Controversy Associated with Dissociative Disorders Essay Paper

The Assignment

  • Explain the controversy that surrounds dissociative disorders.
  • Explain your professional beliefs about dissociative disorders, supporting your rationale with at least three scholarly references from the literature.
  • Explain strategies for maintaining the therapeutic relationship with a client that may present with a dissociative disorder.
  • Finally, explain ethical and legal considerations related to dissociative disorders that you need to bring to your practice and why they are important Controversy Associated with Dissociative Disorders Essay Paper.

ORDER YOUR PAPER HERE

When it comes to dissociative disorders, there has been a great deal of controversy in research, the medical community, and the general public for a prolonged time. When a person has a dissociative disorder, they are no longer connected to their thoughts and feelings and are no longer able to regulate their bodily functions. The manifestation of two or more different personalities or identities is the distinguishing diagnostic hallmark of dissociative disorders.

Controversies Surrounding Dissociative Disorders

Among the most common theories is the idea that dissociation occurs as a result of prolonged contact with extreme stimuli. A controversial aspect of DID, on the other hand, stems from the claim that certain individuals might fabricate or falsify indications of the condition in order to avoid being held accountable for the repercussions of their unlawful activity. Controversy exists as to whether dissociative disorders are the result of psychological traumas or if they are the result of human-induced situations in which contrived trauma recollections are present (Loewenstein, 2018). The fact is that dissociative disorders are serious mental illnesses with significant clinical effects, regardless of the controversy surrounding them.

Professional Beliefs

Despite the controversy associated with dissociative illnesses, the authenticity of those who are most impacted should not be questioned or overlooked. There are some individuals who would intentionally feign their dissociation for their own individual motives, but this kind of conduct ought not to be assumed to be the trend. Because of this, my professional opinion is that dissociative disorders must be treated in a manner consistent with the treatment of any other mental disease. If dissociation is noticed, individuals who appear with clinical manifestations will be given a thorough evaluation and therapy rather than being disregarded as feigning their manifestations (APA, 2013). Dissociation, according to common knowledge, is a coping strategy that is induced by subjection to intense stress. Evidence is mounting to support the posttraumatic model, demonstrating that there is a likely relationship between dissociation and an experience of trauma, with particular brain processes playing a role (Lyssenko et al., 2018)Controversy Associated with Dissociative Disorders Essay Paper. Consequently, trauma and neurological processes serve as the basis for determining and defending the clinical legitimacy of dissociation in multiple configurations.

When it comes to diagnosing dissociation and dissociative disorders, the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria provide an evidence-based approach. It has, however, been challenging, due to a paucity of substantive evidence, to harmonize the divergent viewpoints and reach an agreement. As such, my belief is that scholarly studies will help determine dissociation and dissociative disorders as legitimate diagnoses in the long run. Research into the human mind and thoughts and feelings of dissociation will also help to widen our understanding of them (Lyssenko et al., 2018). In order to meet this objective, more funds must be devoted to studies on dissociation and other dissociative disorders. There is also a pressing need to address traumatic childhood, dissociation, and other aspects of personality dysregulation (Loewenstein et al., 2017).

According to van der Merwe (2018), the merging of these variables will help people get a better grasp on how they interplay at the personal and collective thresholds to influence lives and experiences. In addition, sufficient resources need to be allocated to the education of medical practitioners in the treatment of trauma-related illnesses, particularly dissociative disorders.

Strategies for Maintaining Therapeutic Relationships

Patients with mental diseases benefit tremendously from therapeutic partnerships, which have been shown to improve therapeutic outcomes significantly. Although these interactions are important in dissociative disorders, they have received little attention until now (Lawson et al., 2017). Dissociative illnesses necessitate close therapeutic interactions for two primary reasons: therapy may last for years, and the presence of co-occurring disorders further worsens matters. Consequently, the fundamental approach is to establish a healing atmosphere based on the concepts of understanding, respect, trust, and compassion among those who are being treated. Dissociation is often coupled with a sense of shame and mythology. To debunk misconceptions and overcome stigma, it is vital to create a therapeutic atmosphere, as both have a negative impact on therapeutic effects and must be addressed. Another technique is to encourage participation in the planning and decision-making process for health care services Controversy Associated with Dissociative Disorders Essay Paper.

For the patient and their family to have a thorough grasp of dissociation, past misconceptions and generally held misinformation, teamwork is essential. The last step is to minimize the possibility of treatment partnerships being severed. When it comes to therapeutic partnerships, dissociation may make it difficult to build and maintain them (van der Merwe, 2018). That is why risk assessment and mitigation of interference are critical.

Ethical and Legal Considerations

Psychiatry’s ethical and legal context is profoundly altered by controversies pertaining to dissociative disorders. For example, the concept that some people deceive others into believing they are dissociating poses significant ethical and legal concerns. As per the Tarasoff scenario, an important ethical issue is the clash between the responsibility to caution and the responsibility to safeguard (Ducharme, 2017) Controversy Associated with Dissociative Disorders Essay Paper.

ORDER YOUR PAPER HERE

Safeguarding patients from harm and ensuring that they have full access to treatment are two responsibilities that psychiatric professionals have under professional ethics. These professionals, conversely, have a legal responsibility to safeguard possible victims from danger. A healthcare professional may come into a situation in which a patient suffering from dissociative identity disorder has been perpetrating heinous acts. In this case, the practitioner must decide whether or not to report the patient or guarantee that the patient has healthcare access. Such a case raises issues of justice, nonmaleficence, beneficence, and confidentiality. Because of the unpredictable nature of violence, problems are complicated in psychiatric situations. Performing a full mental examination in order to determine the suicide and homicide risk is a significant difficulty for the psychiatrist. This assessment will help to improve risk reduction and timely treatment efforts Controversy Associated with Dissociative Disorders Essay Paper.

References

American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Author. https://www.amberton.edu/media/Syllabi/Spring%202022/Graduate/CSL6798_E1.pdf

Ducharme, E. L. (2017). Best practices in working with complex trauma and dissociative identity disorder. Practice Innovations, 2(3), 150–161. https://doi.org/10.1037/pri0000050

Lawson, D. M., Stulmaker, H., & Tinsley, K. (2017). Therapeutic alliance, interpersonal relations, and trauma symptoms: Examining a mediation model of women with childhood abuse histories. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 26(8), 861-878. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2017.1331941

Loewenstein, R. J. (2018). Dissociation debates: Everything you know is wrong. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 20(3), 229-242. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2018.20.3/rloewenstein

Lyssenko, L., Schmahl, C., Bockhacker, L., Vonderlin, R., Bohus, M., & Kleindienst, N. (2018). Dissociation in psychiatric disorders: A meta-analysis of studies using the dissociative  experiences scale. American Journal of Psychiatry, 171(1), 37-46. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17010025

van der Merwe, A. (2018). “Dissociating dissociation”*—debates and controversies. In Shattered but Unbroken (pp. 111-132). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429480133-6/dissociating-dissociation-%E2%80%94debates-controversies-amelia-van-der-merwe Controversy Associated with Dissociative Disorders Essay Paper