D ISSOCIATIVE AND S OMATOFORM D ISORDERS

T ODAY IN P SYCH Review worksheet of Anxiety and Mood disorders Dissociative and Somatoform disorders notes

D ISSOCIATION separation of a group of mental processes or ideas from the rest of the personality

N ORMAL D ISSOCIATION ? Engrossed in reading or watching TV Lose track of the world around you Driving Missing an exit Daydreaming

W HEN IS IT A PROBLEM ? When it occurs as a way to avoid stressful events or feelings When dissociation is used to decrease anxiety

D ISSOCIATIVE A MNESIA Sudden loss of memory Triggered by stress/trauma May last hours – years Memory can suddenly return

D ISSOCIATIVE FUGUE Amnesia and development of new identity When fugue ends, person has no memory of “second identity”

D ISSOCIATIVE I DENTITY D ISORDER 2+ personalities in one person Take turns controlling the individual Uniqueness of personalities Most commonly seen in victims of abuse

D EPERSONALIZATION D ISORDER Feelings of detachment from one’s mental processes or body Common symptom of other psychological disorders

V IEWS ON DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS Psychoanalytic theory People dissociate to repress unacceptable urges Learning theory People have learned to escape guilt/shame/pain by dissociating

S OMATOFORM D ISORDERS

S OMATOFORM Expression of psychological distress through physical symptoms

D IFFERENT FROM MALINGERING ? Somatoform disorders are real They actually feel pain Malingering if faking

D IFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE Physical symptoms confuse and mislead doctors Tendency of doctors to focus on the physical symptoms, but not psychological

C ONVERSION DISORDER Change or loss on physical functioning in a major part of the body w/o any medical explanation

H YPOCHONDRIA People unrealistically preoccupied with thoughts that they have a serious disease

V IEWS ON S OMATOFORM D ISORDERS Psychoanalytic Repressed emotions and urges are expressed physically Conversion view Stress is converted to actual medical problems Behavioral somatoform symptoms reinforce the person because they help a person escape from anxiety