Impulse Control & Addiction Disorders
Impulse Control & Addiction Disorder Medications
Personality Disorder Treatment
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Treatment
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Dissociative disorders are mental health conditions involving disconnections between reality, feelings, memories, thoughts, behaviours, and identity. These disconnections can cause a person to have a difficult time managing life as they may lose touch with reality, have sudden unexplained forgetfulness, or develop multiple identities.
Usually, a dissociative disorder is connected with experiencing past trauma, so it often co-occurs with trauma-related mental health conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), borderline personality disorders, depression or anxiety, or substance use abuse. Individuals with a history of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse may be at an increased risk of developing a dissociative disorder.
Mental health conditions like dissociative disorders are challenging to treat. These mental health conditions should be taken seriously, and appropriate treatment should be pursued. Anyone having thoughts of harming themselves or others should seek emergency care or find a trusted friend or relative to talk with or contact the Suicide and Crisis hotline. Treatments for dissociative disorders include psychotherapy and medications, and many people learn to find a new way to cope with their life and are able to better their lives as a result.
One type of treatment for dissociative disorders is psychotherapy. One type of psychotherapy is talk therapy. This treatment involves talking with a trained and licensed therapist for support, education, and guidance for an individual’s functioning and well-being. Speaking with a therapist can be emotionally challenging at times since it usually explores past painful feelings and experiences.
Learning to talk through these difficulties with a professional can help you master fears and negative thoughts. Hypnotherapy is another type of psychotherapy that can help treat dissociative disorders. This involves guidance from a trained therapist and uses verbal repetition and mental images to help gain a sense of security, well-being, and relaxation, all the while not losing control of their behaviours.
Over time, techniques learned from hypnotherapy can help individuals remain in a calm or relaxed state of mind during moments when they would formerly react with panic attacks and fear.
Dissociative disorders may also be treated with medications. Antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are often prescribed for this disorder. Fluoxetine is an SSRI medication that increases the amount of serotonin in the brain, which as a result, can help with depression and anxiety. Lexapro is another type of SSRI that may commonly be prescribed for a dissociative disorder as it works in a similar way as fluoxetine. Each of these medications should be taken only as ordered by a health care professional as they may have side effects and interactions with other medications.
Anti-anxiety medications such as lorazepam and clonazepam may also help in cases of dissociative disorders. These medications are in the drug class benzodiazepines and work to help calm the brain and body by increasing natural chemicals in your body that help you feel more relaxed and sleepy. Again, it is important to take the medications as ordered by a healthcare professional to limit or avoid negative side effects.
As with all drugs, medications for the treatment of dissociative disorders can have unwanted side effects. Your doctor will monitor for adverse effects of medications and will adjust medications as necessary.
Potential side effects of anti-depressant medications:
Potential side effects of anti-anxiety medications:
Side effects vary depending on the specific medication and dosage. You should communicate with your healthcare professional if you experience any type of side effects while taking prescription medications.