Dissociative Disorders

Question 1

Dissociative disorders all share the following:

Answer 1

A disruption in the integration of consciousness as it relates to an individual’s memory, identity, emotion, behavior, and perception. Such disturbances may be gradual, transient, or chronic.

Question 2

The dissociative disorders in the DSM-5 TR are:

Answer 2

• Dissociative identity disorder (split personality)- 2 or more distinct personality states or identities that recurrently assume control of the individuals behavior, along with the inability to recall important personal information that extends beyond ordinary forgetfulness.
• Dissociative amnesia - inability to recall important personal information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature, that cannot be explained by ordinary forgetfulness
• Depersonalization/derealization disorder - persistent and recurring feeling of being estranged from oneself, of being a spectator of one’s own life, and of being detached from ones mental processes or body that is accompanied by intact reality testing

Question 3

The following assessments can be used to determine if someone has a dissociative disorder:

Answer 3

• Multidimensional inventory of disassociation (MID-60) – 60 item assessment covering 12 subscales that include PTSD and somatic symptoms
• Disassociative experiences scale - self-assessment tool that measures a variety of disassociations

Question 4

The following medications can help people manage the symptoms of their dissociation disorder:

Answer 4

Antidepressants
Anti-anxiety medications
Antipsychotic medications

Question 5

The following therapies help people with dissociative disorders:

Answer 5

CBT
DBT - dialectical behavioral therapy
Psychoanalysis