Dissociative Vs Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a disorder that is characterized by a broken thought process and poor emotional responses. Typical symptoms of this disorder include delusions, paranoia, hallucinations, social dysfunctions,

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder often characterized by abnormal social behaviour and failure to recognize what is real. Common symptoms include false beliefs, unclear or confused thinking, auditory hallucinations, reduced social engagement and emotional expression, and inactivity. A person with schizophrenia often hears voices, experiences delusions and hallucinations and may believe thoughts, feelings and actions are controlled or shared by someone else.

Dissociative identity disorder is a condition of mystery that is not clearly understood because of its way of presenting in a patient. In this research article there will be in depth analysis of the condition that is so publically recognized by Hollywood but at times ignored by medical professionals. There will analysis of demographics and who is affected more; male or female will also be looked at closely. There will also be a review of what factors predispose individuals to Dissociative Identity Disorder, and how it is diagnosed. There will also be information of how the disorder is treated via therapy and medication. The usual signs and symptoms will also be discussed and

Additional, inferences about the disorder are provided by Whitcomb and Merrell (2013). The authors characterize the symptoms of schizophrenia as delusions that are “typically bizarre and implausible” and pronounced hallucinations such as hearing voices for long periods of time (p. 363). Additional, impairments noted by the authors include “severe disturbances in perception, thought and affect, a severe decline in personal and social functioning, poor personal hygiene, inability to function effectively at school or work, and a severe impairment in social relationships” (Whitcomb and Merrell, 2013 p.363).

Schizophrenia is the most commonly diagnosed psychotic disorder (Steel, 2012), affecting 1 out of every 100 hundred people on average (Taurier & Wykes, 2004). Symptoms of the disorder include positive symptoms, which are auditory and visual hallucinations, as well as disordered patterns of thought such as delusions (Taurier & Wykes, 2004). Auditory hallucinations are the most common positive symptom, and often come in the form of voices (Steel, 2012). Delusions, which are the most common symptom of schizophrenia, involve a false belief that exists despite evidence being available that suggests otherwise (Steel, 2012).

The distinctive characteristic of schizophrenia are disruptions in perception, language, and thinking. Psychotic symptoms include delusions and hallucinations. Delusions are strange or false beliefs that a person has even when they are shown that their beliefs are not

In the early 1900’s, Eugen Bleuler coined the term “schizophrenia.” Schizophrenia is from the Greek roots “schizo” meaning split and “phrene” meaning mind. This specific mental illness is commonly characterized by hallucinations, delusions, and very unresponsive emotional behavior. Delusions are most commonly those of grandeur, persecution, and reference. Delusions of grandeur are characterized by the belief that you have special powers you do not possess. The belief everyone is after you is what makes up delusions of persecution. Lastly, the belief that everyone is talking about you and everything pertains to you is what delusions of reference are characterized by. In addition, the patient often suffers from

Generally speaking, Americans tend to believe that disassociative identity disorder (formally known as multiple personality disorder) and schizophrenia are synonymous with one another; they are completely separate mental disorders with different symptoms. People struggling with schizophrenia experience symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, and impaired motor function; none of these symptoms are mimicked in D.I.D. Psychologists believe that the confusion stems from the title “schizophrenia” which translates literally to

Schizophrenia is a very interesting disorder that some people have to live with through out their lives. Dissociative identity disorder can also make a person suffering from it very hard to understand. Furthermore, both schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder have been made famous by movies that have featured them as the main plot in their characters and have been falsely presented on screen. Both disorders have major challenges for the individuals suffering from them but with proper scientific studies both can be understood and

The opposing side of Dissociative Identity Disorder claims DID is not a real condition and should be taken out of DSM-V for reasons concerning patients faking their symptoms, patients misdiagnosed and the treatments used on them. The first evidence used to show DID is not a real condition says patients diagnosed are faking their symptoms. David H. Gleaves of Texas University, author of The Sociocognitive Model of Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Reexamination of the Evidence, claims, “Individuals who are diagnosed as having DID are generally attention seeking and it is obvious in the clinical presentation” (43). The opposition believes patients may want to fake their symptoms for a diagnosis to avoid being identified as insane by others around them. It has been said DID symptoms are easily recognized, but patients diagnosed may show symptoms that are difficult to follow. Inexperienced clinicians still diagnose these patients as having Dissociative Identity Disorder. Inexperienced clinicians may also not recognize that some of these symptoms are linked to other disorders that they may be less familiar with. “Dissociative symptoms have been found to discriminate patients with DID from those with a variety of other disorders, including schizophrenia, eating disorders, panic disorder, borderline personality disorder, partial complex seizures, and simple posttraumatic stress disorder” (Gleaves 44). Dissociative Identity Disorder is a disorder that doctors can diagnose patients with if they are unsure what else this could be. This can be unbeneficial to the patients who are misdiagnosed because they are not actually receiving the correct treatment they need for the condition. Gleaves also states the treatment of Dissociative Identity Disorder can create or worsen the disorder by clinicians putting thoughts into the patient’s head.

Dissociative identity disorder and schizophrenia are often confused and perceived as the same thing, but they are not. Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that separates the relation and interaction of thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. People with schizophrenia often think they live in their own world split from reality. While schizophrenia deals with a split in the processes of the mind, dissociative identity disorder deals with two or more separate identities that both try to control a person's behavior. People with dissociative identity disorder can sometimes be seen as outgoing and flirty at one moment and then angry and secluded the next. Dissociative identity disorder was formerly known as multiple personality disorder.

Schizophrenia is described by abnormalities in an individual’s perception and expression of reality (Comer, 357). This abnormal perception and expression significantly interferes with normal daily living and functioning (Comer, 357). Thus, it is classified as a mental illness. Furthermore, it is a mental illness where the individual loses touch with reality-psychosis (NIHM). Schizophrenia and the psychosis state is characterized by 1) delusions (fixed false beliefs), 2) hallucinations (auditory and, or visual), 3) disorganized speech, 4) or catatonic speech and or behavior, 5) disorganized or catatonic behavior, and 6) negative symptoms (DSM-5; Comer, 360), In DSM-V, two of these five symptoms are required AND at least one symptom must be

Schizophrenia is characterized by a set of criteria that must be met: Category A: 1.delusions or fixed beliefs for example: Elyn often times had persecutory delusions that caused her to believe that people across the street were looking at her, and they wanted to hurt her.” (Saks, 92) 2.hallucinations or altered sensory perceptions for example: Elyn would hear voices that would tell her that it’s wrong to talk, that she is a nobody, a

Schizophrenia has many criteria that is associated with it and it involves many different types of symptoms such as: First, Delusion which involves a disturbance in the content of thought, it occurs in more than 90% of patients at some time during their illness (Cutting,1995). They are numerous types of delusion which associates with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

Roy Blunt, American politician, once said, “People with mental health problems are almost never dangerous. In fact, they are more likely to be the victims than the perpetrators. At the same time, mental illness has been the common denominator in one act of mass violence after another.” There is a misconception that mental disorders such as dissociative identity disorder and schizophrenia are the same. Today’s society often see all mental disorders as one, however, they are very much different. If one was to say someone with multiple personalities is the same as someone who has hallucinations and/or has delusions, they are incorrect, which is why in specific cases such as schizophrenia, the legal term “not guilty due to mental disorder” should be valid.