Dissociative disorders

Dissociative Disorders^[1] are defined as conditions that involve disruptions or breakdowns of memory, awareness, identity and/or perception. The hypothesis is that symptoms can result, to the extent of interfering with a person’s general functioning, when one or more of these functions is disrupted.

The four dissociative disorders listed in the DSM IV TR are as follows:

• Depersonalization disorder (DSM-IV Codes 300.6^[2]) – periods of detachment from self or surrounding which may be experienced as “unreal” (lacking in control of or “outside of” self) while retaining awareness that this is only a feeling and not a reality.
• Derealization disorder feeling as though one’s environment is lacking in spontaneity, emotional colouring and depth.
• Dissociative Amnesia (DSM-IV Codes 300.12^[3]) – noticeable impairment of recall resulting from emotional trauma
• Dissociative fugue (DSM-IV Codes 300.13^[4]) – physical desertion of familiar surroundings and experience of impaired recall of the past. This may lead to confusion about actual identity and the assumption of a new identity.
• Dissociative identity disorder (DSM-IV Codes 300.14^[5]) – the alternation of two or more distinct personality states with impaired recall, among personality states, of important information.

In addition, there’s the diagnosis of dissociative disorder not otherwise specified (DSM-IV Codes 300.15^[6]) which can be used for forms of pathological dissociation not covered by any of the specified dissociative disorders.

In a 2007 study, only 28.7% of the dissociative participants had received psychiatric treatment previously^[7].

• Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV
• Dissociation (psychology)
• Multiple personality controversy
• DID/MPD in fiction

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