Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

560 CHAPTER 13 Psychological DisordersTable 13.8Dissociative DisordersDissociative Amnesia• Inability to remember importantpersonal information, too extensiveto be explained by ordinary forgetfulnessDissociative Fugue• Sudden, unexpected travel awayfrom home• Amnesia• Confusion about personal identityor assumption of new identityDissociative Identity Disorder• Presence of two or more distinctidentities, each with consistentpatterns of personality traits andbehavior• Behavior that is controlled by twoor more distinct, recurring identities• Amnesia; frequent memory gapsDissociation and Possession A Candomblepriestess in Brazil holds a woman who is“possessed” by a Christian saintduring a religious ceremony.Such dissociative trance and possessionstates are common in religionsaround the world (Krippner,1994). When dissociativeexperiences take place within areligious ritual context, they arenot considered abnormal. Infact, such experiences may behighly valued (Mulhern, 1991).One study of Brazilian mediumsfrom Candomble or relatedChristian “spiritistic” religionsfound that their dissociative experienceswere not associatedwith mental disorders, childhoodabuse, or psychologicalproblems (Moreira-Almeida &others, 2008).The Dissociative DisordersFragmentation of the SelfKey Theme• In the dissociative disorders, disruptions in awareness, memory, andidentity interfere with the ability to function in everyday life.Key Questions• What is dissociation, and how do normal dissociative experiences differfrom the symptoms of dissociative disorders?• What are dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, and dissociative identitydisorder (DID)?• What is thought to cause DID?Despite the many changes you’ve experienced throughout your lifetime, you have apretty consistent sense of identity. You’re aware of your surroundings and can easily recallmemories from the recent and distant past. In other words, a normal personality is onein which awareness, memory, and personal identity are associated and well-integrated.In contrast, a dissociative experience is one in which a person’s awareness,memory, and personal identity become separated or divided. While that may soundweird, dissociative experiences are not inherently pathological. Mild dissociative experiencesare quite common and completely normal (Kihlstrom & others, 1994).For example, you become so absorbed in a book or movie that you lose all track oftime. Or you’re so preoccupied with your thoughts while driving that when you arriveat your destination, you remember next to nothing about the trip. In each ofthese cases, you’ve experienced a temporary “break” or “separation” in your memoryor awareness—a temporary, mild dissociative experience.Clearly, then, dissociative experiences are not necessarily abnormal. But in thedissociative disorders, the dissociative experiences are much more extreme ormore frequent and severely disrupt everyday functioning. Awareness, or recognitionof familiar surroundings, may be completely obstructed. Memories of pertinent personalinformation may be unavailable to consciousness. Identity may be lost, confused,or fragmented (Dell & O’Neil, 2009).The category of dissociative disorders consists of three basic disorders: dissociativeamnesia, dissociative fugue, and dissociative identity disorder, which was previously calledmultiple personality disorder. Until recently, the dissociative disorders were thought tobe extremely rare. How rare? An extensive review conducted in the 1940s uncovered agrand total of 76 reported cases ofdissociative disorders since the beginningsof modern medicine inthe 1700s (Taylor & Martin,1944). Although a few more caseswere reported during the 1950sand 1960s, the clinical picturechanged dramatically in the 1970swhen a surge of dissociative disorderdiagnoses occurred (Kihlstrom,2005). Later in this discussion,we’ll explore some of the possiblereasons as well as the controversysurrounding the “epidemic” of dissociativedisorders that began inthe 1970s.