Medical expert of the article
New publications
Dissociative disorders: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment
Last reviewed: 07.07.2025

All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Everyone experiences periods of loss of integration of memory, sensations, identity, and self-awareness. For example, a person may be driving somewhere and suddenly realize that they do not remember many aspects of the trip because they are preoccupied with personal problems, a radio broadcast, or a conversation with another passenger. Typically, such states, which are considered dissociative, do not interfere with daily activities.
People with dissociative disorder may completely forget a period of time, lasting minutes or hours, and feel that this period has disappeared from their lives. Thus, dissociation disrupts the integrity of self-perception and memories of life events; with poor memory integration, dissociative amnesia is observed. When personal identity is disrupted along with memory impairments, then we can talk about dissociative fugue or dissociative identity disorder. If self-perception and self-awareness are disrupted, then depersonalization disorder is present.
Dissociative disorders are usually associated with extreme stress. Such stress may be caused by a traumatic event or an intolerable internal conflict.