A Great Problem, Misdiagnosed
Dissociation, is a psychological disorder which usually manifests as one's reaction to certain traumatic experiences which took place during childhood, or have repeated several times in a person's life. These traumas trigger a defense system known as dissociation, making people change their identities, memory and their levels of consciousness.
This disorder was considered to be very rare in the past. Nevertheless, recent researches have revealed that many people who are suffering from dissociation, through depersonalization and/or dissociative identity disorders, have been misdiagnosed and treated for depression, drug or alcohol abuse, anger management or some other behavioral problems. Therefore, their source of the problem never gets treated. Rather, the symptoms of it do, with little or no avail.
Those who suffer from dissociation usually complain about headaches, aches of different kinds, memory issues etc. So, many times, they are diagnosed wrongly and treated wrongly, making things worse. In order to diagnose one with dissociation, you need to know all about the symptoms and causes of this disorder. Also, you need to be aware of possible, effective,treatments.
Causes of Dissociation
Abuse is one of the most common triggers of dissociation. It may be physical, sexual or mental, experienced at home, school, work or some other places. Additionally, people who have survived wars, being taken hostage, went through holocausts, natural disasters and other such terrible occasions are known to develop dissociation afterwards. Excessive violence can make people feel estranged from themselves and the world around them, especially if they lose a loved one in the process.
Still, people who suffer from dissociation are commonly misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder, attention deficit disorder, eating disorder, alcohol or drug abuse or anxiety. Doctors rarely take the past traumatic experiences of these people into consideration and this is a big mistake. The symptoms may be the same, but the causes of dissociation are always specific and require to be looked into further.
Symptoms of Dissociation
People who suffer from this problem usually experience anxiety, panic attacks, obsessive compulsive behavioral patterns or memory issues. Even these may seem like separate disorders, a more detailed analysis is necessary for a proper diagnosis.
Moreover, there are people with dissociation disorder who appear to be functioning very well on the outside, being successful at work or school, feeling miserable deep inside. In the long run, this can lead to self hatred, loss of self-esteem and suicidal tendencies. Thus, proper treatment needs to be put to action as soon as possible and the dissociation itself needs to be diagnosed timely.
The Treatment
Psychotherapy is one of the best ways of helping people with dissociation. Alternatively, they may be treated with medications. Also, recently people have started forming groups for helping others who suffer from dissociation. So, by entering such a community, you might get all the treatment you need.
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