Imagine you wake up in a place you don’t remember coming to. You then discover that another version of you has been living a life you can’t remember. This is what it’s like for people with dissociative identity disorder, and it's unsettling. and often depressing.

It’s intriguing to think about how one must feel to share their mind with multiple personalities. Buckle up, because we're about to delve into the realm of dissociative disorders and explore this fascinating phenomenon.

 What’s Dissociation?

Dissociation is an involuntary disconnection between an individual's thoughts, memories, feelings, and sense of identity. It is a protective mechanism by the nervous system. system in response to trauma. When people suffer trauma, their brains go, ‘'Hello, humans! Here I come to help!'’ and might "detach" from what's happening, to protect the person from overwhelming memories, and to get through a distressing or painful time. This is an adaptive coping mechanism in that moment, but the dissociative states may be triggered long after the traumatic event has resolved. Any object or experience that symbolises a reminder of former traumas can trigger a dissociative episode; for example, something seen heard, smelled, and so on.

Symptoms Of Dissociation

-memory loss (amnesia), emotional numbness, feeling detached from one's environment, or having flashbacks of traumatic events. Other symptoms include:

•           "Blanking out" or being unable to remember anything

•           Experiencing a distorted or blurred sense of reality

•           Having an altered sense of time/place

•           Sudden mood changes

Causes Of Dissociation/Dissociative Disorders

Trauma is the major cause of dissociative disorders. Repetitive physical, mental or sexual abuse, neglect, frightening parents, accidents, etc. can result in dissociation. Certain mental health conditions, like PTSD and schizophrenia, can induce dissociation. In addition to substance abuse, certain neurological disorders, and severe long-term stress can cause and contribute to dissociative disorders.

Types Of Dissociative Disorders

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders describes the following: There are five types of dissociative disorders:

1. Dissociative Identity Disorder (Formerly Called Multiple Personality Disorder):

The presence of two or more distinct personalities in an individual, each with its own pattern of perceiving, relating to, and thinking about the environment. It is a severe form of dissociation which allows individuals to skip the long-lasting effects of the traumatic events by rendering memory loss and dissociative states. However, here it becomes a chronic response.

Symptoms

-Amnesia: Gaps in memory about some part of personal information that cannot be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.

-Depersonalization: Feeling of detachment from one's own body or self.

-Derealization: Feeling that the external world is unreal/ distorted.

-Mood and behaviour changes: Sudden, drastic changes in mood, behaviour.

Causes

Trauma is the most prominent cause of DID, especially intense physical, sexual, or emotional abuse during childhood.

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2. Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder (DPDR)

- Feeling detached from oneself or the environment: A sensation of being an outside observer of one's feelings or body, or sense that the external world is distorted.

- Emotional/ physical numbness.

- Distorted perception of time.

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3. Dissociative Amnesia

-Memory loss: Inability to recall specific time periods, or personal details often related to trauma.

-Confusion and mental health issues: Symptoms may include confusion, depression, etc.

4. Dissociative Fugue

-Unplanned travel: Sudden departure from familiar surroundings.

-Memory loss

-Identity confusion

5. Other Specified Dissociative Disorder

Similar to those found in DID or DPDR but do not fully meet the diagnostic criteria for these disorders.

How is diagnosis done?

Diagnostic procedures include a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation to rule out other disorders and identify the presence of dissociation. The mainstay of diagnosis is a detailed case history and symptomatology of the patient obtained through a clinical interview. The Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), a standardised questionnaire used to quantify the presence/severity of dissociative symptoms is also used.

How Are Dissociative Disorders Treated?

The mainstay of treatment for dissociative disorders is psychotherapy, which targets identities, addressing the underlying traumatic experience. Active treatments that have been most effective are:

- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: Helps patients to recognise and change negative thought process and behaviours.

- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: Teaches emotional regulation techniques and coping mechanisms.

- Eye Movement Desensitization And Reprocessing: Type of cognitive therapy that rewires traumatic memories with the help of visual stimuli.

- Hypnotherapy: Helps to access hidden memories and assimilate personalities.

-Grounding Techniques: Helps manage symptoms.

Although there are no specific medications for dissociative disorders, doctors may prescribe antidepressants or anti-anxiety drugs to help associated symptoms.

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To Conclusion: dissociative disorders epitomise ways in which our minds deal with stress and trauma. Therefore, as well as acknowledging these signs and With continued education at our disposal comes the ability to break down stigma and support those affected, much better.

If If you feel the need to reach out for professional help, contact our highly trained Heart It Out therapists for consultation. Take care, We Heart You!