Is Dissociative behavior is a type of psychosis?

Answer 1

Dissociation and psychosis have often been confused, particularly within cinema portrayals of mental health problems.

The reason for this confusion is that both mental health problems reflect a loss of contact with reality, and often there is overlap between the symptoms.

Dissociation is generally seen in patients with a significant history of trauma, including physical, sexual or emotional abuse, or severe neglect. It is theorised that when confronted with trauma, some young children learn to "dissociate" which means to separate themselves from what is happening around them. Examples of dissociation can include feeling separate from one's body, feeling like one is watching things happening around or to them rather than participating (patients often say, "It was like I was watching it in a movie"). More severe forms of dissociation include dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder. Like most experiences, dissociation occurs on a spectrum, so most people have experienced milder forms of dissociation (eg the sense of de ja vu).

Psychosis is characterised by a loss of contact with reality where the individual may experience delusions (false beliefs that significantly impact on the person's behaviour and function); hallucinations (perceptual experiences in the absence of external stimuli, most commonly auditory / verbal hallucinations); formal thought disorder (mental confusion); or 'negative' symptoms (which relate to loss of energy, pleasure, and motivation).

So, in reference to your question, dissociation is different from psychosis but shares a similarity in the individual having a sense of separation from reality. However, people with dissociation tend to dissociate primarily during periods of stress and are otherwise fully in contact with reality. In contrast, a person with a psychotic delusions retains conviction in the delusion which does not occur only at times of stress.

This is a very complex area of psychology, and we sometimes see cases where the individual has both dissociative symptoms and psychosis.

Answer 2

Dissociative behavior is a type of psychosis where the person has a break from reality. They dissociate in an attempt to break from negative behaviors.