psychology 101 class, 9wks tasks

Normal and age-related changes in memory. Memory decrements in major and mild neurocognitive disorders differ from those of dissociative amnesia, which are usually as­ sociated with stressful events and are more specific, extensive, and/or complex.

Comorbidity As dissociative anmesia begins to remit, a wide variety of affective phenomena may sur­ face: dysphoria, grief, rage, shame, guilt, psychological conflict and turmoil, and suicidal and homicidal ideation, impulses, and acts. These individuals may have symptoms that then meet diagnostic criteria for persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia); major de­ pressive disorder; other specified or unspecified depressive disorder; adjustment disor­ der, with depressed mood; or adjustment disorder, with mixed disturbance of emotions and conduct. Many individuals with dissociative amnesia develop PTSD at some point during their life, especially when the traumatic antecedents of their amnesia are brought into conscious awareness.

Many individuals with dissociative amnesia have symptoms that meet diagnostic cri­ teria for a comorbid somatic symptom or related disorder (and vice versa), including so­ matic symptom disorder and conversion disorder (functional neurological symptom disorder). Many individuals with dissociative amnesia have symptoms that meet diagnos­ tic criteria for a personality disorder, especially dependent, avoidant, and borderline.

Depersonalization/Dereallzation Disorder Diagnostic Criteria 300.6 (F48.1)

A. The presence of persistent or recurrent experiences of depersonalization, derealiza­ tion, or both: 1. Depersonalization: Experiences of unreality, detachment, or being an outside ob­

server with respect to one’s thoughts, feelings, sensations, body, or actions (e.g., perceptual alterations, distorted sense of time, unreal or absent self, emotional and/ or physical numbing).

2. Derealization: Experiences of unreality or detachment with respect to surround­ ings (e.g., individuals or objects are experienced as unreal, dreamlike, foggy, life­ less, or visually distorted).

B. During the depersonalization or derealization experiences, reality testing remains intact. C. The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupa­

tional, or other important areas of functioning. D. The disturbance is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a

drug of abuse, medication) or another medical condition (e.g., seizures). E. The disturbance is not better explained by another mental disorder, such as schizo­

phrenia, panic disorder, major depressive disorder, acute stress disorder, posttrau­ matic stress disorder, or another dissociative disorder.

Diagnostic Features The essential features of depersonalization/derealization disorder are persistent or recur­ rent episodes of depersonalization, derealization, or both. Episodes of depersonalization are characterized by a feeling of unreality or detachment from, or unfamiliarity with, one's whole self or from aspects of the self (Criterion A l). The individual may feel detached from his or her entire being (e.g., "I am no one," "I have no self"). He or she may also feel subjectively detached from aspects of the self, including feelings (e.g., hypoemotionality: