Dissociative Disorders

Question 1

What causes dissociation?

Answer 1

Avoidance and coping responses

Question 2

What is the psychodynamic perspective on why DA occurs? What do cognitive scientists have to say about this?

Answer 2

Repression of traumatic memories - Cognitive scientists say this is wrong, as high stress levels enhance memory of negative experiences; hormone involved: norepinephrine.. However, high levels of stress may be different than the usual.

Question 2

What subtype of dissociative amnesia involves wandering away from home and work in a bewildered manner?

Answer 2

Fugue

Question 3

Diagnoses comorbid with DID?

Answer 3

Anxiety, depression, BPD (50% also meet criteria), somatic symptom disorder

Question 4

What does the PTM say about DID?

Answer 4

Post-Traumatic Model takes a traumagenic position, and says that trauma leads to DID. Stress-diathesis model says that DID amplifies this.

Question 5

What does the SCM say about DID?

Answer 5

1. Iatrogenic position: caused by therapy (i.e. demand characteristics)
2. Pseudogenic position: malingering (fake)

Question 6

What biological issues are found in depersonalization/derealization?

Answer 6

Problems in brain information integration, Underactive anterior cingulate cortex , mismatched neural signals