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Dissociation and Dissociative Disorders

Disclaimer:

This publication is based on a Mind UK publication and the original version may be found here: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/a-z-mental-health/

Thank you to Mind UK for sharing their valuable content with us. Content included in Mental Health A-Z is made available free of charge and does not form part of any commercial activity. The adaptation has been done independently by Mind HK and is intended for general information purposes only.

How will I be diagnosed? 

Diagnosing dissociative disorders 

If you think you have a dissociative disorder, ask your doctor or psychiatrist to refer you for a full assessment. You may have a meeting with both a psychotherapist and a psychiatrist as part of your assessment. 

The person assessing you should have specialist training and a good understanding of dissociative disorders. 

The person who assesses you should check whether your experiences of dissociation might be explained by: 

  • drugs or some types of medication, which can sometimes cause dissociation 
  • a physical cause of dissociation 
  • any cultural or religious practices that may explain your experiences. 

Your diagnosis will depend on: 

  • the way you experience dissociation 
  • whether you have other symptoms 
  • whether your symptoms are having an impact on your life and causing you distress. 

Your mental health professionals might ask you questions about your experience of dissociation, to help them make a diagnosis that fits best with your experience. If this seems to fit the description of another mental health problem better, then you may be given this diagnosis instead. 

Not everyone finds it helpful to get a diagnosis. Even if you don’t get a specific diagnosis, you can still seek help for your symptoms. 

What can I do if I disagree with my diagnosis? 

If you are worried that your diagnosis doesn’t fit the way you feel, it’s important to discuss it with a mental health professional so you can get the right treatment. 

It may help to ask your doctor to refer you to a mental health professional who knows about dissociation for a full assessment. Our pages on seeking help for a mental health problem has information about how to make sure your voice is heard.

Why might it be difficult to get diagnosed? 

Dissociative disorders can be difficult to diagnose. There are different reasons why you might not get the right diagnosis straight away: 

  • Mental health professionals don’t usually get enough training on dissociative disorders. They might not even think about the possibility of a dissociative disorder, when assessing your mental health. This means that they might not ask you the right questions about your symptoms. 
  • Understanding more about your life history can help mental health professionals make a diagnosis. But they don’t always ask about childhood abuse or trauma at an assessment. Even if they do ask, you may not remember it (if you experience amnesia) – or you may find it too hard to talk about. 
  • Some people coping with dissociative symptoms try to keep them hidden from others. It might feel difficult to talk openly about your experiences. 
  • Some people still refer to dissociative identity disorder (DID) as ‘multiple personality disorder’, so some doctors might be looking for personality disorder symptoms instead of dissociative disorder symptoms. 

Dissociative disorders and other mental health problems 

You might experience a dissociative disorder on its own, or alongside another mental health problem. If you do experience another mental health problem, this can make it hard for mental health professionals to understand whether it’s appropriate to give you a diagnosis of a dissociative disorder. 

There are several reasons for this: 

  • If you are experiencing dissociative symptoms as part of another mental health problem, the person assessing you may not identify that you have a dissociative disorder as well. 
  • In particular, borderline personality disorder can also be caused by long-term trauma, and dissociative experiences can be a symptom. So if you are diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, it may be difficult to identify whether you have a dissociative disorder as well.
  • You might have symptoms of other mental health problems that you experience as well as, or because of, your dissociative disorder. If your doctor is more familiar with these mental health problems, they may only diagnose these problems without realising that you also have a dissociative disorder.
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What is iACT Service?

Improving Access to Community Therapies (iACT®) is one of the services from Mind HK. Trained Wellbeing Practitioners will offer initial assessment and early intervention for people dealing with mild to moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other emotional difficulties.

 

The service includes 6-8 sessions of low-intensity psychological support, the flexibility of the service allows individuals to receive free and timely support when needed.

If you’re aged between 18 – 65 and are facing some emotional challenges, we would like to invite you to take an online assessment for us to gain a better understanding of your current emotional struggle.

 

If you’re eligible, we’ll get you connected with a Wellbeing Practitioner within two weeks to sort out the next steps.

The service runs for about 3 months and includes 6-8 support sessions, tailored to your needs.

 

We encourage you to attend all sessions and actively practice the tips and exercises provided by your Wellbeing Practitioner.

We take your privacy seriously. Your chats with the Wellbeing Practitioner are confidential.

 

We won’t share any of your info unless you’ve provided consent or if there are risks detected.

This programme isn’t suitable for people facing emergencies, major setbacks, or those diagnosed with serious or complex mental health conditions.

 

If you’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, this programme might not meet your needs, so please seek help right away. You can check out Mind HK’s “Find Help Now” page for immediate information and services.

Most of our Wellbeing Practitioners have backgrounds in psychology or counselling and are passionate about mental health. They’ve gone through about 140 hours of intensive training and completed at least 120 hours of supervised clinical practice over 9 months to ensure the quality of service.

 

They’re trained by accredited local experts in the mental health field, including clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, counsellors, and psychiatrists. Plus, we regularly check how effective our services are. All service outputs and performances are subject to consistent monitoring.

Who is suitable for participating in this programme?

This programme welcomes anyone between the ages of 18 and 65 who may be feeling lost or facing emotional difficulties. Please note that this programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions.

This programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions, but suitable for those who experience mild to severe moderate anxiety, mild to moderate depression, or other emotional challenges. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

After signing up, our Wellbeing Practitioner will contact you within two weeks to schedule a convenient time for a 45-minute conversation, either via video or phone call, according to your preference. During the conversation, the Wellbeing Practitioner will understand your current situation and help you gain a better understanding of your emotional state based on the questionnaire you filled out during application. Additionally, they will provide recommendations for appropriate community resources based on your needs, helping you take an important first step in taking care of your mental health.

Although the intervention procedure is mostly standardised, Wellbeing Practitioners will work flexibly with clients to address individual presenting problems and unique characteristics.

Our Wellbeing Practitioners are trained to support people who experience mild to moderate mental health difficulties primarily. This programme is not suitable for the situations mentioned above. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

Your conversations with the Wellbeing Practitioner are absolutely confidential. Any information about you will not be shared with anyone without your consent unless you or others are at immediate risk or the Wellbeing Practitioner has reason to believe that you may be in imminent danger.
Supervisors will monitor trainees’ development throughout the placement to ensure that they are meeting the required level of competency to pass the training course at the end of the placement.

Yes, it is necessary to book an appointment in advance by filling out the form. Additionally, you can select one of the five stores yourself. We will allocate clients to different Wellbeing Practitioners based on their chosen location.

Before having the conversation, we will ask you to fill out a basic questionnaire for preliminary screening assessment. This screening process aims to ensure that the training received by the Wellbeing Practitioners is sufficient to meet the needs of the individuals receiving the service. If it is determined after the screening assessment that the service is not suitable for you, Mind HK will provide alternative recommendations to ensure your safety and support.

For adults who are suitable for this service, all Wellbeing Practitioners have received training on how to identify and respond to safety and risk issues. If you have any concerns about the support process, the Wellbeing Practitioners have appropriate measures in place and will develop response plans based on the urgency of the situation. They can also access support from clinical practitioners from Mind HK or participating organisations.

What private training does Mind HK provide?

Mind HK provides 4 themes of mental health training, including: Supporting Self, Supporting Others, Family Wellbeing and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).

 

Check out the brochure here for more information.

Mind HK provides a wide range of standardised mental health training, which can be tailored to different circumstances. Chat with our team to explore more! 

Our trainers come from a diverse, accredited pool of clinically experienced professionals. Check out our trainers’ biographies here.

Yes, the Mental Health First Aid class of Mind HK is internationally accredited by the MHFA International. The content and certification is delivered by trainers certified from the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong. You can find out our trainers accreditation here.

We are here to support your mental health education journey! Reach out to us and chat with our team.

How will I be diagnosed?

How will I be diagnosed? 

Diagnosing dissociative disorders 

If you think you have a dissociative disorder, ask your doctor or psychiatrist to refer you for a full assessment. You may have a meeting with both a psychotherapist and a psychiatrist as part of your assessment. 

The person assessing you should have specialist training and a good understanding of dissociative disorders. 

The person who assesses you should check whether your experiences of dissociation might be explained by: 

  • drugs or some types of medication, which can sometimes cause dissociation 
  • a physical cause of dissociation 
  • any cultural or religious practices that may explain your experiences. 

Your diagnosis will depend on: 

  • the way you experience dissociation 
  • whether you have other symptoms 
  • whether your symptoms are having an impact on your life and causing you distress. 

Your mental health professionals might ask you questions about your experience of dissociation, to help them make a diagnosis that fits best with your experience. If this seems to fit the description of another mental health problem better, then you may be given this diagnosis instead. 

Not everyone finds it helpful to get a diagnosis. Even if you don't get a specific diagnosis, you can still seek help for your symptoms. 

What can I do if I disagree with my diagnosis? 

If you are worried that your diagnosis doesn't fit the way you feel, it's important to discuss it with a mental health professional so you can get the right treatment. 

It may help to ask your doctor to refer you to a mental health professional who knows about dissociation for a full assessment. Our pages on seeking help for a mental health problem has information about how to make sure your voice is heard.

Why might it be difficult to get diagnosed? 

Dissociative disorders can be difficult to diagnose. There are different reasons why you might not get the right diagnosis straight away: 

  • Mental health professionals don't usually get enough training on dissociative disorders. They might not even think about the possibility of a dissociative disorder, when assessing your mental health. This means that they might not ask you the right questions about your symptoms. 
  • Understanding more about your life history can help mental health professionals make a diagnosis. But they don't always ask about childhood abuse or trauma at an assessment. Even if they do ask, you may not remember it (if you experience amnesia) - or you may find it too hard to talk about. 
  • Some people coping with dissociative symptoms try to keep them hidden from others. It might feel difficult to talk openly about your experiences. 
  • Some people still refer to dissociative identity disorder (DID) as 'multiple personality disorder', so some doctors might be looking for personality disorder symptoms instead of dissociative disorder symptoms. 

Dissociative disorders and other mental health problems 

You might experience a dissociative disorder on its own, or alongside another mental health problem. If you do experience another mental health problem, this can make it hard for mental health professionals to understand whether it’s appropriate to give you a diagnosis of a dissociative disorder. 

There are several reasons for this: 

  • If you are experiencing dissociative symptoms as part of another mental health problem, the person assessing you may not identify that you have a dissociative disorder as well. 
  • In particular, borderline personality disorder can also be caused by long-term trauma, and dissociative experiences can be a symptom. So if you are diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, it may be difficult to identify whether you have a dissociative disorder as well.
  • You might have symptoms of other mental health problems that you experience as well as, or because of, your dissociative disorder. If your doctor is more familiar with these mental health problems, they may only diagnose these problems without realising that you also have a dissociative disorder.