What are dissociative disorders?

Dissociative disorder, also known as conversion disorder or hysteria, is a mental disorder of an individual caused by mental reasons. Patients often show dissociative symptoms, that is, they will show some physical symptoms in different forms. These symptoms and characteristics are inconsistent with the physiological and anatomical characteristics of the nervous system. There are many factors that cause this disease, such as psychological factors, social and cultural factors, etc.

Causes of dissociative disorder 1. Psychological factors An individual's experience and reaction to stressful life events are important factors in triggering this disease. Traumatic experiences in childhood may also be an important cause of dissociative conversion disorder in adulthood. Patients with this disease often have some common personality traits, including: suggestibility, histrionics, egocentrism, emotionality, fantasy, etc. 2. Socio-cultural factors: Patients with this disease have a relatively low level of education and most of them live in a closed homologous cultural environment. Therefore, educational level, social culture, and living environment play an important role in the occurrence of separation and conversion disorder. 3. Biological factors The results of genetic studies on separation conversion disorder are inconsistent. Some studies have found a higher prevalence of dissociative conversion disorder in first-degree relatives of patients with the disorder. But some studies have reached the opposite conclusion. Some scholars believe that this disease is a multifactorial genetic disease.

Treatment of dissociative mental disorders For patients with dissociative disorders, relevant necessary examinations should be completed as soon as possible to determine that they have no organic damage, a good doctor-patient alliance should be established during treatment, and treatment should be mainly psychological. 1. Psychotherapy (1) Individual psychotherapy is suitable for almost all patients with dissociative disorders. On the basis of establishing a good doctor-patient alliance, we should understand the patient's personal growth history, family relationships, personality traits, etc., empathize with the patient's emotions, provide certain support, and explore the causes and process of the patient's illness with the patient. We must avoid simply digging into the patient's childhood trauma without providing corresponding empathy and support, which may cause secondary harm to the patient. (2) Suggestive therapy can be used for patients with acute attacks and high suggestibility. At the beginning of treatment, simply explain to the patient that his disease is a temporary neurological dysfunction that will gradually recover or even be cured through the upcoming treatment. Patients with motor and sensory disorders can be treated with 10% intravenous calcium gluconate combined with verbal suggestion. Hypnosis therapy can also be used to put the patient into a hypnotic state, combined with verbal suggestion to achieve the purpose of eliminating symptoms. (3) Systematic desensitization therapy first allows the patient to talk about the mental factors related to the onset of the disease, and then conducts relaxation training on the patient, gradually exposing the patient to the mental factors that induce symptoms. The patient gradually experiences that he can withstand the tension and anxiety brought about by these mental factors without getting sick, and then gradually increases the exposure dose.