Dissociative Disorders Myths

Dissociative disorders are psychological conditions where an individual loses their sense of reality. Learn more about six common dissociative disorder myths.

Dissociative disordersare a group of conditions defined by drastic changes in perception, thought, consciousness, identity or memory as they relate to a person’s sense of reality. In other words, a person with a dissociative disorder may feel disconnected from themselves and their environment. It is important to have an understanding of basicdissociative disorders facts, as these conditions affect up to2%of the general population.

Dissociative disorders encompass several different conditions, includingdissociative amnesia,dissociative identity disorder,dissociative fugueanddepersonalization-derealization disorder.

One commonality between all dissociative disorders is that they usually develop after a person experiences a traumatic event. High stress levels can also exacerbate episodes of dissociation. Despite howcommonplace dissociation experiences arein the world, there are manymyths and misconceptionssurrounding these disorders.

Myth: Dissociative disorders are well understood

Fact: Dissociative disorders are not well understood by the medical community.

As a whole, dissociative disorders can be difficult to diagnose. In the case ofdissociative identity disorder, individuals may bemisdiagnosedwith schizophrenia.Schizophreniais a disease where individuals experience hallucinations or delusions. In some instances, a person with multiple identities will be considered delusional despite actually having dissociative identity disorder.

Medical professionals may wrongly diagnose several other disorders over dissociative disorders — in part for their connection to experienced trauma. For instance,post-traumatic stress disorder,borderline personality disorder,anxiety,depression,andsubstance abuseare all related conditions to dissociative disorders that can be caused or exacerbated by traumatic experiences.

Thediagnostic criteria of dissociative disordersoverlap substantially with many different conditions and include:

• Memory loss of certain time periods or traumatic events (dissociative amnesia,dissociative fugue)
• Feeling disconnected with one’s thoughts, feelings, and physical body
• Suicidal ideation, depression, and anxiety
• Feeling emotionally numb or less in touch with one’s emotions
• No longer identifying with self

Myth: People with dissociative disorders are dangerous

Fact: People with dissociative disorders often pose more of a danger to themselves than to others.

Since diagnostic criteria for dissociative disorders include depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts, individuals that are diagnosed with dissociative disorders must be monitored for sudden personality changes or uncharacteristic tendencies. Popular media often portrays people with dissociative identity disorder as havingviolent alters. This type of portrayal is a gross exaggeration, as many times family members are not even aware that a person has switched their “identity.”

Dissociative identity disorderwas renamed from multiple personality disorder because rather than having completely separate identities, many individuals with this disorder have only one identity that is split into smaller pieces. According toDr. David Spiegelof Stanford University, family members of diagnosed individuals can look for the following signs that a relative with dissociative identity disorder has switched identities:

• Sudden mood swings
• Uncharacteristic behaviors
• Forgetfulness about what an individual recently said
• Rapid changes in personality

Additionally, according to theMayo Clinic, individuals with dissociative disorders may be at higher risk for suicidal behavior, self-harm, and mutilation. However, just because an individual may be at a higher risk for something does not mean this is a hard and fast rule. If a person with a dissociative disorder claims they want to harm themselves or others, medical treatment is absolutely necessary.

Myth: Dissociative disorders don’t require treatment

Fact: Treatment is highly recommended for individuals with dissociative disorders.

Depending on the dissociative disorder, specific treatments are recommended. In rare cases, dissociative disorderswill only be temporary, like with dissociative amnesia or dissociative fugue. Individuals can regain their lost memories from amnesia or fugue states over time, particularly withcognitive behavioral therapy. However, for the vast majority of people diagnosed with dissociative disorders,treatment is necessary. Because dissociative identity disorder can be hard to diagnose, patients sometimes go for as long assix yearsbefore receiving a proper diagnosis.

Once a patient is accurately diagnosed with a dissociative disorder, anindividual treatment planwill be created to effectivelymanage the disorder. Without treatment, people with dissociative disorders often struggle to maintain their everyday needs.

Myth: Dissociative disorders are rare

Fact: Dissociation is a common defense mechanism for people who have experienced trauma.

Having a dissociative experience is a relatively common occurrence. Somedissociative disorders statisticsshow that nearly50%of United States adults experience at least one depersonalization-derealization episode in their lives, yet only 2% go on to develop a long-term dissociative condition. According to theAmerican Psychiatric Association, dissociation episodes are common when individuals experience trauma. For example, rape victims often report feeling as if they are outside their bodies during an attack. To survive through a terrible event, people often will dissociate from their sense of self.

Depending on the country where the study was conducted, theoverall prevalence of dissociative disordersis much higher in psychiatric inpatients and outpatients relative to the population at large. In the United States, the prevalence of dissociative disorders in psychiatric inpatients ranged from13–20.7%, while in the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland, it ranged from4.3–8.0%. These prevalences suggest that a large proportion of people receiving psychiatric treatment do so for dissociative disorders.

Myth: Dissociative and psychotic disorders are similar

Fact: While there can be overlapping symptoms, dissociative and psychotic disorders are different.

By definition, apsychotic disordersuch as schizophrenia involveshallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking or abnormal motor behavior. In contrast, adissociative disorderdoes not typically involve hallucinations or delusions. However, it is still possible for individuals with dissociative disorders to experience episodes ofpsychosis.

Psychosis is considered asymptomof various conditions such as dissociative disorders, schizophrenia, andbipolar disorder. Psychosis can also bebrought about by using substancessuch as alcohol and other drugs, particularly hallucinogenic drugs like psilocybin or LSD.

An individual may bewrongly diagnosedwith schizophrenia when they truly have dissociative identity disorder if they describe “voices” or auditory hallucinations. These voices may actually be fragments of a person’s identity, rather than true delusions or hallucinations. In these cases, a patient may be medicated and treated for schizophrenia, but their symptoms will not improve, indicated to medical professionals that they likely have the wrong diagnosis for this patient.

Myth: Dissociative disorders can be treated with medication

Fact: Unless a person with a dissociative disorder has a co-occurring mental health condition, medication will not likely be effective.

Unless an individual has a co-occurring mental health condition like bipolar disorder, depression or anxiety,medication is typically not recommendedfor patients diagnosed with dissociative disorders. Medication only treats certain symptoms rather than the disease as a whole.

However, there arevarious therapiesrecommended for individuals with dissociative disorders, including:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Dialectical behavior therapy
• Psychodynamic psychotherapy
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

Related Topic:Dissociative fugue disorder treatment

Dissociative disorders can also be treated with aco-occurring addiction. Help is available at The Recovery Village. If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction and a co-occurring dissociative disorder,contact a representativetoday to discuss treatment options.