Dissociative Disorders

Question 1

what is the essential feature of dissociative disorders?

Answer 1

a disruption in the usually integrated functions of consciousness, memory, identity, or perception

Question 2

What is the essential feature of dissociative amnesia?

Answer 2

an inability to recall important personal information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature, that is too extensive to be explained by normal forgetfulness

Question 3

What is criterion B for dissociative amnesia?

Answer 3

B. The disturbance does not occur exclusively during the course of DID, dissociative fugue, PTSD, acute stress disorder, or somatization disorder, and is not due to substance/gen med

Question 4

What is criterion C for dissociative amnesia?

Answer 4

C. The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

Question 5

What are the five types of memory disturbances described in dissociative amnesia?

Answer 5

1. localized amnesia
2. selective amnesia
3. generalized amnesia
4. continuous amnesia
5. systematized amnesia

Question 6

What is localized amnesia?

Answer 6

the individual fails to recall events that occurred during a circumscribed period of time, usually the first few hours following a profoundly disturbing event (can’t recall anything until two days later, for example)

Question 7

What is selective amnesia?

Answer 7

the person can recall some, but not all, of the events during a circumscribed period of time (ex. a combat veteran can recall only some parts of a series of violent combat experiences)

Question 8

What is generalized amnesia?

Answer 8

failure of recall encompasses the person’s entire life (rare)

Question 9

What is continuous amnesia?

Answer 9

the inability to recall events subsequent to a specific time up to and including the present (uncommon)

Question 10

What is systematized amnesia?

Answer 10

loss of memory for certain categories of information, such as all memories relating to one’s family or to a particular person (uncommon)

Question 11

If dissociative amnesia occurs exclusively during the course of these five disorders, it can not be diagnosed separately.

Answer 11

1. dissociative fugue
2. dissociative identity disorder
3. PTSD
4. acute stress disorder
5. somatization disorder

Question 12

How can dissociative amnesia be differentiated from depersonalization disorder?

Answer 12

depersonalization is an associated feature of dissociative amnesia, so depersonalization occurring exclusively during dissociative amnesia cannot be diagnosed separately

Question 13

What is the essential feature of dissociative fugue?

Answer 13

sudden, unexpected travel away from home or one’s customary place of daily activities, with inability to recall some or all of one’s past

Question 14

What is criterion B for dissociative fugue?

Answer 14

B. Confusion about personal identity or assumption of a new identity (partial or complete).

Question 15

What are criteria C and D for dissociative fugue?

Answer 15

C. Does not occur exclusively during course of DID and not due to substance/gen med

D. Causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

Question 16

True or false:

Dissociative amnesia and depersonalization can be symptoms of dissociative fugue.

Answer 16

True

If these symptoms occur solely during the course of a dissociative fugue, separate diagnosis would not be warranted.

Question 17

How can a dissociative fugue be differentiated from a manic episode?

Answer 17

While manic episodes can feature amnesia for some parts of life, the travel is associated with grandiose ideas and other manic symptoms and such individuals often call attention to themselves by inappropriate behavior. Also, assumption of an alternate identity does not occur.

Question 18

How can dissociative fugue be differentiated from schizophrenia?

Answer 18

While in a fugue, individuals do not appear to have any of the psychopathology associated with schizophrenia (or any other disorder).

Question 19

What is the essential feature of dissociative identity disorder (DID)?

Answer 19

the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states (each with its own relatively enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment and self)

Question 20

What is criterion B for DID?

Answer 20

B. At least two of these identities or personality states recurrently take control of the person’s behavior.

Question 21

What is criterion C for DID?

Answer 21

C. Inability to recall important personal information that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.

Question 22

What is criterion D for DID?

Answer 22

D. The disturbance is not due to substance or gen med. In children, the symptoms are not attributable to imaginary playmates or other fantasy play.

Question 23

The diagnosis of DID takes precedence over what other disorders?

Answer 23

1. dissociative amnesia
2. dissociative fugue
3. depersonalization disorder

Question 24

What are factors that help rule out other mental disorders from DID?

Answer 24

• presence of clear-cut dissociative symptomatology with sudden shifts in identity states
• the persistence and consistency of identity-specific demeanors and behaviors over time
• reversible amnesia
• evidence of dissociative behavior that predates clinical presentation
• high scores on measures of dissociation and hypnotizability

Question 25

What are the essential features of depersonalization disorder?

Answer 25

• persistent or recurrent episodes of depersonalization characterized by a feeling of detachment or estrangement from one’s self
• individual may feel like an automaton or like living in a dream or movie

Question 26

What is criterion B for depersonalization disorder?

Answer 26

B. During the depersonalization experience, reality testing remains intact.

Question 27

What are criteria C and D for depersonalization disorder?

Answer 27

C. significant distress/impairment

D. Not substance, gen med, and does not occur exclusively during the course of another mental disorder, like schizophrenia, panic disorder, acute stress disorder, or another disoociative disorder.