The 8 Differences Between Psychotic And Dissociative Disorders
Do you know what the main characteristics of psychotic disorders are? And the dissociative ones? In this article, in addition to answering this, we will learn The main differences between psychotic and dissociative disorders
As we will see, these are two completely different types of mental disorders, and we will verify this based on their characterization and the development of their corresponding differences.
Psychotic and dissociative disorders: what are they like?
Before delving into the differences between psychotic and dissociative disorders, let’s see what each of them consists of (and what they are).
1. Psychotic disorders
Psychotic disorders are a type of serious mental disorder, in which strange or abnormal ideas and perceptions appear. There is also usually a loss of contact with reality; The psychotic symptoms “par excellence” are hallucinations and delusions, although there are more
The DSM-5 (Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) includes the following psychotic disorders:
2. Dissociative disorders
For their part, dissociative disorders are those in which there is a loss of the integrative functions of memory, identity, perception, motor functions, or consciousness
Its characteristic symptom is an alteration in the organization or structure of mental content (not so much an alteration of the content itself). Thus, there is a disconnection and a lack of continuity between memories, thoughts, actions, identity…
It is worth mentioning that dissociative phenomena do not always have to be pathological ; There are dissociative phenomena that are not.
In the DSM-5 we find the following dissociative disorders:
The most important differences between psychotic and dissociative disorders
In this article we have collected the 8 main differences between psychotic and dissociative disorders, although there are more.
1. Main symptoms
The first difference between psychotic and dissociative disorders is their symptoms; As we have seen, these are two independent and differentiated types of disorders, each with its own characteristics.
In psychotic disorders the main problem is one or more psychotic symptoms that involve a distorted perception of the present (hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking…); On the other hand, in dissociative disorders, there are no psychotic symptoms, but rather its main symptom is a discontinuity (or interruption) between our identity, our memory, our behavior, etc.
So, as we see, the main symptoms in both disorders are totally different.
2. Nature of the symptoms
The nature of the symptoms is also diverse. Thus, psychotic disorders involve the appearance of one or more (psychotic) symptoms, establishing an incongruence between what the senses capture and what consciousness perceives; instead, In dissociative disorders, there is the loss of a function (memory, identity…) that functions in a limited way
3. Contact with reality/awareness of the disorder
Another difference between psychotic and dissociative disorders has to do with contact with reality.
In psychotic disorders (for example schizophrenia) there is usually a loss of contact with immediate reality ; However, in dissociative disorders it is not.
Furthermore, in psychotic disorders it is more common for the person to be unaware of their condition; instead, In dissociative disorders, people are often aware of their “losses” For example, this is clearly seen in dissociative amnesia, where significant autobiographical memory loss occurs.
In psychotic disorders Cognitive disorders or alterations may appear (and they frequently do) which usually affect attention, memory, decision-making, planning… These symptoms appear, above all, in advanced phases of the disorder (especially in schizophrenia).
On the other hand, in dissociative disorders these symptoms are not characteristic (except for the memory loss that occurs in dissociative amnesia or dissociative fugue, although it would be of a different nature).
5. Duration
We must be cautious in this aspect, since there are different disorders within psychotics and within dissociative disorders, and each one has its own characteristics. However, the truth is that we can say that duration is another difference between psychotic and dissociative disorders.
In general, psychotic disorders tend to last longer (some are even chronic disorders), and on the other hand, dissociative disorders usually have a beginning and an end, that is, a shorter duration, limited in time (days, months…). Furthermore, in the case of non-chronic psychotic disorders (for example, brief psychotic disorder), their duration is usually longer than the duration of dissociative disorders.
But let’s give examples. In the case of psychotic disorders, Let’s think about schizophrenia; this is chronic If we think, however, of substance-induced psychotic disorders, these are temporary and therefore their duration is shorter (also schizophreniform disorder, which lasts between one month and six months).
In the case of dissociative disorders, let’s think about dissociative fugue or dissociative (psychogenic) amnesia; Both disorders usually last between hours and months (more hours than months).
6. Degree of incapacitation
Another difference between psychotic and dissociative disorders is their degree of interference in daily life or the incapacitation it produces (remember that we always speak at a general level, and that each disorder should always be analyzed specifically). Normally, psychotic disorders tend to be more disabling than dissociative disorders
The exact prevalence of psychotic disorders in general is not known, but it is We know its prevalence in the case of schizophrenia (0.3-0-7% of the population, according to the DSM-5) or schizoaffective disorder (0.3% according to DSM-5).
For its part, It is estimated that dissociation occurs in 2-3% of the general population while dissociative disorders themselves, according to some studies (Loewenstein, 1994) have a prevalence of 10% in the population.
8. Causes
Another difference between psychotic and dissociative disorders has to do with their causes.
The causes of psychotic disorders are usually multifactorial (less so in those induced by substances or other medical conditions). Thus, social, biological and environmental factors are combined in its etiology, although it is worth highlighting the hereditary factor in psychotic disorders (especially in schizophrenia, where it is known that monozygotic twins have a 48% probability of both suffering from it).
In the case of dissociative disorders, we also find multifactorial causes, although it is true that psychological traumas are usually at their basis frequently (sexual or physical abuse in childhood, witnessing or experiencing an accident, events where death is witnessed, etc.).
Psychotic disorders usually appear, rather than as a result of a trauma, as a result of a highly stressful period, which is added to other etiological factors (biological or personal vulnerability, biological inheritance…). On the other hand, dissociative disorders usually appear as a result of a trauma or a situation that the person feels is highly threatening or dangerous for them.
