Dissociative Disorders

Question 1

a class of disorders in
which people lose contact with portions of their
consciousness or memory, resulting in disruptions
in their sense of identity.

Answer 1

Dissociative disorders

Question 2

a sudden loss of memory
for important personal information that is too
extensive to be due to normal forgetting.

Answer 2

Dissociative amnesia

Question 3

involves a disruption of identity marked by the experience of two or more largely complete, and usually very different, personalities.

Answer 3

Dissociative identity disorder (DID)

Question 4

_____________is usually attributed to extreme stress.

Answer 4

Dissociative amnesia

Question 5

Some theorists maintain that people with DID gradually come to believe that ___________________ within them are to blame for their problems.

Answer 5

independent entities

Question 6

Other theorists maintain that DID is rooted in severe _____________________ that
occurred during childhood.

Answer 6

emotional trauma

Question 7

_____________________________can be produced by physical means (e.g., brain
damage); however _____________________________is related to traumatic/stressful events

Answer 7

Amnesia (loss of memory) , dissociative amnesia

Question 8

individual loses memory of their entire life and
their sense of personal identity

Answer 8

Dissociative Fugue

Question 9

Causes are the same as ____________(e.g., traumatic/ stressful event);
however with ____________, individual has no memory of their past or
their present self

Answer 9

dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue

Question 10

Handwriting styles; voice qualities; allergic responses; handedness qualities;
EEG responses; changes in respiration rate; galvanic skin responses, etc

Answer 10

Physiological differences between the host and the alters

Question 10

Dissociative Identity Disorder
* A distinction is usually made between the ____ (the personality state
that represents who the person was before the onset of the disorder),
and the ______ (the later-developing identities)

Answer 10

host, alters

Question 10

• The host is not aware of the alter, but the alter is aware of the host
• While the host is in control, the alter is conscious, and knows the host’s thoughts and
  actions – when the alter surfaces, it can discuss the host’s actions/problems

Answer 10

Alter is conscious – (more complex pattern)

Question 10

Two identities take turns controlling behaviour, each having amnesia for the
thoughts/actions of the other

Answer 10

Alternating Personalities – (simplest pattern)