In general, dissociative disorders “involve problems with memory, identity, emotion, perception, behavior, and sense of self.” They tend to be associated with previous trauma that occurred in a person’s life. They are manifested in feelings of detachment from reality. In addition, there could be a loss of memory.
Dissociative disorders have three types:
- Dissociative identity disorder
- Dissociative amnesia
- Depersonalization/derealization disorder
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
This disorder is associated with extremely traumatic events and experiences. Oftentimes, the trauma is an occurrence from childhood. DID is what the media often calls multiple personality disorder, as that is what it used to be called in the past.
Symptoms
- Existence of two or more distinct identities
- Ongoing gaps in memory
- Significant daily distress
The existence of distinct identities is accompanied with changes in thoughts and behavior. Attitudes may suddenly shift back and forth. People with this disorder often feel like they are observing themselves from an outsider point of view.
Treatment
Appropriate treatment may alleviate symptoms and improve daily functioning. Treatment most often includes psychotherapy as a means of controlling symptoms. Medication is not used to treat symptoms related to dissociation but may be used for other comorbid symptoms such as depression and anxiety.