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Dissociative Disorders
People with dissociative disorders experience an involuntary disconnect with reality, usually in response to psychological trauma or memories of past traumatic events. Some of the ways they escape reality is through selective amnesia, developing alters (or alternative identities), losing identity, and other coping mechanisms.
Studies show that more than 70% of people experience one or more episodes of a dissociative disorder, but only 2% of the U.S population experience persistent dissociative disorders.
Clinically Reviewed by: Charee Marquez, LMFT
Review Date: 3/1/2023
Other symptoms may include suicidal ideation, self-mutilation, and self-harm. Dissociative disorders may create challenges in social settings, an inability to cope with stress, and other health problems such as anxiety and depression.
The 3 main types of dissociative disorders are:
This disorder causes short term or long term memory loss about a particular event, or one’s own history or identity.
This disorder is identified by switching between two or more alternative personalities, each having its own identity, including mannerisms, preferences, memories, and often individual names.
This disorder is identified by a feeling of detachment from one’s own body, mind and self. They feel depersonalized from their identity. When they feel detached from other people around them and their surroundings it’s called derealization
Although there are no medications that can cure dissociative disorders, antidepressants are sometimes prescribed for treating associated symptoms.
Various formats of therapy have been shown to be effective in treating dissociative disorders including:
Opinions are varied regarding hypnosis as a treatment, however it still remains an effective diagnosis as well as a treatment of dissociative disorders. Hypnosis can aid diagnosis by facilitating switching between personalities and in treatment by helping to reintegrate the personalities.
Conventional talk therapy has been shown to be the most effective treatment for dissociative disorders by helping patients reprocess past traumatic experiences in a supportive safe space, and then helping them to reintegrate their identities.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on negative thought patterns that are related to the patient’s dissociative disorders, and by replacing them with realistic, or positive thoughts and beliefs.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy helps dissociative disorder patients to learn how to manage overwhelming emotions by using techniques such as mindfulness practices and emotion regulation.
Specialists using EMDR therapy stimulate a dissociative disorder patient’s traumatic thoughts at the same time as physical actions such as focusing on eye movements. This process can help alleviate stress caused by painful thoughts and memories while helping the patients reprocess them.
While Dissociative Disorders can be debilitating, seeking treatment and supportive communities can help reduce dissociative episodes. Having a good diet, sleeping well, and practicing mindfulness techniques are a few positive coping strategies to maintain a balanced daily life.
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