3

Internet is plentifull of information about the differences between dissociation and psychosis, but I don't find any article that say if they can coexist in a single episody.

Psychosis is when people lose some contact with reality. This might involve seeing or hearing things that other people cannot see or hear (hallucinations) and believing things that are not actually true (delusions).

Source:nhs.uk

Dissociation is often explained as a response of the brain when you cannot fight or fly against a threat.

Dissociation is a break in how your mind handles information. You may feel disconnected from your thoughts, feelings, memories, and surroundings. It can affect your sense of identity and your perception of time.

Source: webmd.com

Are people suffering from a dissociation episody often psychotic aswell?

Chris Rogers
  • 12,191
  • 2
  • 29
  • 93

2 Answers2

1

First of all Dissociation is not a form of psychosis.

Dissociation is similar, but different to psychosis, however they can often be confused for each other.

Someone going through a dissociative episode may be thought to be having a psychotic episode, and in some cases, dissociation may be the initial phase to having a psychotic episode.

The difference between the two is that, while dissociation causes a disconnection from reality (i.e., loss of memory and sense of identity), psychosis causes some kind of additional experience (i.e. seeing and hearing things that don’t exist) (MedicineNet, 2022).

When you look at my answer to What is dissociation? that can also be confusing, as dissociation can involve seeing and hearing things which are not there (in a dream-like state). But, in psychotic episodes, you are not in a dream-like state.

[Psychosis] occurs when there’s a disruption in your thoughts that makes you unable to tell the difference between what's real and what isn’t (MedicineNet, 2022).

With dissociation, you know you are disconnecting from yourself, and therefore you know that your dissociative state is not a real state.

So, to your question,

Are people suffering from a dissociation episody often psychotic aswell?

The simple answer to your question is "No, not necessarily". The APA Dictionary points out that dissociation can be a psychological defence mechanism, so, you can be just as dissociative and be mentally healthy prior to the dissociation as you can be dissociating while having a psychotic mental health condition, or taking dissociative drugs.

References

MedicineNet. (2022). Is Dissociation a Form of Psychosis? https://www.medicinenet.com/is_dissociation_a_form_of_psychosis/article.htm

Chris Rogers
  • 12,191
  • 2
  • 29
  • 93
-1

Despite the fact that they might not always coexist, there is evidence that dissociation is associated with psychotic symptoms. It is the pathology behind them that distinguishes psychosis from dissociation. A dissociation is a disconnection from reality, while a psychosis is an additional experience. There is a possibility that psychotic patients will experience dissociation. While dissociation can also cause psychotic-like symptoms in severe cases.

yashasvi walia
  • 1
  • 1