has become less common in North America.