Scribd
Upload
302 views2 pages

Dissociative Disorders

Dissociative disorders involve a disconnection between thoughts, identity, and awareness of surroundings that causes problems functioning in everyday life. Symptoms include feeling disconnected from oneself/world, memory issues, uncertain identity, and dissociative episodes can last from hours to years as a way to cope with trauma. Dissociative disorders are associated with childhood trauma like abuse and may co-occur with conditions like PTSD, depression, anxiety. The main types are depersonalization-derealization disorder, dissociative amnesia, and dissociative identity disorder.

Uploaded by

api-541255806
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
302 views2 pages

Dissociative Disorders

Dissociative disorders involve a disconnection between thoughts, identity, and awareness of surroundings that causes problems functioning in everyday life. Symptoms include feeling disconnected from oneself/world, memory issues, uncertain identity, and dissociative episodes can last from hours to years as a way to cope with trauma. Dissociative disorders are associated with childhood trauma like abuse and may co-occur with conditions like PTSD, depression, anxiety. The main types are depersonalization-derealization disorder, dissociative amnesia, and dissociative identity disorder.

Uploaded by

api-541255806
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Dissociative disorders

Dissociative disorders are a range of conditions that can cause physical and
psychological problems. Some dissociative disorders are very short-lived, perhaps
following a traumatic life event, and resolve on their own over a matter of weeks or
months. Others can last much longer. Dissociative disorders are mental disorders that
involve experiencing a disconnection and lack of continuity between thoughts,
memories, surroundings, actions, and identity. People with dissociative disorders escape
reality in ways that are involuntary and unhealthy and cause problems with functioning
in everyday life.

Symptoms of a dissociative disorder (May Vary)

 Feeling Disconnected from Yourself and the World around you


 Forgetting about Certain Time Periods, Events and Personal Information
 Feeling Uncertain about your Identity
 Noticed separate Identities/Personalities
 Feeling little to no Physical Pain

Dissociation is a way the mind copes with too much stress. Periods of dissociation can last
for a relatively short time (hours or days) or for much longer (weeks or months). It can
sometimes last for years, but usually if a person has other dissociative disorders. Many people
with a dissociative disorder have had a traumatic event during childhood. They may
dissociate and avoid dealing with it as a way of coping with it. The trauma often involves
severe emotional, physical, and/or sexual abuse. It might also be linked to accidents, natural
disasters, and war.

Causes of dissociative disorder

 They may be related to a previous traumatic experience, or a tendency to develop


more physical than psychological symptoms when stressed or distressed.
 Someone with a dissociative disorder may have experienced physical, sexual or
emotional abuse during childhood.
 Some people dissociate after experiencing war, kidnapping or even an invasive
medical procedure.
 Switching off from reality is a normal defence mechanism that helps the person cope
during a traumatic time.
Associated conditions

Someone with a dissociative disorder may also have other mental health conditions,
such as:

 Medically Unexplained Symptoms


 Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
 Depression
 Mood Swings
 Anxiety
 Panic Attacks
 Suicidal Tendencies or Self-Harm
 Phobias
 Eating Disorders
 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
 Insomnia

3 Main Types of dissociative disorder

Depersonalisation-Derealisation Disorder - When you have the feeling of being


outside yourself and observing your actions, feelings, or thoughts from a distance.
Derealisation is where you feel the world around is unreal. People and things around you may
seem "lifeless" or "foggy". It may last only a few moments or come and go over many years.

Dissociative Amnesia – When there are periods where they cannot remember
information about themselves or events in their past life. They may also forget a learned
talent or skill. Some people with dissociative amnesia find themselves in a strange place
without knowing how they got there. These blank episodes may last minutes, hours or days.
In rare cases, they can last months or years.

Dissociative Identity Disorder – DID / multiple personality disorder. Someone


diagnosed with DID may feel uncertain about their identity and who they are. They may feel
the presence of other identities, each with their own names, voices, personal histories, and
mannerisms. The main symptoms of DID are memory gaps about everyday events and
personal information as well as having several distinct identities.

The difference between DID and Schizophrenia

While trauma is associated with both disorders, with schizophrenia the trauma tends to follow
the disease. It is a consequence of the illness; it is not causative – it is a reaction to the
trauma. Schizophrenia is classified as a psychotic disorder and managed primarily through
drugs, whereas DID is considered a developmental disorder that is more responsive to
psychotherapy and behavioural modifications. This may happen if voices of alternate
personalities in a case of DID "leak through" and comment on events, or talk directly to the
core, central personality, without completely taking it over.

You might also like