...occurs in cases of dissociative amnesia. Dissociative amnesia is a dissociative disorder characterized by the repression of memories due to some kind of stressful event or trauma. Many would associate memory loss with physical brain injury only, but in this essay I argue that many cases of dissociative amnesia are in fact brought on by psychological stress. Two articles were chosen describing psychological studies of the source of dissociative amnesia. The first study, Memory Repression: Brain Mechanisms Underlying Dissociative Amnesia, describes an experiment involving two patients with dissociative amnesia. They were shown three sets of pictures: people they knew and could recognize, people they knew but couldn't remember, and a control of unknown people whom they were asked to name. The experimenters used fMRI to determine which areas of...
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...Amnesia is a defect in memory caused by brain damage, disease, or psychological trauma. Amnesia can also be caused temporarily by the use of various sedatives and hypnotic drugs. The memory can be either wholly or partially lost due to the extent of damage that was caused. There are two main types of amnesia: retrograde amnesia and anterograde amnesia. Retrograde amnesia is the inability to retrieve information that was acquired before a particular date, usually the date of an accident or operation. In some cases the memory loss can extend back decades, while in others the person may lose only a few months of memory. Anterograde amnesia is the inability to transfer new information from the short-term storage into the long-term storage. People with this type of amnesia cannot remember things for long periods of time. These two types are not mutually exclusive. Both can occur within a patient at one time. Research has shown that when areas of the diencephalon are damaged, amnesia can occur. Recent studies have also shown a correlation between deficiency of RbAp48 protein and memory loss. Scientists were able to find that mice with damaged memory have a lower level of RbAp48 protein compared to normal, healthy mice. In people suffering with amnesia, the ability to recall immediate information is still retained, and they may still be able to form new memories. However, a severe reduction in the ability to learn new material and retrieve old information can be observed. Many...
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...conscious awareness of a traumatic experience while the trauma is occurring. For some people, conscious thoughts and feelings, or "memories," about the overwhelming traumatic circumstance may emerge at a later date. This delayed retrieval of traumatic memories has been written about for nearly 100 years in clinical literature on military veterans who have survived combat.In fact, in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a psychiatric diagnosis common among people who have survived horrific events, the defining diagnostic features are memory distortions. People with PTSD inevitably experience extremes of recall regarding traumatic circumstances: intrusive memories of the event (hypernesia) or avoidance of thoughts and feelings about the event (amnesia). Some people...
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...Introduction: One of the most controversial psychiatric disorders; Dissociative identity disorder is a rare chronic condition, and is considered controversial due to the likely comorbidity with other mental conditions making diagnosis and treatment difficult. Formerly known as multiple personality disorder, dissociative identity disorder is one of a cluster of dissociative disorders. The dissociative disorders are a group of psychiatric conditions characterized by individuals experiencing an alteration of memory, consciousness, or identity for no natural reason. Individuals experience this escape from reality in ways that are involuntary and unhealthy causing problems with functioning in everyday life (Mayo Clinic, 2017). History: The...
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...Anxiety, Mood/Affective, Dissociative/Somatoform Disorders Lisa Mac Donald-Clark PSY/410 January 9, 2012 Mark Hurd Anxiety, Mood/Affective, Dissociative/Somatoform Disorders There are few things in this world as complex and fascinating as the inner workings of the human mind. Understanding mental disorders will afford people the opportunity recognize when an individual is suffering from a disorder, offer assistance, and support for friends and family who suffer from a disorder and be better equip to distinguish normal and abnormal behaviors and characteristics in oneself. By analyzing the biological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components of anxiety, mood/affective and dissociative/somatoform disorder one can begin to understand and identify the complexity of mental disorders. Diagnostic categories and classification for the use of identifying and diagnosing mental disorders is outlined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV-TR) (Hansell & Damour, 2008). This paper will explore the major categories of anxiety, mood/affective and dissociative/somatoform disorders, list symptoms associated with each, and discuss the biological, cognitive, and behavioral influences of each. The DSM IV-TR category for anxiety encompasses several disorders that fall within similar or shared symptoms. Obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic attacks, specific phobias, and general anxiety disorder are a few covered in the matrix. The matrix also categorizes...
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...Pyschology December 4, 2017 Core and Alter Par.1 intro: Do you ever read a whole paragraph in a book and realize you do not remember anything you just read? What about watching a television show and you just zone-out and are unable to recall what you just saw? This is similar to Dissociative Identity Disorder (abbreviated as DID). The difference between the little instances where we get distracted and the disorder is it happens all the time for the people with the disorder, but someone else takes over. The core creator of the rare Dissociative Identity Disorder is severe trauma, producing alter selves (multiple identities) from each person, dissociative amnesia, and a difficult life, with little treatment....
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...Living Beyond Oneself: The Reality of Dissociation Disorder Rebecca Lynn England General Psychology; Valley College Abstract An exploration of Dissociative Disorder including an overview of debates, disorder description, causes, and treatment. Hundreds of studies have been performed concerning this subject. There are countless theories and allegations concerning multiple personalities, even dating back to the days of the witch hunts. Initial symptoms generally begin in childhood. By adulthood, a person has usually forgotten the actual abuse or trauma that caused the psychological disorder, but are left with a myriad of manifestations of abnormal behaviors throughout life. Memories that begin to reemerge later in life are caused by what is called triggers. In depth testing must be undergone to determine if a person actually has this condition. Once diagnosed, treatment is extensive, lasting over many years. Realistically, the person may never completely function normally. Keywords: Dissociative Disorder, multiple personalities, alter personalities, psychological conditions, treatment, abuse, trauma, switching, post-traumatic stress disorder Living Beyond Oneself: The Reality of Dissociation Disorder The Creation of an Alter Person Dissociative Disorder is part of a series of conditions called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, “a condition of reoccurring persistent mental and emotional stress as a result of injury or severe psychological shock.” (NLM) Originally...
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...Hello, I am back! I have just finished my research on abnormality and psychological disorders for humans. Before I go into the different abnormalities and the disorders, I think it is best if you first understood what is considered “abnormal.” Everyone has their own view on what is normal or abnormal; you may think someone is normal when they actually are a threat to the people around them. Also, you can see someone in the park wearing something outlandish and think he or she is very weird, but that just might be their sense of style. This would be known as social nonconformity, where the person may be wearing an unusual outfit or they may have colorful tattoos and piercings covering their whole body. This does not necessarily mean that the person is mentally unstable. There is also something called statistical abnormality, where the person scores extremely high or extremely low on a score of some dimension, like an IQ test. These very high or very low scores will fall in the top and bottom 2.5% on a bell-curve graph. The lower 2.5% is the portion that is categorized with different disorders. The study of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders is called psychopathology. These psychological problems are classified using the DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders). This book helps psychologists determine what disorder a person has and the best way to treat the patient. A mental disorder is a significant impairment in psychological functioning. There...
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...Dissociative Identity Disorder The diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder has long been a controversial topic. (American Psychological Association Dictionary of Psychology 2015) It is my belief that things are sometimes controversial because they make others uncomfortable. This discomfort, in my opinion, can lead to false information, denial, fear and dismissal. I have never been someone who runs from discomfort. I try to embrace and understand it. This is what I have tried to do here with the research on dissociative identity disorder. There are a few reasons that this topic is of interest to me. First, trauma is prevalent in our country. It is a constant topic in my education, practicum and in the media. We discuss trauma informed...
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...Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously known as multiple personality disorder, first appeared in DSM-III as a diagnostic unit (DSM-III; American Psychiatric Association, 1980). Although research on DID has become prevalent in the last 30 years, knowledge and acceptance of this disorder is still far from certain. While there are professionals that believe they regularly see DID in clinical practice, there are still many professionals that believe it does not exist. In order to decide if DID is a valid disorder, it is important to take the concerns of both arguments into account. These concerns include: validity, diagnostic, cultural and conceptual challenges (Dorahy, et al., 2014, pp. 402-417). After examining current research, I believe...
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...Understanding every aspect of mental health is an overwhelming process that may not be possible, even for the most intelligent and well known psychiatrist. Most individuals shy away from understanding psychological disorders because of the stigma that surrounds them. Some disorders like anxiety and depression are swept under the rug while disorders like schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder are seen as dangerous. It is important to fully understand a mental illness and one illness that individual’s seem to lack knowledge of is dissociative identity disorder. Dissociative Identity Disorder, commonly referred to as just DID, is a dissociative disorder where people may “adopt as many as 100 new identifies, all simultaneously coexisting,...
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...Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) has a unique position in psychopathology; in previous eras and still, in modern-day society, the idea and validity of the occurrence of dissociative identities, inside a single person, has caused much debate and conflict between mental health care specialists (Traub, 2009). It produces an extraordinary combination of both approval and refutation in the scientific world. Starting with approval, DID is a formally documented diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM; APA, 2013) in addition to the International Classification of Diseases. Furthermore, the study of DID yields a mild but stable output of publications supporting cases of the disorder in nations all...
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...The Many Faces of Dissociative Identity Disorder Abstract This research paper aims to explore the mental disease known as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously known as multiple personality disorder. I explore the meaning, symptoms, and effects of DID. My research describes those diagnosed with DID and the probable reasons of why they have the disorder. This study also explains the many different treatments and the effects those treatments might have on a person that has the disorder. I include a research study done on someone diagnosed with DID, the method used to help treat her, and the results of her treatment. Lastly, I state my opinion on DID and the methods I believe with help people prevent, treat, and cope with Dissociative Identity Disorder. The Many Faces of Dissociative Identity Disorder Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder, is a mental condition where a person possesses two or more different personalities which may alternate within the individual’s conscious awareness. A person living with DID many have as little as two personalities, referred to as alters, or as many as 100, though the average is about ten. Alters may exhibit differences in speech, behaviors, attitudes, thoughts, and gender orientation. They may even have physical differences, such as allergies, right-or-left handedness, or the need for eyeglass prescriptions. At least two of these personalities assert themselves repeatedly to...
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...will determine whether or not a person can be judged insane by a court. To define behavior as abnormal, it must meet the following standards. 1. Distressful – It is upsetting for self and others. 2. Dysfunctional – It is maladaptive, inhibits personal goals or ability to function on own. 3. Dangerous – Potentially to self or others. 4. Deviant – Is not tolerated by cultural norms and/or is statistically odd, keeping in mind context of behavior. (Religious practice gets a pass.) 5. *Duration – Behaviors, Affects and/or Cognitions are persistent regardless of circumstance over time. 6. *Detachment – Person holds beliefs or acts in ways that do not correspond to reality. (Religious practice gets a pass.) TYPES OF RESEARCH- One and two apply only to the social sciences, whereas three, four and five apply to both natural and social sciences, with exception to history, which relies solely on case studies and archaeological based observations. In this case though, I’m only talking how these methods are used for psychology. 1. CASE STUDIES- A detailed account of a subject’s personal history that can be used to draw conclusions based on availability. While specific and possibly accurate to an individual, case studies lack internal and external validity (The confounding factors cannot be...
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