AS.200.212 Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: Dissociative Identity Disorder, Psychogenic Amnesia, Dissociative Disorder
Document Summary
For these disorders, dissociation is the main symptom. Relatively rare, so not very well understood. What is it: feeling detached from self/surroundings/own identity/body. Dream-like state, slow motion, out of body and looking down on self: disruptions in memory. Memories link to past, relationships and everyday lives. Gives purpose of year to year, minute to minute and day to day; Lose connections to self, environment and past. Normal: 50% of people have dissociations at some point, can be part of normal functioning; we all have gaps, abnormal when it dominates our life and interferes with functioning. There are dissociative symptoms in other disorders such as panic attacks or ptsd. Characteristics: unable to recall important information about own life; usually don"t realize they forgot this information; forget information related to upsetting event they experience, important information from important events, affects episodic but not semantic memory. Semantic: how to do things, general knowledge: not organic/biological cause (head trauma/alzheimer"s)
