Download Dissociative and Somatoform Disorders File

DISSOCIATIVE AND
SOMATOFORM DISORDERS
TODAY IN PSYCH
Review worksheet of Anxiety and Mood disorders
 Dissociative and Somatoform disorders notes

DISSOCIATION

separation of a group of mental processes or ideas
from the rest of the personality
NORMAL DISSOCIATION?

Engrossed in reading or watching TV


Driving


Lose track of the world around you
Missing an exit
Daydreaming
WHEN IS IT A PROBLEM?
When it occurs as a way to avoid stressful events
or feelings
 When dissociation is used to decrease anxiety

DISSOCIATIVE AMNESIA
Sudden loss of memory
 Triggered by stress/trauma
 May last hours – years
 Memory can suddenly return

DISSOCIATIVE FUGUE
Amnesia and development of new identity
 When fugue ends, person has no memory of
“second identity”

DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDER

2+ personalities in one person

Take turns controlling the individual
Uniqueness of personalities
 Most commonly seen in victims of abuse

DEPERSONALIZATION DISORDER
Feelings of detachment from one’s mental
processes or body
 Common symptom of other psychological
disorders

VIEWS ON DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS

Psychoanalytic theory


People dissociate to repress unacceptable urges
Learning theory

People have learned to escape guilt/shame/pain by
dissociating
SOMATOFORM DISORDERS
SOMATOFORM

Expression of psychological distress through
physical symptoms
DIFFERENT FROM MALINGERING?

Somatoform disorders are real


They actually feel pain
Malingering if faking
DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE
Physical symptoms confuse and mislead doctors
 Tendency of doctors to focus on the physical
symptoms, but not psychological

CONVERSION DISORDER

Change or loss on physical functioning in a major
part of the body w/o any medical explanation
HYPOCHONDRIA

People unrealistically preoccupied with thoughts
that they have a serious disease
VIEWS ON SOMATOFORM DISORDERS

Psychoanalytic


Conversion view


Repressed emotions and urges are expressed
physically
Stress is converted to actual medical problems
Behavioral

somatoform symptoms reinforce the person because
they help a person escape from anxiety