Chapter 8

1. Chapter 8 Somatoformand DissociativeDisorders Movie 2/27: “Amelie” (extra credit)

2. Dissociation • Normal vs. abnormal dissociation (different parts of an individual’s identity, memories, or consciousness become split off from one another) • When dissociation becomes chronic and a defining feature, the person may be diagnosed with a dissociative disorder.

3. Dissociative Experiences in the General Population

4. Dissociative Identity Disorder Symptoms Presence of two or more separate identities in the same individual. These personalities may have different ways of speaking and relating to others and can have different ages and genders. Etiology Alters may be created by people under conditions of extreme stress, often child abuse. Self-hypnosis may be involved. OR Created inadvertently by therapists Treatment Long-term psychotherapy to discover functions of the personalities and to assist in “integration.” Sybil

5. Dissociative Fugue Symptoms Person suddenly moves away from home and assumes an entirely new identity, with no memory of previous identity Etiology Fugue states usually occur in response to some stressor, but because they are extremely rare, little is known about etiology Treatment Psychotherapy to help the person identify the stressors leading to the fugue state and learn better coping skills

6. Dissociative Amnesia Symptoms Loss of memory due to psychological rather than physiological causes. The memory loss is usually confined to personal information only Etiology Typically occurs following traumatic events. May involve motivated forgetting of events, poor storage of information during events due to overarousal, or avoidance of emotions experience during an event Treatment Help the individual remember traumatic events and accept them

7. Depersonalization Disorder • People with this disorder have frequent episodes in which they feel detached from their own mental processes or bodies, as if they are outside observers of themselves. • Occasional experiences of depersonalization are common, especially when people are sleep deprived. • Depersonalization Disorder is only diagnosed when they are so frequent and distressing that they interfere with an individual’s ability to function

8. Dissociative Disorders (Summary)

9. Somatoform Disorders

10. Differentiating Somatoform Disorders from Related Problems

11. Somatization & Pain Disorders Symptoms Somatization disorder involves a long history of multiple physical complaints for which people have sought treatment but for which there is no apparent organic cause. Pain disorder involves only the experience of chronic, unexplainable pain Etiology These disorders run in families, but it is not clear whether this is due to genetics or modeling. Different theories claim different origins for this disorder Treatment Psychodynamic treatment involves helping people identify feelings and thoughts behind the symptoms and find more adaptive ways of coping

12. Hypochondriasis Symptoms Chronic worry that one has a serious medical disease despite evidence that one does not; frequent consultations with physicians over this worry Etiology A family history of depression or anxiety is common. These people may suffer from chronic distress and cope with this distress by exaggerating physical symptoms Treatment Same as somatization disorder, involving helping people identify feelings and thoughts behind the symptoms and find more adaptive ways of coping “Hannah and her Sisters”

13. Conversion Disorder Symptoms Loss of functioning in some part of the body due to psychological rather than physiological causes Etiology May occur after trauma or stress, perhaps because the individual cannot face memories or emotions associated with the trauma. Also, Social/cultural influences (e..g, “falling with the spirit) Treatment Psychoanalytic therapy focuses on helping the individual express emotions or memories.

14. Somatoform Disorders (Summary)