A dissociative disorder can manifest itself in many different ways, but is most often seen as an individual's interruption or dissociation with the routine of waking consciousness. Someone who suffers from this type of disorder may lose sight of his or her own identity and personal history, which in the most extreme cases was once known as "multiple personality disorder." People with dissociative disorders have typically gone through a trauma in their life that sparked the sudden and intermittent loss of identity or history. The brain may dissociate from reality as a coping mechanism to avoid integrating the memory of that experience with the person's conscious identity.
Symptoms of Dissociative Disorders
One very distinct type of dissociative disorder is dissociative amnesia, in which the brain blocks out specific information or memories, typically when an acutely traumatic event has occurred. It can be localized, in which case the individual has no recollection of the stressful event for a stretch of time, such as a person who doesn't remember a car accident until several days later. It can also be selective, in which case the individual doesn't recall certain events that took place during a given time period but remembers other events from the same time period. For example, a person who was abused may not remember the actual trauma but will recall the rest of his or her life from that time. It may be systemized, as well, in which case the individual loses all the information from a certain category, such as the memories of one friend, relative or partner. Dissociative amnesia can also be generalized, in which case the individual fails to recall his or her whole life.
Other types of dissociative disorder include dissociative fugue, which is a rare variety in which the individual suddenly becomes confused about his or her identity and takes off on a long journey. Depersonalization disorder is another variety, which manifests itself when the individual feels detached from his or her body, experiences and sense of self. And then there is dissociative identity disorder, which is sometimes called multiple personality disorder, and is marked by distinct identities that appear regularly.
Treatment
The symptoms of dissociative disorders may be similar to those of obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder or other types of mental illness, but there are certain traits that make this type of disorder unique. The treatments, however, may sometimes be similar. The individual who is experiencing dissociative disorder will typically need psychotherapy and/or a combination of prescription drugs and psychosocial treatment.
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