Dissociative Identity Disorder Analysis

A person with dissociative identity disorder may display gaps in memory recall. Diagnostic Criterion B explains, “recurrent gaps in the recall of everyday events, important personal information, and/or traumatic events that are inconsistent with ordinary forgetting” (American Psychological Association, 2013, p. 292). During the experience of dissociation, an individual with the disorder can be taken over by an alter. During and after the control of this alter, the individual may not be able to recall events.
The DSM V discusses the tendency of individuals to minimize the impact of their disorder (2013). Higher functioning individuals may experience impairment in their relational, marital, family, and parenting functions more so than their professional …show more content…
“It is unclear, however, whether these medications work on core dissociative symptoms or treat the associated anxiety and depression” (Beidel, Bulik, & Stanley, 2014, p. 187). The text goes on to explain how cognitive behavioral therapy approaches may also benefit individuals experiencing dissociative disorders (2014). “The same conclusion may apply to CBT approaches, which hypothesize that people with dissociative disorders misinterpret normal symptoms of fatigue, stress, or even substance intoxication as abnormal (Beidel, Bulik, & Stanley, 2014). Through a process known as cognitive restructuring, therapist teach clients to think differently about their …show more content…
The text further explains that possession states may be considered a normal part of a spiritual practice (2013). However, the possession states that are attributable to the disorder itself present involuntary, recurrently, and unwanted. The DSM V specifies that these possessions cause impairment and are not accepted in cultural or religious practice (2013). It also goes into more detail about what the disruption of identity looks like. It describes observable behaviors such as discontinuity in affect and cognition. An individual can report these symptoms and others can observe them. This gives professionals a clearer idea of how the disorder manifests. The changes in the text are important because they allow for both experience and observation of the

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