DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS

Dissociative disorders are a group of psychiatric conditions characterized by disruptions in a person’s consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, body representation, motor control, and behavior. These disruptions are involuntary and can cause significant distress or problems in social, occupational, or daily functioning.

They often develop as a psychological response to severe trauma, such as abuse, violence, or neglect—especially during early childhood—when the mind may separate itself from the painful experience as a way of coping. This process is known as dissociation.

Symptoms vary depending on the type of dissociative disorder and may include:

• Memory loss (amnesia) for important personal information or events

• Feeling detached from one’s body or thoughts (depersonalization)

• Feeling that the world around is unreal (derealization)

• Confused or shifting sense of identity

• Presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states (in Dissociative Identity Disorder)

Dissociative disorders are not caused by substance use, medical conditions, or ordinary forgetfulness. Diagnosis is typically made by a licensed mental health professional using clinical interviews, psychological testing, and observation over time.

Treatment usually involves trauma-informed psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), or specialized techniques like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). The goal is to help the person safely process traumatic memories, develop healthy coping skills, and reintegrate their sense of self.