What is dissociative disorders?

4 May 2021

These are mental conditions in which there is no contact with reality, where balance and consistency between behaviors, thoughts, memories, and personality are affected, often endangering the physical integrity of those who suffer from this disconnection, making it difficult for them to continue with their daily activities normally.

Dissociative disorders are the result of a kind of defense mechanism that hides traumatic events, forgetting them or creating an alternate identity. Each person can develop them differently and with less or greater intensity.

In most cases, it arises in children who have been physically and emotionally abused for a long time, have lived through wars, or have been victims of accidents or natural disasters.

There are three types of dissociative disorders:

Dissociative amnesic episodes:
Whose main characteristic is the selective loss of memory about traumatic events.
Dissociative identity or multiple personality:
Its main feature is based on the creation of two or more alternative identities, whose presence is felt in the mind and that express themselves and coexist, taking control of the patient at times. They also frequently suffer from dissociative amnesia.
Depersonalization-derealization:
The main symptom lies in disconnecting from oneself (depersonalization), becoming a spectator of one’s own life, while derealization is a feeling of unreality in situations, which can be very distressing.

Signs and symptoms Dissociative disorders

The symptoms vary depending on the type of dissociative disorders suffered, but the most common consist of:

Selective amnesic episodes of traumatic events, people, or aspects of themselves that they want to forget.
Mental confusion.
Lack of contact with reality.
Emotional and professional stress, as well as the inability to deal with it.
Suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
Confused identity.
Distorted perception of things and people.
Problems in personal, social, and work relationships.
Feeling of being separated from oneself.

Potential risks:

Dissociative disorders can trigger:

Drug addiction and alcoholism.
Injure or mutilate yourself.
Seizures.
Sexual problems
Insomnia and sleepwalking.
Eating disorders.
Personality disorders.
Depression.
Anxiety.
Suicide.

Diagnosis and treatment Dissociative disorders

Once the doctor analyzes your symptoms and clinical history, you will have a physical examination that will include a psychiatric evaluation. They will also perform blood tests, an electroencephalogram, MRI, and computed tomography.

Treatment will depend on the type of dissociative disorder you have, but generally includes medication to control symptoms and psychological therapy, so that a mental health specialist can help you understand the cause of your disorder and how to deal with it.

At the Neurological Center, a select group of highly trained and certified doctors in the various neurological specialties are ready to assist you with the quality and warmth that characterizes us.

Nervous system specialties

Neurology
Neurosurgery
Spine surgery
Pediatric neurosurgery
Neurophysiology
Neuro-rehabilitation
Neuro-pathology
Interventional neuro-radiology
Neuropsychology
Neuro-oncology
Neuro-otology
Epilepsy
Neuro-ophthalmology
Neuroimaging

Related centers and departments Dissociative disorders

Neurology Center
High Specialty Surgery Center
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

piscologiaytrauma.es
pisiquiatria.com
mayocilinic.org
medlineplus.gov
msdmanuals.com
topdoctors.es
medigraphic.com
Aguilar JE. Del trastorno al estado disociativo: Control de las crisis mediante la Cultura. Revista del Hospital Psiquiátrico de La Habana. 2014;11(3):.
Palacios L, Heinze G. Trastorno por estrés postraumático: Una revisión del tema (Primera Parte). Salud Mental. 2002;25(3):19-26.
Robles GR, Garibay RSE, Páez AF. Evaluación de trastornos disociativos en población psiquiátrica mexicana: prevalencia, comorbilidad y características psicométricas de la Escala de Experiencias Disociativas. Salud Mental. 2006;29(2):38-43.
Rascón ML, Caraveo J, Valencia M. Trastornos emocionales, físicos y psiquiátricos en los familiares de pacientes con esquizofrenia en México. Rev Invest Clin. 2010;62(6):509-515.

How can we help you?

The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.

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Comparison of COVID-19 vaccines

Pfizer-
BioNTech

Pfizer-BioNTech

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 95% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

No Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 16 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, malaise, and swollen lymph nodes.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 14 days of having the complete scheme (after the administration of the 2nd dose), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

Moderna

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 94.5% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 28 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 18 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes in the arm in which you received the injection.

Janssen/
Johnson
& Johnson

Janssen/ Johnson & Johnson

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 72.0% in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.
85% in the prevention of severe COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives./strong>

How many doses are needed?
Only one dose in needed.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 28 days of having the complete scheme (the last dose applied), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from 85% serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

AstraZeneca
and
Oxford
University

AstraZeneca and Oxford University

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 82% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 56 days apart (or up to 84 days apart, if necessary).

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, and fever, which were mild to moderate in intensity and disappeared within 48 hours of vaccination.

Sputnik V

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 92% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

What is dissociative disorders?

Signs and symptoms Dissociative disorders

Diagnosis and treatment Dissociative disorders

Related centers and departments Dissociative disorders

Fuentes:

Index

Specialist in Dissociative disorders