| Dissociative disorders are so-called because they are | | | | from a situation or experience too traumatic to |
| marked by a dissociation from or interruption of a | | | | integrate with his conscious self. |
| person's fundamental aspects of waking | | | | The causes of dissociative identity disorder have not |
| consciousness (such as one's personal identity, one's | | | | been identified, but are theoretically linked with the |
| personal history, etc.). Dissociative disorders come in | | | | interaction of overwhelming stress, insufficient |
| many forms, the most famous of which is | | | | childhood nurturing, and an innate ability to dissociate |
| dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as | | | | memories or experiences from |
| multiple personality disorder). All of the dissociative | | | | consciousness.Prolonged childhood abuse is frequently |
| disorders are thought to stem from trauma | | | | a factor, with a very high percentage of patients |
| experienced by the individual with this disorder. The | | | | reporting documented abuse often confirmed by |
| dissociative aspect is thought to be a coping | | | | objective evidence. |
| mechanism -- the person literally dissociates himself | | | | |