Week 10 - Ch 8 - DID Summary (DN)

Question 0

How is Dissociative Amnesia diagnosed?

Answer 0

based on inability to recall important personal experience(s), usually traumatic

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Question 1

Define dissociative disorders?

Answer 1

defined on the basis of disruptions in consciousness
memories, self awareness, or other aspects of cognition become inaccesible to conscious mind

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Question 2

What is Dissociative Fugue?

Answer 2

a severe subtype of dissociative amnesia
- not only an inability to recall important information, but also moves & assumes new identity

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Question 3

What is depersonalization/derealization disorder?

Answer 3

• perception of self & surroundings is altered
• may experience being outside body
• may perceive world as being unreal

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Question 4

What are the symptoms of dissociative identity disorder (DID)?

Answer 4

• 2 or more distinct personalities
• each with unique memories, behaviour patterns, & relationships

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Question 5

There is a consensus that severe abuse is related, but considerable debate exists around the cause of the dissociative disorders……
what are the two perspectives (models)?

Answer 5

Posttraumatic model:
- DID results from dissociating to cope with abuse
Sociocognitive model:
- DID is caused by role playing of symptoms &
- deep need to satisfy authority figures (i.e., therapist)

Question 6

What arguments form the basis of the sociocognitive model of DID:

Answer 6

• dramatic shifts in diagnosis over time
• small number of professionals provide most diagnoses
• differences between clinicians in recognising DID
• evidence people can role play DID symptoms
• subtle memory tests reveal alters sharing information they deny awareness of
• findings that people develop symptoms after treatment begins

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Question 7

What techniques are contra-indicated (not recommended) for DID?

Answer 7

Hypnosis & age regression

Question 8

What treatment strategies (akin to those used in PTSD) have been proposed for DID?

Answer 8

• safe, supportive therapy
• think back to traumatic events (believed to trigger problems)
• view those events through adult eyes, and the view of coming to terms with the horrible things that happened to them

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Question 9

Are signs of anxiety always observable in the dissociative ans somatic disorders?

Answer 9

No. :)

Question 10

Name the three Dissociative Disorders:

Answer 10

1. Dissociative Amnesia
2. Depersonalization/realisation disorder
3. Dissociative Identity disorder.

Question 11

What sort of response do psychodynamic and behavioural theorists consider pathological disassociation to be?

Answer 11

They view pathological dissociation to be an avoidance response that protects the person from consciously experiencing stressful events.

Question 12

How long can Dissociative amnesia last for?

Answer 12

Information is not permanently almost but memory may be compromised for hours through to years.

Question 13

What memory deficits do dissociative disorders typically involve?

Answer 13

Typically DD’s involve deficits in explicit memory but not implicit memory.

Question 14

Explicit memory?

Answer 14

Involves the conscious recall of experiences …e.g. Describing a childhood toy.

Question 15

Implicit memory?

Answer 15

Involves learning based on experiences that are not consciously recalled…e.g. Implicit memory of how to ride a bike.

Question 16

What are some of the accompanying problems with DID?

Answer 16

Headaches, hallucinations, suicide attempts, self-injurious behaviour, amnesia and Depersonalization.

Question 17

Comorbidity of Dissociative Disorder?

Answer 17

PSD
Major Depressive Disorder
Somatic symptom Disorders

Question 18

What is one of the defining features of DID?

Answer 18

The inability to recall information experienced by one alter when a different one is present.