Dissociation
Dissociation (pronounced: dis·so·ci·a·tion /ˌdisōsēˈāSH(ə)n/) is a term used in psychology and psychiatry to describe a wide array of experiences from mild detachment from immediate surroundings to more severe detachment from physical and emotional experiences. The major characteristic of all dissociative phenomena involves a detachment from reality, rather than a loss of reality as in psychosis.
Etymology
The term "dissociation" comes from the Latin "dissociare" which means "to separate". It was first used in the modern psychological sense by the French psychiatrist Pierre Janet in the late 19th century.
Types of Dissociation
There are several forms of dissociation, including:
- Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): This is a severe form of dissociation, a mental process which produces a lack of connection in a person's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity.
- Dissociative Amnesia: This is a type of amnesia that is not due to a medical condition but instead is related to psychological causes.
- Depersonalization Disorder: This involves an ongoing or episodic sense of detachment or being outside oneself, observing one's actions in a third-person perspective.
- Derealization Disorder: This involves a persistent or recurrent feeling of being detached (dissociated) from one’s body or mental processes.
Related Terms
- Psychosis: A severe mental disorder in which thought and emotions are so impaired that contact is lost with external reality.
- Amnesia: A partial or total loss of memory.
- Depersonalization: An anomaly of self-awareness, consisting of a feeling of being detached or disconnected from one's self, with the self being regarded as an "observer" or "object".
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Dissociation
- Wikipedia's article - Dissociation
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