What are dissociative disorders?

Dissociative disorders are mental health conditions characterized by feelings of detachment from reality, being outside your body, or memory loss (amnesia).

The term "dissociation" refers to being disconnected from others, the world around you, or yourself.

Dissociative disorders usually arise following brief or long-term trauma.

What are the different types of dissociative disorders?

There are three forms of dissociative disorders:

• Dissociative identity disorder (DID): Individuals with DID have two or more distinct identities. These identities ("alters") govern their actions at different times. Each alters its life history, character traits, preferences, and aversions.
• Dissociative amnesia: In this state, you can't remember the most important aspects of your life. You may lose access to only a part of your life or a good deal of your history and identity.
• Depersonalization/derealization disorder: It is a condition in which one feels detached from one's thoughts, feelings, and body (depersonalization) and disconnected from one's environment (derealization).

A symptom known as dissociative fugue exists. A person who experiences this transient mental condition loses their memories and finds themselves in an unexpected location.

Because dissociative disorders are found on the trauma spectrum, many people with a dissociative disorder will also have other trauma-related mental health conditions, including:

• PTSD.
• BPD.
• Substance use disorders.
• Depression.
• Anxiety disorders.

Who gets dissociative disorders?

Dissociative disorders can occur in any individual of any age and from all walks of life. In general, however, women and those assigned female at birth are diagnosed more often than males.

People who have experienced childhood physical and sexual abuse are at the highest risk of developing dissociative identity disorder (DID). Approximately 90% of people with DID in the United States, Canada, and Europe have experienced childhood abuse and neglect.

What are the symptoms of dissociative disorders?

The symptoms of dissociative disorders vary according to the type. Symptoms typically begin after a traumatic event.

Stressful situations can exacerbate symptoms and create problems with functioning in daily life.

Dissociative identity disorder symptoms (DID)

A person suffering from DID has several separate identities. The person's typical personality is their "core" identity. "Alters" refers to the individual's many personas. The identity you had before to developing DID and alters is the core.

Each alters distinct behaviors, attitudes, preferences, memories, and ways of thinking. Other people are often able to distinguish the alters from each other and the person with DID. Switching from one change to another is involuntary and automatic.

Another symptom of DID is continuous gaps in memory concerning everyday events, personal details, and traumatic events experienced in the past.

These symptoms can vary significantly in severity. For some, the condition interferes very little with their lives, while for others, it causes major problems.

Symptoms of dissociative amnesia

The main symptom of dissociative amnesia is an episode of amnesia (memory loss) that starts suddenly. It may last months or years.

There are three types of amnesia:

• Localized: You cannot remember an event or period (the most common form of amnesia).
• Selective: You can't recall some aspects during a specified period.
• Generalized: You can't recall any aspect of your identity or life history (this is the least common type).

You may not feel aware of your memory loss, or you might only have partial awareness. However, your family members are often very aware of the memory loss.

Symptoms of depersonalization/derealization disorder

Symptoms of depersonalization/derealization disorder include recurrent experiences of one or both of the following episodes over an extended period:

• Depersonalization: There is a feeling of unreality or detachment from your mind, body, or self. It feels like watching life and events from a distance rather than being an actor in the action.
• Derealization: This involves feelings of unreality or detachment from your surroundings. People and things may not seem real.

You are aware of your surroundings throughout these episodes and realize that what you are going through is abnormal.

Children may experience these symptoms for the first time. The first episode's average age is sixteen. Up to 20% of those who suffer from this illness will experience their first episode after turning 20.

What causes dissociative disorders?

Dissociative disorders may arise as a coping mechanism for traumatic experiences, prolonged stress, abuse, or a catastrophic occurrence.

This is especially true if such events occur during the early years of life. At this stage in life, there are also constraints on your ability to understand fully what is happening. Besides, your coping mechanisms still need to be fully developed, and getting support and resources will depend on the availability of supportive and knowledgeable adults.

Mentally moving out from a traumatic situation helps you avoid pain for some time. The coping mechanism then becomes the problem if it continues to take you away from reality as it also erases memories of whole periods.

Examples of traumatic situations include:

• Subjective or ritualistic physical, mental or sexual abuse.
• An accident.
• A natural disaster.
• Combat with the military.
• Being a victim of crime.

Scientists have recently been investigating specific brain structures and functions associated with dissociation. Thus far, they've determined that during dissociation, structures in the memory regions deep in your brain display rhythmic activity but appear not to be connected to other areas responsible for thought and planning.

How are dissociative disorders diagnosed?

Healthcare providers diagnose dissociative disorders by examining your symptoms and personal history.

Your doctor will recommend several tests to rule out medical conditions that may be responsible for symptoms like loss of memory. These may include the following:

• Head injury
• Brain tumors
• Lack of sleep
• Substance and alcohol use

They will recommend you to a mental health specialist, such a psychologist, for additional assessment through clinical interview and observation when the medical explanations have been ruled out.

Mental health practitioners use criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association to identify certain dissociative disorders.

How are dissociative disorders treated?

Treatment of dissociative disorders generally includes psychotherapy or talk therapy to help you regain control over the process of dissociation and symptoms.

Psychotherapy occurs with a licensed mental health professional, like a psychologist or psychiatrist, trained to work with individuals who have dissociative disorders. It can support, educate, and guide you and your family to help you function better and increase your well-being.

The following are some specific types of psychotherapy commonly used for dissociative disorders:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy: This therapy is a goal-oriented, structured type of psychotherapy in which your therapist or psychologist helps you analyze your thoughts and emotions. It allows individuals to unlearn negative thoughts and behaviors and adopt healthier habits and thinking patterns.
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): DBT is modified explicitly for individuals who feel their emotions very intensely. The central aim is to balance the validation of who you are and your challenges with the benefits of change. You will learn new techniques from your therapist to improve your ability to control your emotions.

It can be difficult as therapy involves remembering and learning how to deal with trauma. However, in the long term, it will significantly help your symptoms.

Other helpful therapies include:

• Hypnosis: It is also referred to as hypnotherapy, is a state of a high level of relaxation, especially combined with focused attention or concentration. When in that hypnosis state, people tend to ignore distractions within everyday experiences and are very prone to follow guided suggestions toward helpful change in health conditions.
• EMDR therapy: During eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) treatment, you process painful memories by moving your eyes in a certain way. Helping you recover from trauma or other upsetting life events is the aim of EMDR. In comparison to previous therapeutic approaches, EMDR is a relatively young technique.

Dissociative disorders are not treated with any particular medication. To address co-occurring mental health issues, your doctor could suggest certain drugs, including antidepressants.

What is the outlook for dissociative disorders?

The prognosis (outlook) for dissociative disorders varies.

With professional treatment (usually psychotherapy), most people with a dissociative disorder can address significant symptoms of the condition and enhance their daily functioning.

For others, the dissociative disorder, especially DID, significantly disrupts their life.

The rate of suicide attempts is high among individuals with DID, with over 70 percent attempting suicide.

What time should I visit my doctor?

Consult with your physician or mental health specialist if you're exhibiting signs of dissociative disorder.

To seek an expert consultation

Call us at +91-9076972161
Email at care@tenderpalm.com

Request a Call Back