Dissociative disorders
Overview
Dissociative disorders are a range of conditions that can cause physical and psychological problems.
Symptoms
Symptoms of dissociative disorder can vary but may include: feeling disconnected from yourself and the world around youforgetting about certain time periods, events and personal informationfeeling uncertain about who you arehaving multiple distinct identitiesfeeling little or no physical pain Some people with dissociative disorders have seizures. These can vary from fainting to something more like an epileptic seizure. Dissociation is a way the mind copes with too much stress. Periods of dissociation can last for a relatively short time (hours or days) or for much longer (weeks or months). Many people with a dissociative disorder have had a traumatic event during childhood. Dissociation can happen as a way of coping with it.
Causes
There are many possible causes of dissociative disorders, including previous traumatic experience. Someone with a dissociative disorder may have experienced physical, sexual or emotional abuse during childhood. Some people dissociate after experiencing war, kidnapping or even an invasive medical procedure. Switching off from reality is a normal defence mechanism that helps the person cope during a traumatic time. It's a form of denial, as if "this is not happening to me". It becomes a problem when the environment is no longer traumatic but the person still acts and lives as if it is, and has not dealt with or processed the event.
Treatment
Many people with a dissociative disorder make a full recovery with treatment and support. There's no specific medicine to treat dissociation, but medicines likeantidepressantsmay be prescribed to treat associated conditions like depression, anxiety and panic attacks.