Dissociative Disorders: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment Guide
Updated: 2 days ago
Medically reviewed by Dr. Baraa Alnahhal, MD · Last reviewed: September 2026
TL;DR
Dissociative disorders are mental health conditions where a person loses connection between thoughts, memories, feelings, surroundings, and identity. They usually develop as a coping response to trauma, most often long-term abuse in childhood. The three main types are depersonalization/derealization disorder, dissociative amnesia, and dissociative identity disorder. The main treatment is talk therapy with a trauma-trained professional, sometimes supported by medicine for anxiety, depression, or related symptoms. With treatment, many people learn better coping skills and their lives improve.
Quick Answer
What is a dissociative disorder? A mental health condition involving a loss of connection between thoughts, memories, feelings, surroundings, behavior, and identity, often as an unwanted escape from reality that causes problems in everyday life.
Why does it happen? It usually starts as a way to cope with shocking, distressing, or painful events, most often long-term physical, sexual, or emotional abuse in childhood.
What are the three main types? Depersonalization/derealization disorder, dissociative amnesia, and dissociative identity disorder (formerly called multiple personality disorder).
What does treatment look like? Talk therapy (psychotherapy) with a trauma-trained therapist is the main treatment. Doctors may also prescribe antidepressants, anti-anxiety, or antipsychotic medicines to help with related symptoms.
Can people recover? Treatment can be difficult, but many people learn new ways of coping and their lives get better over time.
What is a dissociative disorder?
Dissociative disorders are mental health conditions that involve a loss of connection between thoughts, memories, feelings, surroundings, behavior, and identity. These conditions include an escape from reality that is not wanted and not healthy, which causes problems in managing everyday life.
They usually arise as a reaction to shocking, distressing, or painful events and help push away difficult memories. Symptoms depend in part on the type of disorder and can range from memory loss to disconnected identities. Times of stress can worsen symptoms for a while, making them easier to see.
Treatment may include talk therapy, also called psychotherapy, and medicine. Treating dissociative disorders can be difficult, but many people learn new ways of coping and their lives get better.
Dissociative disorder symptoms: what to watch for
Symptoms depend on the type of disorder, but they may include a sense of being separated from yourself and your emotions, or thinking that people and things around you are distorted and not real. Other signs include a blurred sense of your own identity, severe stress or problems in relationships, work, or other important areas of life, and difficulty coping with emotional or work-related stress.
Some people experience memory loss, also called amnesia, of certain time periods, events, people, and personal information. Dissociative disorders can also bring other mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
The three main types of dissociative disorders
The American Psychiatric Association defines three major dissociative disorders: depersonalization/derealization disorder, dissociative amnesia, and dissociative identity disorder. The list below compares them at a glance.
Depersonalization/derealization disorder — Core experience: Feeling outside yourself, or feeling the world is foggy, dreamlike, or unreal; How long it lasts: Hours, days, weeks, or months; can come and go over years or become ongoing
Dissociative amnesia — Core experience: Memory loss more severe than normal forgetfulness, not explained by a medical condition; How long it lasts: A bout starts suddenly and may last minutes, hours, or rarely months or years
Dissociative identity disorder — Core experience: "Switching" to other identities, with gaps in memory between them; How long it lasts: Usually long term, with repeated switches over time
Depersonalization/derealization disorder
Depersonalization involves a sense of separation from yourself, or feeling like you are outside of yourself. You may feel as if you are seeing your actions, feelings, thoughts, and self from a distance, like watching a movie.
Derealization involves feeling that other people and things are separate from you and seem foggy or dreamlike. Time may seem to slow down or speed up, and the world may seem unreal.
You may go through depersonalization, derealization, or both. These symptoms, which can be very distressing, may last hours, days, weeks, or months. They may come and go over many years, or they may become ongoing.
Dissociative amnesia
The main symptom of dissociative amnesia is memory loss that is more severe than usual forgetfulness, and the loss cannot be explained by a medical condition. You cannot recall information about yourself or events and people in your life, especially from a time when you felt shock, distress, or pain.
A bout of dissociative amnesia usually occurs suddenly. It may last minutes or hours, or rarely months or years. It can be specific to events in a certain time, such as intense combat. More rarely, it can involve a complete loss of memory about yourself.
Dissociative amnesia sometimes involves travel or confused wandering away from your life. This confused wandering is called dissociative fugue.
Dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder, involves "switching" to other identities. You may feel as if you have two or more people talking or living inside your head, or feel like you are possessed by other identities.
Each identity may have a unique name, personal history, and features. These identities sometimes include differences in voice, gender, mannerisms, and even physical qualities such as the need for eyeglasses. There are also differences in how familiar each identity is with the others.
This disorder usually also includes bouts of amnesia and often includes times of confused wandering.
What causes dissociative disorders?
Dissociative disorders usually start as a way to cope with shocking, distressing, or painful events. The disorders most often form in children who go through long-term physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Less often, they form in children who lived in frightening homes or never knew what to expect. The stress of war or natural disasters can also bring on dissociative disorders.
When you go through an event that is too much to handle emotionally, you may feel like you are stepping outside of yourself and seeing the event as if it were happening to another person. Mentally escaping in this way may help you get through a shocking, distressing, or painful time.
Long-term physical, sexual, or emotional abuse in childhood: The greatest risk factor; repeated overwhelming stress shapes the mind's coping response
Living in a frightening or unpredictable home: Constant fear can trigger the same escape response over time
War or natural disasters: Extreme stress can trigger dissociative coping at any age
Kidnapping or torture: Severe, inescapable trauma overwhelms normal coping
Extensive early-life medical procedures: Repeated painful experiences in early childhood can have a similar effect
Possible complications
Having a dissociative disorder increases the risk of complications and other mental health conditions. These may include depression and anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and sleep disorders such as nightmares, insomnia, and sleepwalking.
Some people develop physical symptoms such as lightheadedness or seizures that are not due to epilepsy. Other possible complications include eating disorders, problems with sexual function, problems with alcohol and drug use, and personality disorders. Relationships, school, and work can suffer, and some people develop self-injury, high-risk behavior, or suicidal thoughts and behavior.
When to see a doctor
Sometimes dissociative disorder symptoms occur in a crisis with severe or impulsive behavior. People with these symptoms need care more urgently, in a hospital emergency department, when safety becomes a concern.
If you or a loved one has less urgent symptoms that may be a dissociative disorder, contact your doctor or another health care professional for help.
If you have thoughts of hurting yourself or someone else, call 911 or your local emergency number right away, or go to an emergency department. In the U.S., you can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline any time, day or night, or use the chat at 988lifeline.org. The service is free and confidential. U.S. veterans and service members can call 988 and press 1, or text 838255. A Spanish-language line is also available at 1-888-628-9454.
How dissociative disorders are diagnosed
Diagnosis usually involves talking about your symptoms and ruling out any medical condition that could be causing them. Testing and diagnosis often include a referral to a mental health professional, who makes the diagnosis.
The first step is often a physical exam. Your health care professional examines you, talks about your symptoms, and reviews your personal history. Certain tests may rule out physical conditions that can cause symptoms such as memory loss and feeling separate from reality. Examples include head injury, certain brain diseases, severe lack of sleep, and drug or alcohol use.
Next comes a mental health exam. Your mental health professional talks with you about your thoughts, feelings, behavior, and symptoms. With your permission, information from family members or others may also be helpful.
Treatment: talk therapy and medicine
Treatment may vary based on the type of disorder you have. Generally, treatment includes talk therapy and medicine.
Talk therapy, also called psychotherapy, is the main treatment for dissociative disorders. It involves talking about your disorder and related issues with a mental health professional. Look for a therapist with advanced training or experience in working with people who have had trauma.
Your therapist works with you to understand the cause of your condition and helps you develop new ways of coping with stressful situations. Over time, your therapist may help you talk more about the shocking events you went through. This generally happens after you have built a trusting relationship and the coping skills to have these conversations safely.
Medicine plays a supporting role. There are no medicines that specifically treat dissociative disorders, but your doctor may prescribe antidepressants, anti-anxiety medicines, or antipsychotic medicines. These may help with mental health symptoms that are part of dissociative disorders.
Preparing for your appointment
As a first step, your doctor may suggest a health exam to rule out possible physical causes of your symptoms. In some cases, you may be referred right away to a mental health professional. If possible, take a family member or friend along to help you remember information.
Before your appointment, make a list of any symptoms you have, including recent behavior that caused confusion or concern. Note key personal information such as major stresses, recent life changes, and past events that caused physical or emotional problems. If you cannot recall some periods of your life, note the time frame and anything you remember about the period leading up to the memory loss.
Also gather your medical information, including other conditions and all medicines, vitamins, herbs, or supplements with their doses, and write down questions to ask. Useful questions include what is likely causing your symptoms, whether your condition is short term or long term, what treatments are recommended, how much your symptoms can improve, and how progress will be monitored.
Your professional will likely ask about periods of time you do not remember, whether you have ever found yourself far from home or work without knowing how you got there, whether you feel outside your body, and whether you have thoughts of harming yourself or others. They may also ask about military service, alcohol or drug use, and whether you or family members experienced abuse or neglect in childhood.
Prevention and protecting children
Children who are physically, emotionally, or sexually abused are at increased risk of developing mental health conditions such as dissociative disorders. If stress or other personal issues are affecting the way you treat your child, seeking help matters.
Talk to a trusted person such as a friend, your health care professional, or a leader in your faith community. Ask for help finding resources such as parenting support groups and family therapists. Community education programs and faith-based groups often offer parenting classes that can help you learn a healthier parenting style.
If you or your child was abused or went through another shocking, distressing, or painful event, see a doctor or health care professional right away. Your doctor can refer you to a mental health professional who can help you or your child recover and learn healthy coping skills, or you may be able to contact mental health services directly.
Bottom line
Dissociative disorders are more common than many people realize, and they are deeply tied to trauma. They develop when the mind disconnects from memories, feelings, or identity as a way to survive experiences that feel too overwhelming to face. That is why early and sustained trauma exposure, especially in childhood, is the strongest risk factor.
The three types — depersonalization/derealization disorder, dissociative amnesia, and dissociative identity disorder — differ in their main symptoms, but all share the same underlying pattern of disconnection. Complications such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and sleep problems make early help especially important.
Treatment is real and effective, though it takes time. Talk therapy with a trauma-trained professional is the main treatment, with medicine as a possible support for related symptoms. Many people learn new ways of coping, and their lives get better.
Your next step: If you or someone you love has repeated episodes of feeling disconnected, unexplained memory gaps, or sudden switches in identity, do not wait it out. Talk to your doctor or a mental health professional, and if any thoughts of self-harm arise, reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988 in the U.S.) right away.
This article covers information current as of its medical sources dated August 31, 2023 (medical review May 19, 2023). Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment decisions.
FAQ
What does it feel like to dissociate? Dissociation can feel like being separated from yourself and your emotions, watching your own actions from a distance, or feeling that people and things around you are foggy or not real. Time may seem to speed up or slow down, and the world may feel dreamlike.
What triggers dissociative disorders? They usually develop as a coping response to shocking, distressing, or painful events, most often long-term physical, sexual, or emotional abuse in childhood. War, natural disasters, kidnapping, torture, and extensive early-life medical procedures can also trigger them.
Is dissociative amnesia the same as normal forgetfulness? No. Dissociative amnesia is memory loss that is more severe than usual forgetfulness and cannot be explained by a medical condition. It often starts suddenly and can erase information about yourself or people and events from your life, especially from a painful time.
What is the main treatment for dissociative disorders? Talk therapy (psychotherapy) with a trauma-trained mental health professional is the main treatment. Doctors may also prescribe antidepressants, anti-anxiety, or antipsychotic medicines to help with symptoms such as depression and anxiety, since no medicine treats dissociation itself.
Can a person recover from a dissociative disorder? Treatment can be difficult, but many people learn new ways of coping and their lives get better. A therapist helps build trust and coping skills first, and only later works through the traumatic memories in a safe way, which is why patience and consistent care matter.
References
This article was prepared for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
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