Abstract
This paper provides an insight into dissociative disorders and dissociative identity disorder (DID, or formerly called multiple personality disorder)and the separation of mental processes such as memory or consciousness that are normally integrated. It discusses how through the analysis of several findings and theories regarding dissociative disorder, the close connection between development of dissociative disorders and the self can be observed. It shows how the most significant implication might be that, in childhood, circumstances that create a conflict in the self undermine healthy development of the self and personalities and how in the worst cases, this conflict possibly leads to dissociative disorders as intrafamilial abuse exemplifies.

From the Paper
"Dissociative disorders have intrigued not only mental professionals but also the public with their extraordinary symptoms. In fact, there are a number of books and movies that deal with dissociative disorders such as the famous book by Thigpen and Cleckley (1957), "The Three Faces of Eve," which later became a motion picture. Dissociative disorders are characterized by "persistent, maladaptive disruptions in the integration of memory, consciousness, or identity" (Oltmanns & Emery, 2001). Due to the limited methodology to empirically test dissociative disorders, the entire concept of these psychological disorders is still controversial, and researchers can only offer theoretical ideas about how they work and are developed."

Tags:identity, multiple, personality, mental, processes

Abstract
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."

Tags:mental illnesses, treatment psychopathology, personality disorder, amnesia trauma therapy

Abstract
This research proposal examines the use of traditional five element acupuncture in the treatment of patients with severe chronic dissociative disorders. It explains dissociative disorders from the Western medical perspective and discusses the role played by the psyche and emotions in ancient Chinese medicine. The paper then looks at the Chinese view of dissociative disorders in both historical and contemporary medical thinking and investigates the role of traditional five element acupuncture in the treatment of dissociative disorders.

Table of Contents:
Aim
Objectives
Background
Preliminary Literature Review
Methodology
Research Strategy

From the Paper
"Modern Chinese writings (in translation) will also be consulted. A brief literature search looking for information on the treatment of dissociative disorders using TCM and acupuncture has been carried out. It does appear that the problem of hysteria is recognised in China and treatment protocols are available (Garvey 2001). Adjunctive treatment approaches that incorporate acupuncture, though, must be carefully tailored to both the individual patient and to the stage of treatment (Goodwin & Attias). Indeed, a number of complementary and alternative medicine approaches to the treatment of dissociative disorders have emerged in recent years. Besides acupuncture, these alternative treatment modalities include body work, including exercise programs, massage, martial arts and techniques like rolfing; relaxation and meditation disciplines like yoga; movement and music therapies; psychodrama; wilderness therapy; sex therapy; and the art therapies, including use of drawing, sculpture and clay work, mask making, collage and sandtray work (which includes some elements from play therapy) (Goodwin & Attias). According to these authors, "All of these adjunctive modalities can lead to body flashbacks that must then be brought into the verbal therapy and translated and worked through at that level" (Goodwin & Attias, p. 174)."

Tags:anxiety, diet, pressure, Chinese

Abstract
This paper explains that dissociation is a defense mechanism against trauma, which helps remove victims of trauma from the experience at the time when it occurs, allowing them to delay working through the trauma. The author points out that the cause of dissociative identity disorder is unknown, but histories of patients diagnosed with this disorder indicate that a commonality is a traumatic event such as childhood physical or sexual abuse, commonly incestuous, the death of a close relative or friend during childhood or witnessing a trauma or a death. The paper relates that the symptoms of dissociative amnesia and fugue tend to disappear spontaneously; therapy can focus on the stressful factors, which may trigger an episode, or on treating accompanying depressive states.

Table of Contents
Categories
Dissociative Identity Disorder
History
Description
Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-IV)
Etiology
Psychodynamic Perspective
Behavioral Perspective
Treatment
Dissociative Amnesia
Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-IV)
Types of Dissociative Amnesia
Etiology
Dissociative Fugue
Etiology
Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-IV)
Treatment of Dissociative Amnesia and Fugue
Depersonalization Disorder
Etiology
Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-IV)
Treatment

From the Paper
"Different parts of the personality are alternately allowed to be expressed or remain repressed at any one time. They cannot coexist due to the intense anxiety that would result. Therefore, each is sealed off from the others. You might think of a rock being split in many pieces and each separate piece forming its own space that becomes sealed off from the other pieces. It is believed that the split occurs because the child who is exposed to a traumatic event and unable to escape dissociates and takes on other personalities to cope with the pain. It is also believed that person's who are susceptible to hypnosis are more likely to develop this disorder when exposed to severe trauma."

Tags:childhood, trauma, personality, hypnosis, histories

Abstract
This paper provides a breakdown of the psychological disorders that fall into each of the DSM IV-TR categories. The three major categories discussed are anxiety disorders; mood and affective disorders; and dissociative and somatoform disorders. The paper explains that, for psychologists, it is extremely important to understand the differences between types of disorders as well as the specific disorders themselves. The paper concludes that treatment can be very different from disorder to disorder, and as many disorders within each category have very similar symptoms, it can be very difficult to distinguish between them without the organization presented by the DSM IV-TR.

Outline:
Categories of Disorders
Clarification of Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Mood and Affective Disorders
Dissociative and Somatoform Disorders
Conclusion
References

From the Paper
"While fluctuation in mood is a very common occurrence due to normal life events, there are times when mood changes can be considered to be pathological disorders. Variations of mood can come as easily as minor changes in hormones due to biological pressures such as low blood sugar or simple human development (such as the change from childhood to adolescence) and can be caused by intense situations such as winning the lottery or the death of a loved one (Barlow & Durand, 2009)."

Tags:psychology, disorders, mental

Abstract
The paper explains dissociative disorders, the broad class of psychological disorders that involve the breakdown of various elements of personality, memory, and/or identity. The paper reviews two studies that each approach the understanding of dissociative disorders differently. The paper then looks at studies on adjustment disorders and how they reveal that the primary cause of these disorders is environmental or "nurture" based.

Outline:
Part A: Dissociative Disorder
Part B: Adjustment Disorder

From the Paper
"There are many similarities in both the symptoms displayed and the underlying causes of dissociative disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder, and for this reason it seemed a reasonable supposition that the physiological effects and causes of the two disorders might also be similar. This is the supposition that Irie et al (2009) tested in their study, which measured the size of the amygdala and hippocampus in the brains of post-traumatic stress disorder sufferers and those with a dissociative disorder compared to these structures in other individuals. It had been previously noted that these structures were markedly reduced in many patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder resulting combat exposure, childhood abuse, or traumatic accidents, and the researchers wished to see if a similar size reduction in these areas of the brain accompanied the similar symptoms of dissociative disorder, as both disorders can lead to similar destructive and violent behaviors (Irie et al 2009).
"The researchers found, however, that there was no change in the size of the amygdala or hippocampus in patients that were diagnosed with dissociative disorder that could compare to that found in patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (Irie et al 2009). Though the results of this study are from exhaustive in its attempt to determine underlying physiological causes of dissociative disorder, it does serve as further evidence that the disorder is likely purely psychological in nature, rather than physiological or neurological (irie et al 2009). Understanding this could provide valuable insights as to how to treat dissociative disorders."

Tags:post-traumatic, stress, disorder, self-harm, child, abuse, nurture

Abstract
The paper provides a Summary of the movie "Fight Club" and analyzes the main character's symptoms that suggest he suffers from a mental illness. The paper explores the signs, symptoms and diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder as well as its causes and the treatments available for this disorder.

Outline:
Summary of the Movie "Fight Club
Diagnosis of the Character's Mental Illness
Signs and Symptoms and Diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder
Causes of Dissociative Identity Disorder
Treatment of Patients with Dissociative Disorders

From the Paper
"This movie is about a man who is caught up with his own demons. He is an ordinary man working for an insurance company. His job entailed him to travel around the country, being enslaved by his work. He was caught up in a stressful life where he breathed nothing else but work. He was always tired, unable to sleep for days. He was caught in his condominium-enclosed life of consumerism. He became enslaved by buying appliances and furniture, and during the day, he worked and did what he was told by his boss. He sought help from the doctor for his sleeplessness, and the doctor advised him to attend a Prostate Cancer Group, where the gist of the story begins. He began to attend self-help groups, and by attending these, he was able to find solace. He was able to sleep, and was able to let out his built-in emotions. He became addicted to this kind of living."

Tags:mental, illness, personalities, memory, trauma, psychotherapy, relationships

Abstract
The paper explains that dissociative identity disorder is a psychological condition in which traumatic memories become disconnected from a person's normal awareness, or consciousness, thereby shielding the person from the pain or fear associated with the trauma. The paper explains that it causes the individual to experience her psyche/identity as disconnected or split into distinct parts. The paper lists the recognized types of dissociative disorders and the most common symptoms.

From the Paper
"Dissociative disorders are uncommon, affecting an estimated 1 percent to 2 percent of the population. This kind of disorder affects females more often than males and most often begin whenever the abuse or traumatic event occurred (http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/health-info/docs/2800/2819.asp?index=9786&src=news, 2002). Many have tried to give a full and much detailed definition on Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), because there have been an increasing number of reported cases of this 'illness'."

Tags:trauma, psyche, disconnected, pain, fear

Abstract
This paper analyzes and reviews three articles about dissociative personality disorder in order to consider how the conceptual framework for this disorder has changed over the last 50 years. The three articles were read carefully and summarized for basic themes, definitions, and differences. The first article entitled "Multiple Personality Disorder" by W.S. Taylor and M.F. Martin, written in 1944, was one of the first works on this disorder. The next article, "The Osiris Complex," by Colin A. Ross, describes the condition as growing out of childhood abuse and psychological trauma. The third article, titled "Multiple Personality Disorder: Witchcraft Survives in the Twentieth Century," by August Piper, Jr points out some troublesome aspects of the illness, which include more alternate personalities than earlier researchers believed could exist. The reviewer concludes by stating that todays view of dissociative identity disorder is one personality divided into abnormally personified components.

From the Paper
" An article titled "Multiple Personality Disorder" written in 1944 by Taylor & Martin was located for comparison to two articles written more recently, "The Osiris Complex: Case Studies in Multiple Personality Disorder" (Ross, 2000) and "Multiple Personality Disorder: Witchcraft Survives in the Twentieth Century" (Piper, 1998). The 1944 article is frequently cited in articles written since 1980 and is considered a seminal work. Because two strands of thought regarding the disorder exist today, it was necessary to compare the old article to two contrasting concepts as articulated in the two more recent articles. The three articles were read carefully and summarized for basic themes, definitions, and differences."

Tags:multiple, personality, disorder, dissociative, identity, disorder

Abstract
This paper analyzes whether dissociative identity disorder (DID), also known by its older designation to lay people as multiple personality disorder (MPD) or split personality, really exists. It discusses the disease's diagnosis and pathogenesis and the problems with differential diagnoses. The paper suggests that the diagnosis of DID should be guarded, preferably made as a diagnosis of exclusion. The paper also contains an annotated bibliography.

From the Paper
"However, Merckelbach, Devilly and Rassin's review of the alters in DID effectively challenge the prevailing support for DID in calling into question the very nature of the claimed multiple personality. The authors sought a better definition of the multiple identities associated with DID. They assert that, as opposed to unconvincing evidence of the existence of alters ranging from acceptance due to their mutually exclusive memories to distinct documented physiological profiles (fMRI, EEG), these personalities can alternately be seen as emotional metaphors and escapist thought (Merckelbach, Devilly and Rassin 486-490). Needless to say, there is very little consensus among the psychiatric community on what the alters actually are, in large part due to the lack of a control group and a further lack of knowledge regarding memory function (Merckelbach, Devilly and Rassin 492). Furthermore, their research supports the claim in showing that there can be no absolutely reliable diagnosis of DID because the "personalities" themselves cannot be proven to be real alter-identities."

Tags:pathogenisis, differential, diagnosis, multiple, personality, disorder, split, mental