Dissociative Disorders & PTSD Flashcards
persistent or recurrent feelings of being detached from one’s body or mental processes
depersonalization disorder
feeling of being detached from one’s surroundings
derealization disorder
what is the mean age of onset of depersonalization/derealization disorder?
16 years
what is the most common cause of depersonalization/derealization disorder?
emotional abuse and neglect during childhood
what are the top 2 comorbid conditions that can cause depersonalization/derealization disorder?
unipolar depression
anxiety disorder
in depersonalization/derealization disorder, symptoms are usually _____ and ______ in intensity
episodic
change
in depersonalization/derealization disorder, symptoms are almost always what?
distressing/intolerable
what are 2 common symptoms of depersonalization/derealization disorder?
anxiety
depression
what is a treatment used for depersonalization/derealization disorder to block obsessive thinking?
cognitive techniques
what is a treatment for depersonalization/derealization disorder to distract from their condition?
behavioral techniques
what is a treatment for depersonalization/derealization disorder to connect to the world and feel more real in the moment?
grounding techniques
in which patients with depersonalization/derealization disorder become disabled by the chronic sense of estrangement?
those with anxiety and/or depression
inability to recall important personal information that would not typically be lost with ordinary forgetting
dissociative amnesia
what is dissociative anemia usually caused by? (2)
trauma
stress
what is important to remember about dissociative amnesia in regards to forgotten information?
it is inaccessible to consciousness, but can still influence behavior
inability to remember a specific period of time, specific event, or a circumscribed period of time (before age 12 for example)
localized amnesia
inability to remember some of the events during a circumscribed period of time (combat experience or a sexual assault)
selective amnesia
inability to remember certain categories of memory, like ones home-life during 3rd grade but remember being at school, or unable to remember a particular person
systematized amnesia
inability to remember successive events as they occur
continuous amnesia
failure to recall the whole life of the person
generalized (global) amnesia
what 4 symptoms are common in dissociative anemia?
depression
neurological
suicide
self-destructive behaviors
how do many patients with dissociative anemia appear afterwards?
confused
what do some patients with dissociative anemia report?
flashbacks
dissociative amnesia that is accompanied by sudden, unexpected/purposeful travel away from home OR bewildered wandering
dissociative fugue
what is the adequate treatment of dissociative anemia?
supportive treatment
what 3 treatments should be done once the amnesia is lifted?
give meaning to trauma/conflict
resolve problems with amnestic episode
enable patient to move forward
what is the treatment for dissociative fugue?
psychotherapy + hypnosis to restore memory
what happens to the capacity for dissociation as patients age?
decrease
what is the prognosis of dissociative amnesia determined by? (2)
patient’s life circumstances
patient’s psychological adjustment
development and persistence of intrusive and avoidance symptoms, negative changes in thought or mood, and arousal/reactivity for at least 1 month following a traumatic event
PTSD
what kind of patients with PTSD experience difficulty with affect regulation, dissociation, self-destructive behavior, and suicidal behavior?
patients who experienced childhood trauma
meet all the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and experience persistent or recurrent dissociative symptoms (depersonalization and derealization)
dissociative subtype
what is the standard of care for PTSD?
cognitive behavioral therapy
what medication can be used for PTSD to help with depression, panic attacks, startle response, or sleep disruption?
SSRI
what medication can be used for PTSD to help with sleep disruption?
trazodone
what medication can be used for PTSD to help with nightmares?
prazosin
what medication can be used for PTSD to help with anxiety?
benzodiazepines
in 50% of PTSD cases, when do symptoms spontaneously remit/end?
after 3 months
characterized by at least 2 personality states and the inability to recall everyday events, important personal information, and/or traumatic/stressful events
dissociative identity disorder
what age does dissociative identity disorder typically occur?
any age
dissociative identity disorder in which outside agents take control of the person and the different identities are very overt
possession form
dissociative identity disorder in which there is a sudden alteration in their sense of self or identity, has recurrent dissociative amnesia, and tends to be less overt
non-possession form
in which type of patients does dissociative identity disorder occur in?
those who experienced overwhelming stress or trauma during childhood
the sense that one part of one’s self is markedly different from another part of one’s self
self-alteration
a narrowing of awareness of one’s immediate surroundings or stereotyped behaviors or movements that are experienced as being beyond one’s control
trance state
what are 5 symptoms of dissociative identity disorder?
amnesia
depersonalization
derealization
self-alteration
trance state
what form of dissociative identity disorder is apparent to family members and demands punishment for past actions?
possession form
what form of dissociative identity disorder has different identities not apparent to observers?
non-possession form
