Dissociative Disorders

Question: Are people of every age at risk for dissociative disorders or is it only younger people? I know disorders like schizophrenia mainly affect people in their late teens and early twenties, but does that apply to dissociative disorders as well? Does the severity of the disorder have any correlation to the person's age?

Answer: Dissociative disorders specifically are highly correlated with traumatic events, not age. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most diagnosed Dissociative Disorder. For the diagnosis, there needs to be a traumatic event... which can happen to anyone at any age. Now specific disorders in the classification, mainly Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) are considered only capable of being created as a very young child that has an under-developed psyche. Pretty much, in order for someone to achieve the dissociative level of DID, they have to have severe and extensive trauma before the developmental age of 8 (though we need to note that not every child will respond in this manner). The diagnosis of DID comes later in adulthood when the DID system breaks down (like having their first child triggers flashbacks of their own abusive childhood), but the trauma happens in childhood.

Question: What is the current medical opinion of dissociative disorders? I have dissociative identity disorder and I am coping pretty well. I've had a good therapist and she told me many things to help me understand why I am dissociative. I would like to know the current medicial opinion of dissociative illnesses because it seems some doctors will not take you seriously unless you act like Sybil or put on some kind of show. I'm not here to entertain people and not all dissociative act like those people on telly. Dissociation comes in degrees.

Answer: Yes, your condition does manifest itself very differently in folks. It seems that you have a handle on it and have accepted it as part of your great self, and that is one heck of an accomplishment right there. Now, you need to build and maintain some self-confidence around yourself so that you don't need some doctor's opinion to tell you about your body, mind or life experiences. They don't know, they just need to feel that they know more than you do. It feeds their own mental disorders and overinflated egos! I spent several years directing a psychiatric halfway house for older adolescence. Although some had similar diagnosis, they played out very differently with each person. Those who were in denial and could not cope with the reality, presented the most ill. Those who accepted it as a part of them, but did not let it rule their lives, showed far fewer symptoms. I'm going to boldly state my strong opinion regarding the psychiatrists and many other therapists we were involved with. Their living depended on kids being sick, presenting sick, and acting sick. Some of them really got off on it. A recovering patient that is doing well, is not as "exciting" to them. I also strongly believe that most of these people went into this profession because they have a mental illness or it runs in their families, and they perpetuate their own crap onto their patients. Psychiatrists, in particular, have been granted an unchecked "God-like" power over other human beings and they like to think that they know it all. My staff and I worked around the clock with these kids, yet some of these "doctors" seemed to think they knew it all after just 30 minutes with a kid. Their egos got in the way of their work. When we had a client strong and healthy, they did not seem to be as happy and helpful as when we brought in very sick kids. The tendency was to focus on the negative, they didn't know what the heck to do with the positive growth, it confounded them. It was very obvious to all of us. So you just stick to the therapist that works for/with you, keep going on your positive track, and don't bother trying to impress or convince someone who is not important to you. They are only humble humans, who are subject to human flaws and emotions. Others, may simply not be experienced or sensitive enough to pick up on the subtle symptoms, they are looking for the obvious evidence, and ignoring the truth that you are trying to share with them. You must present and cope well if you can fool them! That's actually a good thing! Keep your condition in check & keep 'em guessing!

Question: Dissociative Disorders ? A person who is dissatisfied with his/her marriage disappears for several months and is diagnosed as experiencing a fugue state. Another person rapes a woman and, in court states they have no recollection of the event. In another situation, a person murders another and claims they didn’t do it. They claim it was another person whose personality was embedded within them. What leads you to either believe in or dispute the validity of any of these diagnoses? Please be sure to use at least one reference from the web in your response. Be sure to use at least one resource from the Web in your response.

Answer: LiL Butterfly, Here is a reference to fugue state http://neurophilosophy.wordpress.com/ 2007/04/18/the-dissociative-fugue-stat… forgetting-ones-own-identity/ And here are two references that might assist you – http://www.psychnet-uk.com/ dsm_iv/dissociative_amnesia.htm http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ dissociative-disorders/DS00574 Hope this helps matador 89

Question: What really is the root cuases of dissociative disorders and what exactly is this? what are its symptoms and causes and how is this similar to schitzophrenics? how is it best treated? why and how so? Thanks for your answers! would possibly family counseling benefit in this case and why and how would this be beneficial or not to the patient?

Answer: Dissociative disorders are usually caused by childhood abuse. It's not like schizophrenia at all, they go into fantasy worlds and believe its real. DD go away in their heads to forget what happened to them. Talk therapy is the best cure.

Question: What kind of medication do people take for dissociative disorders(not dissociative identity disorder)? ? For all the dissociative disorders except DID? or it its all the same, for DID too

Answer: Hi again :) Anyway... this is what I found! Psychotherapy is the primary treatment for dissociative disorders. This form of therapy, also known as talk therapy, counseling or psychosocial therapy, involves talking about your disorder and related issues with a mental health professional. Your therapist will work to help you understand the cause of your condition and to form new ways of coping with stressful circumstances. Psychotherapy for dissociative disorders often involves techniques, such as hypnosis, that help you remember and work through the trauma that triggered your dissociative symptoms. The course of your psychotherapy may be long and painful, but this treatment approach often is very effective in treating dissociative disorders. Other dissociative disorder treatment may include: Creative art therapy. This type of therapy uses the creative process to help people who might have difficulty expressing their thoughts and feelings. Creative arts can help you increase self-awareness, cope with symptoms and traumatic experiences, and foster positive changes. Creative art therapy includes art, dance and movement, drama, music and poetry. Cognitive therapy. This type of talk therapy helps you identify unhealthy, negative beliefs and behaviors and replace them with healthy, positive ones. It's based on the idea that your own thoughts — not other people or situations — determine how you behave. Even if an unwanted situation has not changed, you can change the way you think and behave in a positive way. Medication. Although there are no medications that specifically treat dissociative disorders, your doctor may prescribe antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications or tranquilizers to help control the mental health symptoms associated with dissociative disorders.

Question: What is a key feature of dissociative disorders?

Answer: being angry and walking around with a gun could be a feature

Question: What is the MOST ACCEPTABLE cause of Dissociative Disorders to YOU? Please provide 2 reasons why you chose this hypothesis/explanation. THANKS ALOT!!!!

Answer: Childhood trauma. 1) A child has not yet developed the sophisticated defense mechanisms necessary to properly deal with mental stress. With only primitive fight / flight responses, a child is often deemed helpless in buffering the Self from traumatic experiences. In situations where the child cannot fight or flight...dissociation is the only viable way out. 2) Dissociation is a splitting of the self. Logically, most people enjoy being in their skin except when it feels unpleasant. Since dissociation involves a major disconnect from the body, respectively it would necessitate an equally major unpleasantry (i.e. trauma).

Question: What does Freud say about Dissociative Disorder? This is all new to me but would like to know what all yous think about Freud's view on Dissociative Disorders.

Answer: Freud spoke about dissociation, but the idea of a "Dissociative Disorder" is relatively modern. He was introduced to the concept by Pierre Janet. Freud believed that dissociation was caused by an initial traumatic event that required unconscious coping mechanisms in addition to normal coping efforts. He felt that such a process was a "normal" defense mechanism, similar to repression. As Freud moved toward the development of psychoanalysis, his interest in dissociation as a concept waned.

Question: Debate on dissociative disorders, are they real or imagined?

Answer: They are real.

Question: How does amphetamine affect the dissociative disorder -> depersonalization disorder. Is there any benefit? If someone has the dissociative disorder "depersonalization disorder", could amphetamine help them focus on staying in reality? Could there be any benefit from amphetamine at all?

Answer: NO... they are bad for you in every way. they eat brains cells and make you heart race so it has to work harder. They are not a good thing to be taking what so ever. especially with D. I. D. your mind is already running in circles and the person sometimes does not know what they have done anyways and speed makes it worse. Give it up and get off it for your won good... start some mental health therapy that is what the best thing to do would be. Good luck I hoped this help you some.