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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffWe all get lost in a good book or movie. But someone with dissociative disorder escapes reality in ways that are involuntary and unhealthy. The symptoms of dissociative disorders — ranging from amnesia to alternate identities — usually develop as a reaction to trauma and help keep difficult memories at bay.
Treatment for dissociative disorders may include psychotherapy, hypnosis and medication. Although treating dissociative disorders can be difficult, many people with dissociative disorders are able to learn new ways of coping and lead healthy, productive lives.
- Dissociative disorders. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Jan. 20, 2009.
- Maldonado JR, et al. Dissociative disorders. In: Hales RE, et al., eds. The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry. 5th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2008:665.
- Dissociation and dissociative disorders. National Mental Health Association. http://www.nmha.org/index.cfm?objectId=C7DF8D4E-1372-4D20-C86C22067E838DF0&CFID=306278&CFTOKEN=696f1d08c4d6ecd2-823F75DC-1372-4D20-C8B94665B1F8DBE7. Accessed Jan. 20, 2009.
- Frequently asked questions: Dissociation and dissociative disorders. International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation. http://www.isst-d.org/education/faq-dissociation.htm. Accessed Jan. 20, 2009.
- Turkus JA, et al. Therapeutic interventions in the treatment of dissociative disorders. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2006;29:245.
- Chu JA, et al. Guidelines for treating dissociative identity disorder in adults. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation. 2005;6:69.
- Silberg J, et al. Guidelines for treating dissociative identity disorder in children and adolescents. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation. 2004;5:119.
- Berkowitz CD. Child maltreatment. In: Marx JA, et al., eds. Marx: Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2006:968.
- Sar V, et al. Dissociative disorders in the psychiatric emergency ward. General Hospital Psychiatry. 2007;29:45.
