Dissociative disorder is a mental disorder in which a person suffers from a psychological imbalance, with changes in consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, environmental perception, movement control and behavior.
In this way, the person with this disorder may experience different types of signs and symptoms of psychological origin, which could appear in isolation as a whole, without any physical illness justifying the case. There are three types of disorders known as dissociative amnesia, depersonalization-dererialization disorder, and dissociative identity disorder.
Signs and symptoms that may occur include
It is common for carriers of dissociative disorders to show behavioral changes such as an exalted or unbalanced sudden reaction, for this reason, this disorder also encounters hysteria with a hysterical reaction.
Dissociative disorder usually occurs as a result of traumatic events or a lot of stress, and appears to occur suddenly, episodes can occur sporadically or become common, depending on each case, being also more common in women than in men.
Treatment of dissociative disorder should be guided by a psychiatrist and may include the use of anxiolytics or antidepressants to relieve symptoms, which is very important for performing psychotherapy.
During the crisis of dissociative disorder it might be thought that it is a physical illness, so it is common for the first contact of these patients to be made with the doctor in case of emergency.
Your doctor identifies the presence of this disorder by thoroughly looking for alterations in clinical evaluation and testing, without seeking anything of physical or organic origin that explains the picture the patient suffers.
Diagnosis of dissociative disorder is made by the psychiatrist, who will assess the symptoms presented during the crisis and the existence of psychological conflicts that may trigger the aggravation of the disease, this doctor should also assess the presence of anxiety, depression, somatization, schizophrenia or other mental disorders that, however, are confused with the dissociative disorder. He knows how to identify the most common mental disorders.
The main way to treat dissociative disorder is psychotherapy with a psychologist to help the patient develop stress management strategies. Sessions are maintained until the psychologist considers that the patient is able to control their emotions and relationships safely.
We also recommend treatment by a psychiatrist, who will evaluate the patient’s evolution and may prescribe medications to relieve symptoms, such as antidepressants (Sertraline), antipsychotics (Thiaprida), or anxiolytics (Diazepam), if necessary.