Dissociative Disorders

Dissociative disorders occur when a man loses control over his mind. Excessive stress, caused by traumatic experiences or deep inner conflicts, is a common cause of dissociative disorders. Stress and anxiety problems, which may involve dissociative symptoms, are linked to these conditions. An individual with a dissociative condition can even forget a sequence of daily tasks throughout varying durations of time and be aware of a ‘missing’ duration of time.

What are Dissociative Disorders?

The disorder when cognition, identification, emotions, perceptions, conduct, and self-esteem all are affected is called a dissociative disorder. Dissociative symptoms can affect every aspect of one’s mental health.

Disconnection or sensation as if one is beyond one’s body and memory lapses or amnesia are characteristics of dissociative symptoms. Dissociative disorders are commonly linked to traumatic experiences in the past.

Causes of Dissociative Disorder

Dissociative disorders often emerge as a reaction to a traumatic incident or long-term anxiety, assault, or trauma. This is especially true if the incident occurs when the child is young. At this age, one’s capacity to completely comprehend what is occurring is limited, effective coping strategies are not fully formed, and obtaining help and resources is contingent on the presence of loving and knowledgeable people. 

A coping method that enables somebody to avoid suffering in the short term is mentally disconnecting oneself from a terrible circumstance, such as an accident, natural catastrophe, military battle, becoming a crime victim, or recurrent physical, psychological, or sexual assault.

Types of Dissociative Disorder

There are mainly three types of dissociative disorder:

1. Dissociative Amnesia

Dissociative amnesia is one of the most prevalent types of dissociative disorder. Extensive amnesia and time loss are the key symptoms, which cannot be described by ordinary forgetfulness, substance addiction, or medicinal disease. This is a blank hole in the person’s memory during which they can’t recall past events or conversations. Specific traumatic situations, such as intensive battle or sexual assault, might cause this illness. A memory impairment episode can last minutes or hours, but it’s more common for it to span days, weeks, or months. 

2. Depersonalisation/Derealisation Disorder

Depersonalisation/ Derealisation is also included in the types of dissociative disorder. Consistent, continuing, or periodic emotional and sensory separation from situations in a person’s life characterises this disorder. People who suffer from this illness express the impression as if they see their emotions, thoughts, and behaviours from the outside as if they were watching a movie. Others describe the sensation as though they were in a hazy, dreamy condition, with the environment around them not being real. The duration of symptoms might range from seconds to months. 

3. Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Even though all dissociative illnesses were once grouped as multiple personality disorder (MPD) and can be a part of MPD, dissociative identity disorder is the current designation for characteristic symptoms of MPD. Dissociative identity disorder, often known as a split personality disorder, is characterised by the development of at most one other personality, with an average of 3-16 “alters.” About 100 alternative personas have been reported in certain circumstances.

Dissociative Identity Disorder Symptoms

There are various dissociative identity disorder symptoms, and they are as follows:

1. Multiple or split personalities

People who identify numerous or split identities as the most common sign of dissociative identity disorder. However, referring to them as “personalities” is debatable. An individual with this disease has different sensations of self (alters) that are not united as a whole, rather than multiple personalities. Changes usually have their own identities, speaking patterns, experiences, and body posture.

2. Anxiety And Panic Attacks

Dissociation is a problematic coping mechanism for stress. Dissociative identity disorder is more complicated than a regular anxiety illness, and therapy for it is usually more complicated. Anxiety, panic episodes, and dissociation, on the other hand, are all linked. When a person dissociates, whether by allowing a new alter to take control or just stopping to communicate with the outside world, they attempt to flee a stressful or painful circumstance.

3. Insomnia

Insomnia is common among those who suffer from this condition. A variety of factors can cause insomnia; however, not everyone reports this symptom. When the individual is conscious of the other changes, their mind may constantly speed with ideas that don’t seem like their own. It’s as though their brain is in a noisy, congested environment.

4. Hallucinations 

This disease can cause hallucinations; however, this is not always the scenario. One of the most widespread misunderstandings is that schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder are the same things. Patients with schizophrenia frequently see and hear things that aren’t there. Patients with typical dissociative identity disorder do not have mental interactions with their alters. However, there has been a change in thinking as more people are diagnosed with this disease and share their experiences.

5. Depersonalisation

Depersonalisation is linked to derealisation, which is another probable sign of dissociative identity disorder. It is, nonetheless, rather distinct. A sense of remoteness or fog is present in both symptoms. This sense of separation is related to the patient in the situation of depersonalisation. Depersonalisation, in other terms, refers to the experience of being cut off from one’s feelings, body, and ideas. Many people who are afflicted say they feel as if they are observing what is occurring to them from outside their bodies. 

6. Abnormal Behaviour

Another probable symptom of dissociative identity disorder is abnormal conduct. But, this symptom by itself is insufficient for a diagnosis; several of the others must also be present. Abnormal behaviour refers to individuals who find themselves doing or thinking about things that are out of the ordinary for them. These are frequently risky habits, such as robbing money from family, friends, or their work, racing, or otherwise driving recklessly. Individuals with this disease frequently claim that they feel driven to perform these acts, regardless of the inappropriate conduct. 

Conclusion

Dissociative disorder is a difficult and complex illness to treat, and it may not be cured. This becomes an issue if it tends to detach the individual from realism over time and erases memories of entire periods. This particular disorder can be treated with the right therapies and optimistic support from family and friends, and a desire to be open and honest about the traumas that trigger the individual.