Understanding Dissociative and Somatoform Disorders

1. Dissociative and Somatoform Disorders Chapter 11 Section 3

2. Dissociative Disorders • Involve changes in consciousness, memory, or self-identity. • These disorders affect the ability to maintain a cohesive sense of self or unity of consciousness, which results in bizarre behavior.

3. Dissociative Disorders • There are two types of dissociative disorders • Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXuG2zI39yA&safety_mode=true&safe=active&persist_safety_mode=1 • Dissociative Amnesia

4. Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) • DID is commonly known as multiple personality disorder or split personality. • Two or more distinct personalities exist within the same individual. • Each personality has distinct traits, manner of speech, and memories

5. Dissociative Amnesia • People affected experience a loss of memory for information about themselves or their life experiences. • The absence of any physical cause for their amnesia (blow to head, neurological condition, drug/alcohol abuse) suggests that the disorder is psychological.

6. Causes of Dissociative Disorders • These disorders may represent an attempt to disconnect or dissociate from traumatic experiences or other sources of psychological pain or conflict.

7. Real or Imagined? • Some psychologists believe that DID is a rare but genuine disorder that arises in a few individuals as a way of coping with terrible physical and sexualabuse dating back to childhood. • Others doubt the existence of DID, ascribing that behavior to a form of attention seeking role playing

8. Somatoform Disorders • People with these disorders may have physical symptoms or complaints that cannot be explained medically. • Two Types • Conversion Disorder • Hypochondriasis

9. Conversion Disorder • A person suffers a loss of physical function, such as • loss of movement in a limb • loss of vision • loss of feeling in a hand or arm • No physical cause for these symptoms • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRzytAhu0hg&safety_mode=true&safe=active&persist_safety_mode=1 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaNruAT3zAE&feature=related&safety_mode=true&safe=active&persist_safety_mode=1

10. Hypochondriasis • People who are preoccupied with the idea that there is something terribly wrong with their health. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8v6aSOp5zw&safety_mode=true&safe=active&persist_safety_mode=1 • Have physical complaints or symptoms which they believe are signs of serious illness (cancer, heart disease)

11. Causes of Somatoform Disorders • Hysterical paralysis (loss of vision) can prevent people from having to confront stressful or conflict-laden situations • People with conversion disorders may be reinforced by others for adopting a “sick role”, drawing sympathy and support from others, while avoiding things they don’t want to do (work, chores, etc.)