Dissociative Disorders

Dissociative disorders are a group of disorders with a strange feeling of being detached from reality. Dissociate is mental state in which a person blocks out memories, fails to recognize surroundings, or fails to recognize their own identity. This group of disorders includes dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, depersonalization disorder, and dissociative identity disorder a fugue is a longer time period during which a person forgets all or most of their personal identity.

Most people experience mild dissociation; like when they daydream. What makes this common experience different from a dissociative disorder is the severity and length of the dissociation. When a person experiences some form of dissociative disorder, the experience is beyond the person’s control.

For example, a person with dissociative amnesia or a dissociative fugue might not remember a significant part of their life, which goes beyond normal forgetfulness or old age. People with depersonalization disorder often feel detached from their bodies, as if they were watching themselves in a movie. People with dissociative identity disorder also experience missing time that they can not account for, and also feel as though a number of distinct personalities are living inside of them. This was known as multiple personality disorder. Many people with a dissociative disorder also have other mental health problems, like borderline personality disorder, depression, or drug or alcohol abuse.

Many people with dissociative disorders have also suffered from extreme traumas in their lives, such as physical and sexual abuse as children, rape, war, natural disasters, or witnessing a murder etc.  Some researchers believe that dissociation acts as a protective defense, preventing the person from being overwhelmed by the experience or memories of the experience.

The research on treating dissociative disorders is not as extensive as the treatment for other problems. There have been several effective treatments discovered. Some people may be treated on an outpatient basis, while those with more severe cases may require a hospitalization. The goal of treatment is to help people to recover lost memories, incorporate disconnected the basics of their personality, and keep them in the present moment when they start to dissociate.

The use psychological treatments, hypnotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, antidepressants, antianxiety medications have been proven helpful.

Until there is more research done for people with these disorders there are limited treatments available.  However, there are many studies in process and the prognosis for people with dissociative disorders is improving.