3. Major dissociative
disorders
DISSOCIATIVE AMNESIA Inability to remember significant
events- everything of traumatic nature.
DISSOCIATIVE FUGUE Sudden, unexpected travel away
from home or workplace.
DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDERS Presence of 2 or
more personalities.
DEPERSONALIZATION DISORDER Sense of being cut off or
detached from one’s self.
DISSOCIATIVE DISORDER NOT OTHERWISE SPECIFIED
Dissociative symptoms, not meet criteria of any specific disorder.
5. .. Dissociative amnesia
Most common dissociative disorder.
Selective but extensive memory loss
that occurs without any indications of
injury or other organic changes.
Inability to recall important information,
specially of stressful content, that can
not be attributed to ordinary
forgetfulness.
6. DSM criteria
a) The predominant disturbance is one or more
episodes of inability to recall important personal
information, usually of a traumatic stressful nature,
that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary
forgetfulness.
b) The disturbance does not occur exclusively during
the course of dissociative identity disorder,
dissociative fugue, post traumatic stress disorder,
acute stress disorder, or somatization disorder & is
not due to direct physiological effects of a substance
or other medical condition.
c) The symptoms cause clinically significant
disturbance or impairment in social, occupational, or
other important areas of functioning.
7. Types of dissociative amnesia:
Localized Events of a particular time.
Selective Recall some but not all events of a
particular time.
Generalized Entire life.
Continuous Events subsequent to a specific
time, upto & including the present.
systematized Certain categories of information.
9. Dissociative fugue
Unexpected travel away from home & customary workplace,
the assumption of a new identity, & inability to recall the
previous identity.
They set up a new life in some distant place as a seemingly
different person.
Precipitated by intolerable stressors.
After “waking up” the person has no memory of events
during fugue.
Patients may appear normal during fugue, they are brought
to experts due to amnesia of recent event or lack of
awareness of personal identity.
10. DSM criteria
a) The predominant disturbance is sudden, unexpected
travel away from home or one’s customary place of
work, with inability to recall one’s past.
b) Confusion about personal identity or assumption of
new identity.
c) The disturbance does not occur exclusively during
the course of dissociative identity disorder & is not
due to direct physiological influence of substance or
general medical condition.
d) The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or
impairment in social, occupational or other important
areas of functioning.
12. Dissociative identity
disorder
Formerly known as
multiple personality
disorder.
Most dramatic & very
famous in literature.
Individual assumes
alternate personalities.
Each personality has its
own set of memories &
typical behavior.
13. DSM criteria
a) The presence of 2 or more distinct identities or personality
states(each with its own relatively enduring pattern of
perceiving, relating to, & thinking about the environment &
the self.)
b) At least 2 of these identities or personality states recurrently
take control of person’s behavior.
c) Inability to recall important personal information that is too
extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.
d) The disturbance is not due to direct physical effects of a
substance or general medical condition.
NOTE:- In children, symptoms are not attributed to
imaginary playmates or other fantasy.
15. Depersonalization disorder
Change of self perception.
Temporary loss or change in
one’s sense of reality.
Individual feels of not being in
complete control of his
actions. He says: “ I feel as if
I’m in dream.” “I feel I’m doing
this mechanically.”
16. DSM criteria
Persistent experience of feeling detached from, & as if one is
outside observer of one’s mental processes or body.
Reality testing remains intact during experience of
depersonalization.
It causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social,
occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
The experience does not occur exclusively during the course
of other mental disorder, such as schizophrenia, panic
disorder, or other dissociative disorder & is not due to effect
of substance or general medical condition.
18. …Dissociative disorder
N.O.S.
In this disorder, predominant feature is of
dissociative disorder but does not meet the criteria
of any specific one.
Some examples are :-
- clinical presentations similar to dissociative identity
disorder that fails to meet full criteria of it.
- dissociative trance disorder .
- ganser syndrome
19. Causes of dissociative
disorders
Trauma : most often form in children
subjected to chronic physical, sexual or
emotional abuse or, a home environment
that is otherwise frightening or highly
unpredictable.
20. Treatment to dissociative
disorders
Creative art therapy.
Cognitive therapy.
Medication. antidepressants,
anti-anxiety medications or
tranquilizers.
21. References
• Sarason , I.G. & Sarason, B. R.
(1993). Abnormal Psychology; The
Problem of Maladaptive . Behaviour.
New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
• DSM IV (TR), Diagnostic Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorder DSM-IV
TR, American Psychological
Association; Jaypee publication.