Dissociative Disorders

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses dissociative disorders and the types of behavior that are associated with dissociative disorders. The paper first provides a short history on mental illnesses and defines dissociative disorders. The paper then addresses the diagnostic methods for dissociative disorders and also the syndromes that might surface. In addition, the paper gives several examples of dissociative disorders such as dissociative fugue, depersonalization disorder and dissociative identity disorder. The paper also discusses several treatment methods for dissociative disorders.

From the Paper:

"Before a person is said to have a mental disorder, he needs to be diagnosed to determine the factors that contributed to his or her present condition and to properly administer the necessary treatment. Dissociative disorders vary in their seriousness and the unexpectedness of occurrence. The gravity of illness may vary, depending on the person's exposure to events that may have triggered such disorder. Certain factors such as traumatic experiences can cause moderate or severe forms of dissociation. These traumatic memories such as physical torture, sexual and emotional abuse, frightening event like accident, and other forms of harassment are stored in the human brain differently as compared to the normal memories."

Sample of Sources Used:

• All Psych and Heffner Media Group, Inc. Introduction and History of Mental Illness. Retrieved 27 April, 2008, from website: http://allpsych.com/psychology101/psychopathology.html. Last updated 21 March, 2004.
• American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Fourth Edition. Text Revision. Washington, DC: APA Press; 2000:519-33.
• Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (2007, April 4). Selective Amnesia: How A Traumatic Memory Can Be Wiped Out. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 28, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2007/04/070402102218.htm
• Eisendrath, Stuart J. "Psychiatric Disorders." In Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, 1998, edited by Stephen McPhee, et al., 37th ed. Stamford: Appleton Lange, 1997.
• Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Published on December, 2002 by the Gale. health-cares.net (2005). "What is Dissociative Amnesia?" Retrieved 28 April, 2008, from website: http://neurology.health-cares.net/dissociative-amnesia.php. Page last updated 18 July, 2005.

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