FMP: Dissociation Research

Types of Dissociative Disorders

1. Dissociative Amnesia – disruptions/breakdowns in memory that cannot be explained by normal forgetfulness.
2. Dissociative Identity Disorder – two or more identities/personalities within one individual.
3. Depersonalisation Disorder – a feeling of detachment from oneself.
4. Derealisation Disorder – a feeling of detachment from one’s surroundings.
5. Dissociative Amnesia with Fugue – a state of mind where you forget everything about who you are (a fugue). In the fugue you may travel to a new location and act like a different person in a different life.
6. Other dissociative disorder – dissociative symptoms that don’t fit into any other diagnosis (either specified – explained why this is – or unspecified – unexplained or not enough information to give a full diagnosis). [1]

Depersonalisation/Derealisation Disorder

This is the disorder I will be focusing on within my animation, reflecting the sense of detachment from the individual’s self and their surroundings. A symptom of depersonalisation is a feeling of experiencing your own thoughts, feelings, and self from a detached distance. It is linked to an emotional numbness, and can result in feeling as though you aren’t in control of your own actions. A symptom of derealisation is a feeling of experiencing your own surroundings in a dream-like state. It is common for people with this disorder to experience the world seeming distorted – for example; objects changing shape/colour; time slowing down/speeding up; or sounds seeming louder/quieter than they are.

Episodes of these disorders can last for days, and can recur for weeks, months, or even years. The individuals are aware that they are feeling detached from themselves/their surroundings, which can cause extreme distress and make it difficult for them to function on a day to day basis.

The disorder affects both men and women equally, and can be a result of severe stress, neglect, or physical abuse. There are also links to misuse of drugs, and past emotional traumas. Sleep quality has also been shown to be associated with severe dissociation.

Treatment can be difficult as it is often associated with other mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. This means treating each individual disorder in order to treat the dissociation. Psychotherapies such as grounding and cognitive behavioural therapy can be used to ease the symptoms, as well as certain medications such as antidepressants. [2]

Symptoms

Depersonalisation:

• Feeling like an outside observer of your thoughts, feelings, your body/part of your body (i.e. as though watching self from above).
• Feeling robotic/not in control of your actions.
• Sense of body parts being distorted.
• Feeling as though your head is wrapped in cotton.
• Emotional/physical numbness to your surroundings.
• Sense that memories lack emotion/that they aren’t real memories. [3]

Derealisation:

• Feelings of being detached from surroundings – as though in a dream-like state.
• Feeling emotionally detached from people around you.
• Distorted surroundings – e.g. colour changes, blurriness, artificial, or heightened awareness of surroundings.
• Altered perception of time.
• Altered perceptions of distance and shape of objects. [3]
• Feeling as though there is a pane of glass between self and the world. [4]

I am going to use these symptoms and create a visual way to present them within my animation.

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References:

[1] Mind.org.uk. (2018). Dissociative disorders | Mind, the mental health charity – help for mental health problems. [online] Available at: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/dissociative-disorders/dissociative-disorders/#.WtnNSS7wbIU [Accessed 20 Apr. 2018].

[2] Psychology Today. (2017). Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder | Psychology Today. [online] Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/depersonalizationderealization-disorder [Accessed 26 Apr. 2018].

[3] Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Depersonalization-derealization disorder – Symptoms and causes. [online] Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depersonalization-derealization-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20352911 [Accessed 26 Apr. 2018].

[4] View all posts Steve Bressert, P. (2018). Depersonalization / Derealization Disorder Symptoms. [online] Psych Central. Available at: https://psychcentral.com/disorders/depersonalization-derealization-disorder-symptoms/ [Accessed 26 Apr. 2018].