NR 607 Week 6 Discussion Initial Post
Explain how trauma is related to the development of dissociative and somatic symptom and
related disorders.
Dissociative and somatic symptom related disorders are complex mental health disorders that
exhibit diverse psychiatric symptoms and are more common than most people think. In general,
most laypersons think that dissociative state symptoms, somatic symptoms, and dissociative
disorders (DD) are rare, when in fact, they are more prevalent than schizophrenia and bipolar II
disorders, affecting 1-1.5% of the general population (Bistas & Grewal, 2024). It is thought that
childhood traumas including mental, physical, and sexual abuse, emotional neglect, disrupted
attachment, lack of social and familial support, and boundary violations are some of the several
etiological factors that contribute to the development of DD (Bistas & Grewal, 2024). Traumas
stemming from familial, societal, and cultural sources play a significant role in shaping the
development and phenomenology of these disorders, especially when severe long-term abuse
occurs in childhood (Bistas & Grewal, 2024). Research using neuroimaging studies with
fMRI/MRI technologies has underscored the neuroanatomical links between DD and trauma
(Boyer et al., 2022). There are intriguing structural and functional changes in the brains of
individuals with DD that are similar to those observed in individuals with PTSD, further
strengthening the belief that complex trauma literally changes the way trauma survivors respond
to stress throughout their lives, survivors often continuing to experience dissociation and somatic
symptoms long after the trauma has ended (Bistas & Grewal, 2024). Dissociation, which can be
defined as disconnections between thoughts, feelings, behaviors, sensations, and other mental
processes that would normally be connected, is a natural human phenomenon, and can be as
benign as daydreaming during a boring class lecture or as damaging and problematic as the
experience of rape survivors who ‘check out’ during the assaults and then dissociate
automatically in response to any unwanted stressors in their life (Boyer et al., 2022).
Dissociation is perceived to be a protective mechanism triggered by profound trauma; the
dissociative tendencies develop as a coping mechanism to navigate the ongoing trauma that a
child is unable to escape from on their own. Studies have shown a robust correlation between
repeated childhood trauma and dissociation, which can serve as a psychic escape in the face of
overwhelming trauma when there is no chance of physical escape (Bistas & Grewal, 2024). It is
thought that when children are subjected to repeated traumas and are unable to “help
themselves,” due to being a child without resources, dissociation serves as a survival strategy,
shielding the young mind from the overwhelming emotional and psychological repercussions of
trauma (Bistas & Grewal, 2024).
As a defense mechanism, dissociation involves compartmentalization, emotional numbing,
detachment from traumatic experiences and amnesia or memory gaps (Bistas & Grewal, 2024).
While dissociation offers short-term benefits to survive trauma, when it persists and becomes a
rigid and automatic response to stress, dissociation can disrupt the normal integration of
consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, body representation, motor control, and
social behavior (Boyer et al., 2022). While the dissociation may have been a protective
adaptation for trauma survivors during the traumatic experiences, severe persisting dissociative
, and somatic symptoms can interfere with all aspects of functioning and bring increased health
and social risks including chronic pain, somatic symptoms, psychogenic seizures, and a
decreased ability to process cues of danger and discern threatening situations (Boyer et al.,
2022).
Experts in the field propose that DD arises from the traumatized children’s inability to form a
cohesive sense of self, leading to development of dissociative and somatic symptoms and in the
case of prolonged and intense trauma, dissociative identity disorder (DID), considered the most
severe form of childhood- onset PTSD (Bistas & Grewal, 2024).
Even the physical location of DD in the DSM-5-TR shows how the complex developmental
condition of DD arises from post-traumatic experiences: It is strategically positioned after the
chapter on trauma and stressor-related disorders, such as PTSD, acknowledging the strong
causation link between the DD spectrum and psychological trauma (Bistas & Grewal, 2024).
Interestingly, the vast majority of people diagnosed with DDs also experience comorbid PTSD
(Bistas & Grewal, 2024).
Describe how clients with dissociative disorders are represented in the media. What role
does media portrayal play in the public’s perceptions of these disorders? What role does
media portrayal play in mental health providers’ perceptions of these disorders?
Dissociative disorders (DD), including its most severe form, dissociative identity disorder (DID;
formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder) have been a subject of fascination in popular
media for decades (Poliakova, 2024). Unfortunately, the condition has traditionally been
sensationalized in the media and clients with DD are usually portrayed as insane, violent,
dangerous, and unpredictable villains (The Mighty, 2020). Starting with the “Three Faces of
Eve” in 1957, followed by “Sybil” in 1976, “Fight Club” in 1999, “American Psycho” in 2000,
and most recently M. Shyamalan’s gross parody of DD in 2017 titled, “Split,” in which the main
character has 23 distinct personalities that are violent, destructive and even cannibalistic
(Poliakova, 2024). Designed to prey on ignorance and fear, the movie goes as far as to give the
character with DD the ability to change physical characteristics with each personality,
accomplish superhuman feats, and is impenetrable to bullets—which could not be a more
harmful misrepresentation of the true mental illnesses defined by DD (Poliakova, 2024).
Dissociative disorders have been grossly misrepresented in the media which has led to increased
stigmatization and hinderance of public understanding of these clients in real life (Poliakova,
2024). The horror films’ distortion of the truth has significantly impacted the public’s perception
of these disorders and has created waves of revulsion, hatred, mistrust and fear surrounding those
with DD and has caused those experiencing dissociative symptoms to hide their symptoms,
living in invisibility with constant fear of being discovered and targeted with prejudice and
discrimination (The Mighty, 2020).
The unhealthy and inaccurate media portrayal of those with DD has had a negative impact on
mental health providers’ perceptions of these disorders as well. Many providers and academics
have come to dismiss DD clients as “delusional” and even ridicule the very existence of the
Explain how trauma is related to the development of dissociative and somatic symptom and
related disorders.
Dissociative and somatic symptom related disorders are complex mental health disorders that
exhibit diverse psychiatric symptoms and are more common than most people think. In general,
most laypersons think that dissociative state symptoms, somatic symptoms, and dissociative
disorders (DD) are rare, when in fact, they are more prevalent than schizophrenia and bipolar II
disorders, affecting 1-1.5% of the general population (Bistas & Grewal, 2024). It is thought that
childhood traumas including mental, physical, and sexual abuse, emotional neglect, disrupted
attachment, lack of social and familial support, and boundary violations are some of the several
etiological factors that contribute to the development of DD (Bistas & Grewal, 2024). Traumas
stemming from familial, societal, and cultural sources play a significant role in shaping the
development and phenomenology of these disorders, especially when severe long-term abuse
occurs in childhood (Bistas & Grewal, 2024). Research using neuroimaging studies with
fMRI/MRI technologies has underscored the neuroanatomical links between DD and trauma
(Boyer et al., 2022). There are intriguing structural and functional changes in the brains of
individuals with DD that are similar to those observed in individuals with PTSD, further
strengthening the belief that complex trauma literally changes the way trauma survivors respond
to stress throughout their lives, survivors often continuing to experience dissociation and somatic
symptoms long after the trauma has ended (Bistas & Grewal, 2024). Dissociation, which can be
defined as disconnections between thoughts, feelings, behaviors, sensations, and other mental
processes that would normally be connected, is a natural human phenomenon, and can be as
benign as daydreaming during a boring class lecture or as damaging and problematic as the
experience of rape survivors who ‘check out’ during the assaults and then dissociate
automatically in response to any unwanted stressors in their life (Boyer et al., 2022).
Dissociation is perceived to be a protective mechanism triggered by profound trauma; the
dissociative tendencies develop as a coping mechanism to navigate the ongoing trauma that a
child is unable to escape from on their own. Studies have shown a robust correlation between
repeated childhood trauma and dissociation, which can serve as a psychic escape in the face of
overwhelming trauma when there is no chance of physical escape (Bistas & Grewal, 2024). It is
thought that when children are subjected to repeated traumas and are unable to “help
themselves,” due to being a child without resources, dissociation serves as a survival strategy,
shielding the young mind from the overwhelming emotional and psychological repercussions of
trauma (Bistas & Grewal, 2024).
As a defense mechanism, dissociation involves compartmentalization, emotional numbing,
detachment from traumatic experiences and amnesia or memory gaps (Bistas & Grewal, 2024).
While dissociation offers short-term benefits to survive trauma, when it persists and becomes a
rigid and automatic response to stress, dissociation can disrupt the normal integration of
consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, body representation, motor control, and
social behavior (Boyer et al., 2022). While the dissociation may have been a protective
adaptation for trauma survivors during the traumatic experiences, severe persisting dissociative
, and somatic symptoms can interfere with all aspects of functioning and bring increased health
and social risks including chronic pain, somatic symptoms, psychogenic seizures, and a
decreased ability to process cues of danger and discern threatening situations (Boyer et al.,
2022).
Experts in the field propose that DD arises from the traumatized children’s inability to form a
cohesive sense of self, leading to development of dissociative and somatic symptoms and in the
case of prolonged and intense trauma, dissociative identity disorder (DID), considered the most
severe form of childhood- onset PTSD (Bistas & Grewal, 2024).
Even the physical location of DD in the DSM-5-TR shows how the complex developmental
condition of DD arises from post-traumatic experiences: It is strategically positioned after the
chapter on trauma and stressor-related disorders, such as PTSD, acknowledging the strong
causation link between the DD spectrum and psychological trauma (Bistas & Grewal, 2024).
Interestingly, the vast majority of people diagnosed with DDs also experience comorbid PTSD
(Bistas & Grewal, 2024).
Describe how clients with dissociative disorders are represented in the media. What role
does media portrayal play in the public’s perceptions of these disorders? What role does
media portrayal play in mental health providers’ perceptions of these disorders?
Dissociative disorders (DD), including its most severe form, dissociative identity disorder (DID;
formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder) have been a subject of fascination in popular
media for decades (Poliakova, 2024). Unfortunately, the condition has traditionally been
sensationalized in the media and clients with DD are usually portrayed as insane, violent,
dangerous, and unpredictable villains (The Mighty, 2020). Starting with the “Three Faces of
Eve” in 1957, followed by “Sybil” in 1976, “Fight Club” in 1999, “American Psycho” in 2000,
and most recently M. Shyamalan’s gross parody of DD in 2017 titled, “Split,” in which the main
character has 23 distinct personalities that are violent, destructive and even cannibalistic
(Poliakova, 2024). Designed to prey on ignorance and fear, the movie goes as far as to give the
character with DD the ability to change physical characteristics with each personality,
accomplish superhuman feats, and is impenetrable to bullets—which could not be a more
harmful misrepresentation of the true mental illnesses defined by DD (Poliakova, 2024).
Dissociative disorders have been grossly misrepresented in the media which has led to increased
stigmatization and hinderance of public understanding of these clients in real life (Poliakova,
2024). The horror films’ distortion of the truth has significantly impacted the public’s perception
of these disorders and has created waves of revulsion, hatred, mistrust and fear surrounding those
with DD and has caused those experiencing dissociative symptoms to hide their symptoms,
living in invisibility with constant fear of being discovered and targeted with prejudice and
discrimination (The Mighty, 2020).
The unhealthy and inaccurate media portrayal of those with DD has had a negative impact on
mental health providers’ perceptions of these disorders as well. Many providers and academics
have come to dismiss DD clients as “delusional” and even ridicule the very existence of the
