Dissociative Disorders

Dissociative disorders are mental health conditions. This type of mental health disorder involves a loss of connection between thoughts, environment, behavior, identity, and memories. People with dissociative disorders may escape from reality in ways that are harmful and unwanted.

People living with a dissociative disorder may struggle to manage daily life. Their quality of life and functioning can suffer. Evidence-based treatment can help people regain functioning and manage the symptoms of their dissociative disorder. 

This article will explore dissociative disorders. You will learn:

•  The symptoms of dissociative disorders
•  The causes, risks, and complications of dissociative disorder
•  How to identify the three types of dissociative disorders
•  How to treat dissociative disorders
•  Where to find mental health treatment

If you or someone in your life struggles with dissociative identity disorder, you are not alone. Contact the Agape Behavioral Center specialists to learn about our treatment programs or to find support. Reach out with questions or to schedule an intake appointment.

What are Dissociative Disorders?

A dissociative disorder is a mental health condition that can develop as a reaction to a traumatic event. Mental health experts believe that dissociative disorders are a way for the brain to protect people from painful or traumatic memories. However, the symptoms of a dissociative disorder can make daily life more challenging.

Causes

People may develop dissociative disorder after experiencing a distressing, painful, or shocking event. Children who experience long-term physical, emotional, or sexual abuse are the most likely to develop a dissociative disorder.

Risk factors and complications

People are most likely to develop a dissociative disorder if they have experienced long-term physical, emotional, or sexual abuse during childhood. However, any traumatic event can lead to this mental health condition. Some traumatic events might include:

• Being the victim of a sexual or physical assault
• Surviving a natural disaster
• Living in a war zone
• Extensive or invasive early-life medical procedures

These and other traumatic events may cause someone to develop a dissociative disorder.

The symptoms of a dissociative disorder can prevent people from functioning and reduce their quality of life. People with dissociative disorder are at increased risk for depression with suicidal thoughts or behaviors. 

Other potential complications include:

• Anxiety
• Eating disorder
• Personality disorder
• Difficulty maintaining healthy relationships
• Higher risk for drug and alcohol abuse
• Physical symptoms, including seizures that are not related to epilepsy and lightheadedness
• Post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD
• Sleep disorders, including insomnia, chronic nightmares, or sleepwalking

Comprehensive treatment can help people reduce these symptoms and improve daily functioning.

Prevention

Anyone, especially children, who experience traumatic events may develop dissociative disorder. The best method of prevention is preventing children from experiencing childhood abuse or neglect.

If you or a child have been abused or have experienced another form of trauma, talk to a doctor or mental health professional right away. Experiencing physical, sexual, or emotional abuse at any stage of life can lead to significant, long-term complications. It is important to seek treatment to help you feel and function better. 

Symptoms of Dissociative Disorders

There are several types of dissociative disorders, each with its own set of symptoms. However, dissociative disorders have common symptoms. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), symptoms can include:

• Severe stress
• Interpersonal difficulties
• Challenges at work, school, or other important areas of life
• Low stress tolerance or inability to cope with stress
• A sense of detachment from yourself and your feelings
• Having a sense that people or your environment are not real or are distorted
• Experiencing  an unclear sense of your own identity

Experiencing mental health problems, including depression, suicidal thoughts, and anxiety

having amnesia (memory loss) about certain time periods, events, personal information, or other people.

A dissociative disorder is a significant mental health condition that can affect your health, social functioning, emotional well-being, and more. It is important to seek treatment as soon as possible to manage the symptoms and learn healthier coping skills. 

Understanding the Three Types of Dissociative Disorders

The American Psychiatric Association classifies dissociative disorders into three categories. Here is an overview of these conditions.

Depersonalization/derealization disorder

Depersonalization involves a sense of detachment from yourself or feeling like you’re watching your life from the outside in. You may feel as though you are witnessing your own thoughts, feelings, actions, and more from a distance, as though you’re watching yourself on TV.

Derealization involves feeling that other people and things in your environment are separate from you. You may experience the sensation that time is slowing down or speeding up or that the world is not real.

Symptoms of depersonalization or derealization can be very distressing. People may experience these symptoms for hours, days, weeks, or months, and they can come and go over the course of years. Some people develop chronic depersonalization or derealization symptoms.

Dissociative identity disorder

People used to call dissociative identity disorder “multiple personality disorder.” This disorder involves changing from one identity to the next. People may feel as though they have more than one identity or have multiple people talking or living inside their minds.

With dissociative identity disorder, each “personality” may have its own history, name, and characteristics. People may adopt different mannerisms, voices, or other characteristics for each identity.

Dissociative identity disorder may also include periods of amnesia and bouts of confused wandering.

Dissociative amnesia

Dissociative amnesia results in memory loss that is more significant than everyday forgetfulness. People do not exhibit other medical conditions that may cause amnesia. 

People with dissociative amnesia may be unable to recall information about themselves, events, or others. Symptoms may be worse during periods of intense stress or after a shocking event. The symptoms of dissociative amnesia may last minutes, hours, or, in rare cases, months or years.

Treatment for Dissociative Disorder

Comprehensive mental health treatment can help people with dissociative disorder regain control over their symptoms and improve functioning.

The first step of treatment for dissociative disorder is getting a proper diagnosis. People must work with a mental health specialist to identify any potential physical conditions that may cause symptoms of memory loss or derealization. Then, the mental health practitioner will conduct a thorough mental health exam. 

Treatment for dissociative disorder typically involves talk therapy and medication. Talk therapy is a critical aspect of treatment for dissociative disorder. Working with a therapist can help you understand the roots of your condition and give you the skills to manage stress in new, healthy ways. A therapist can also help you uncover and process the traumatic events that may have caused the dissociative disorder. 

There are no medications that specifically treat dissociative disorders. However, doctors may prescribe anti-anxiety medications, antipsychotic drugs, or antidepressants. These prescription drugs can help manage mental health symptoms related to dissociative disorder.

Find Mental Health Treatment Now

If you or someone you love struggles with dissociative disorder or another mental health condition, you are not alone. Contact the Agape Behavioral Center specialists to learn more about our treatments and support programs. Contact us with questions or to set up an intake appointment as soon as possible. 

References:

1. Journal of Trauma and Dissociation: Stigma Regarding Dissociative Disorders
2. National Institute of Health (NIH): Depersonalization/Derealizat
   ion Disorder and Neural Correlates of Trauma-related Pathology: A Critical Review
3. NIH: Dissociative Identity Disorder
4. Science Direct: Psychogenic Amnesia