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Causes of Dissociative Disorders
The causative factors of Dissociative Disorders have plagued doctors and researchers over a long period. Further, studies are still being conducted to discover the exact mechanism that is responsible for the disorder. The main factor that has been proposed as the cause of Dissociative Disorder is severe stress or psychological trauma. Such stress is commonly associated with a traumatic event, accident, or disaster.
Traumatic events that can contribute to Dissociative Disorders include childhood physical/sexual abuse, interpersonal trauma, kidnapping, natural disasters, torture, invasive medical interventions, rape, wars, and devastating natural disasters. These emotionally traumatic events have an abnormal effect on the memory of the affected person. Such psychologically traumatic incidents result in a state of confusion wherein the affected person experiences an inner conflict about the incident and tends to repress memories of these incidents. These traumatic memories are separated from the conscious thought of the person but may recur or affect the thinking or the brain processes at a later stage in life, resulting in dissociation.
Dissociative Disorders are especially high in children because their personal identity is still in the formative phase. A child may tend to dissociate easily from himself/herself in order to escape from memories of traumatic life experiences.
In the last century, a lot of research was conducted in the field of neurobiology, especially to determine the neurobiological basis for the development of Dissociative Disorders. Several symptoms such as anxiety, irritability, abnormal stress responses, hyper-attention, etc., are better understood today.
In children, trauma, especially sexual abuse, plays a major role in the development of Dissociative Disorders. Studies have demonstrated that children with several Dissociative Disorders may develop certain abnormal changes in the structure and functioning of the brain. The level of certain chemical substances in the brain (neurotransmitters) gets permanently altered, leading to problems in cognition and memory. Newer studies have demonstrated the role of tissues lying beneath the cerebral cortex, which plays a major role in the development of higher functions (subcortical region).
Processes going on in this region may be affected with Developmental Disorders, PTSD, etc. Dissociative Disorders may also be associated with other psychiatric disorders such as Mood Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Major Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and Panic Disorder.
Dissociative Disorders often tend to occur in association with PTSD, but not much research has been conducted in this regard. This is because dissociation is not a prime feature of PTSD, and also because the symptoms of dissociation may be considered to be a form of confusion. However, in PTSD, due to severe, traumatic life experiences, the individual may develop some amount of dissociation or division of personality.
Certain maternal factors, such as presence of Dissociative Disorders in the mother, improper parenting techniques, and history of maternal betrayal, increase the risk of developing Dissociative Disorders.
In Depersonalization Disorder, several factors such as extreme stress, Panic Disorders, drug abuse (especially cannabis or hallucinogens), negative influences, perceived social threats, new environments, etc., may be some of the important aggravating factors. On the other hand, the condition tends to improve with relaxation and a positive relationship with others.