- For this assignment, you will create a table or chart which communicates the information below.
- Compare the characteristics of:
- Dissociative Identity Disorders
- Somatic Disorders
- Factitious Disorders
- Include the different treatment options for each of the above disorders.
- Compare the characteristics of:
Dissociative Identity Disorders Characteristics
Here is a table comparing the Dissociative Identity Disorders Characteristics, Somatic Disorders, and Factitious Disorders, along with their treatment options:
| Disorder | Characteristics | Treatment Options |
|---|---|---|
| Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) | – Presence of two or more distinct personality states or identities. – Memory gaps for personal information or events. – Often linked to severe trauma, especially in childhood. – Symptoms can include amnesia, depersonalization, and identity confusion. |
– Psychotherapy: Focuses on integrating the different identities and processing traumatic memories (e.g., trauma-focused therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)). – Medication: Antidepressants or anxiolytics to manage co-occurring symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety). – Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for trauma processing. |
| Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD) | – Excessive focus on physical symptoms (e.g., pain, fatigue) that cause significant distress and impairment. – Symptoms cannot be fully explained by a medical condition. – Patients are highly anxious about their health. |
– Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Helps manage the anxiety and excessive preoccupation with physical symptoms. – Mindfulness-based therapies to reduce stress and improve body awareness. – Medication: Antidepressants, particularly SSRIs, for co-occurring anxiety or depression. |
| Factitious Disorder | – Intentional fabrication of physical or psychological symptoms to assume the sick role, without obvious external rewards (e.g., sympathy). – Can occur with or without external incentives. |
– Psychotherapy: Aimed at understanding underlying motivations for symptom fabrication and addressing emotional needs (CBT, psychodynamic therapy). – Medication: Antidepressants or antipsychotics if there is comorbid depression or other mental health issues. – Medical Management: Involves limiting unnecessary medical interventions while ensuring patient safety. |
This table outlines the key differences between Dissociative Identity Disorder, Somatic Symptom Disorder, and Factitious Disorder, along with the commonly used treatment modalities for each.