Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Disorders
• A category of psychological disorders in which
extreme and frequent disruptions of awareness,
memory, and personal identity impair the ability
to function
• What is dissociation?
– literally a dis-association of memory
– person suddenly becomes unaware of some
aspect of their identity or history
– unable to recall except under special circumstances (e.g., hypnosis)
• Mild dissociative experiences are quite common
and completely normal (daydreaming, TV Face)
Dissociative Amnesia
• Memory loss the only symptom
• Partial or total inability to recall important
personal information.
• Often selective loss surrounding traumatic events
– person still knows identity and most of their past
• Can also be global
– loss of identity without replacement with a new one
• Memory can return just as suddenly as it was lost.
• Not caused by a biological problem. It is psychological.
Dissociative Amnesia
Example
• Margie and her brother were recently
victims of a robbery. Margie was not
injured, but her brother was killed when
he resisted the robbers. Margie was
unable to recall any details from the time
of the accident until four days later.
Dissociative Fugue
• Forgetting personal info and past events while
suddenly relocating and taking on a new
identity. Almost always after a traumatic
event.
–
–
–
–
leaves home
develops a new identity
apparently no recollection of former life
called a ‘fugue state’
• If fugue wears off
– old identity recovers
– new identity is totally forgotten
Dissociative Fugue
Example
• Jay, a high school physics teacher in New
York City, disappeared three days after his
wife unexpectedly left him for another man.
Six months later, he was discovered tending
bar in Miami Beach. Calling himself
Martin, he claimed to have no recollection
of his past life and insisted that he had never
been married.
Dissociative Identity Disorder
• Originally known as “multiple personality
disorder”
• 2 or more distinct personalities within the same
person
• Personalities may or may not know the other
exists
• VERY rare and controversial disorder
• Examples include Sybil, Trudy Chase, Chris
Sizemore (“Eve”)
• Has been tried as a criminal defense but is rarely
successful. (see the movie, Primal Fear)
Dissociative Identity Disorder
• Pattern typically starts prior to age 10
(childhood)
• Most people with disorder are women
• Most report recall of physical or sexual
abuse as children and show symptoms
of PTSD
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
Example
Norma has frequent memory gaps and cannot
account for her whereabouts during certain periods
of time. While being interviewed by a clinical
psychologist, she began speaking in a childlike
voice. She claimed that her name was Donna and
that she was only six years old. Moments later, she
seemed to revert to her adult voice and had no
recollection of speaking in a childlike voice or
claiming that her name was Donna.
DID Facts
• Alternate personalities, often called alters, may be
of widely varying ages and of different genders.
• Alters are not really separate people; rather, they
constitute a “system of mind.” At different times,
different alters take over. Person’s primary
personality often not aware of the alters.
• Some researchers report physiological differences
among the different personalities within a single
individual (different allergies & eyeglass prescriptions).
• Symptoms of amnesia and memory problems are
almost always present. People with DID typically
have numerous other psychiatric and physical
problems along with a chaotic personal history.
Multiple Personality Disorder
Tony describes his life with multiple personalities, some of which we
see emerging in a therapy session. Dr. Frank Putnam, at the National
Institute of Mental Health, describes the results of testing on Tony and
other individuals with multiple personality disorder.
•Click HERE to view
or on the box to the
right (8 min)
•Watch shorter version
see Tony go between
his alters (4 min).
•Hear the story of
Herschel Walker (3
min).
Depersonalization Disorder
“Out of Body Experience”
• Depersonalization – person feels as if they are
outside their bodies, observing themselves from a
distance.
• Usually happens after a stressful event.
Possible Causes of
Dissociative Disorders
• Psychoanalytic Theory – people dissociate to repress
unacceptable urges.
– People forget disturbing urges or develop personalities to
take responsibility away from themselves.
• Learning Theory – Forgetting or being someone else
is negatively reinforced because it reduces stress.
• Cognitive & Biological Theorists do NOT have an
explanation for dissociative disorders.