Dissociative disorders are a range of conditions that can cause physical and psychological problems.
Some dissociative disorders are very short-lived, perhaps following a traumatic life event, and resolve on their own over a matter of weeks or months. Others can last much longer.
Someone with a dissociative disorder may have problems with:
- movement
- sensation
- seizures
- periods of memory loss
They may also feel uncertain about who they are and have many different identities.
Dissociation is a way the mind copes with too much stress. People who dissociate may feel disconnected from themselves and the world around them.
Periods of dissociation can last for a relatively short time (hours or days) or for much longer (weeks or months). It can sometimes last for years, but usually if a person has other dissociative disorders.
Many people with a dissociative disorder have had a traumatic event during childhood. They may dissociate and avoid dealing with it as a way of coping with it.
For further information about symptoms and treatment, please visit the NHS website that this page has been taken from, click here