Understanding the Main Types of Dissociative Disorders

When trauma runs deep, the mind finds ways to cope with intense emotional pain and unspeakable experiences through dissociation. For trauma survivors, there are four types of dissociative disorders that may occur—including Dissociative Amnesia, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Dissociative Fugue and Depersonalization Disorder. The common symptoms these disorders share include memory loss for traumatic events and periods of time, feelings of detachment, surreal perceptions, and a lack of strong, personal identity. Dissociative disorders can also create high levels of anxiety, panic and depression in trauma survivors. By understanding the main types of dissociative disorders, you can better learn their relation to traumatic life experiences, and contextualize their role in the treatment of drug or alcohol addiction.

Understanding the Main Types of Dissociative Disorders

Many inpatient drug and alcohol recovery facilities have experience dealing with trauma survivors who have experienced the symptoms of a dissociative disorder. In fact, sadly, sometimes diagnosis of these dissociative disorders and their symptoms occurs for the first time during inpatient drug and alcohol treatment—as those with dissociative disorders spend an average of seven years in the mental health care system before being properly diagnosed. Here are descriptions of the four main types of dissociative disorders, along with their symptoms.

• Dissociative Amnesia
  In dissociative amnesia, an individual has memory loss that cannot be attributed to any neurological or physical root cause. Rather, dissociative amnesia most often appears the result of traumatic events during childhood (such as physical, sexual or emotional abuse) and results in missing periods from your memory.
• Dissociative Identity Disorder
  Dissociative Identity Disorder (previously referred to as Multiple Personality Disorder) occurs when trauma has become so great that the traumatized individual must “split” in order to cope with the emotional pain. The change between identities, while maladaptive, is a coping mechanism for the intense stress that accompanies trauma. Additionally, those with Dissociative Identity Disorder often have dissociative amnesia as well. With intensive therapy, many who suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder can find reintegration and healing.
• Dissociative Fugue
  Individuals suffering from dissociate fugue states split off from their identity and continue to function as another person. They will often be fully functioning, and remember the skills the primary identity possess—just without memory or awareness of the identity itself. The fugue states can last from an hour to several months. Once the person exits the fugue state, they may be disoriented and have no idea what events immediately preceded awareness.
• Depersonalization Disorder
  Individuals with Depersonalization Disorder experience a distinct sense of existing outside of their bodies. They may experience their lives as if they were watching them as a movie and encounter “out of body” experiences or feelings, distortions in time, and a general feeling that life is unreal.

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