Quote:
Originally Posted by Luce
I disagree with these 'absolutes'. I think there are many grey areas with dissociation, and there are times when what an alter feels is what the alter 'believes' - even though it doesn't match with the external reality - but it is definitely not because of psychosis. There have been many, many times when alters in this system have not been aligned with the external reality, and a 'diagnosis of psychosis' would have simply been plain wrong.
Current experts in the field are well aware of the overlap of dissociative experiences and symptoms of psychosis, with at least one study showing that people with DID can experience MORE first rank schneiderian symptoms than actual patients with schizophrenia!
For those that don't know:
Schnei·der first rank symp·toms
(schnī'dĕr),
those symptoms that, when present, indicate that the diagnosis of schizophrenia is likely, provided that organic or toxic etiology is ruled out: delusion of control, thought broadcasting, thought withdrawal, thought insertion, hearing one's thoughts spoken aloud, auditory hallucinations that comment on one's behavior, and auditory hallucinations in which two voices carry on a conversation.
I would be much more careful in suggesting that something so simple as an alter 'believing' something rather than 'feeling' it is evidence of psychosis.
|
if I remember right your location may be the UK. your location may go according to other psychological definitions than the USA.
my post was based on my location, my having dissociative disorders and what the American Psychological Association defines the term reality testing remains intact in the diagnostic criteria for dissociative disorders here in america.
you can find contact information for the APA (American Psychiatric Association) on their website. they welcome questions and feedback on the DSM5, present diagnostics and mental disorders.
you can also go to your local library and read the actual diagnostics for dissociative disorders. each disorder is listed in the DSM 5 with a format of first detailing the diagnostics then 5 subsequent pages after each disorder that goes more into detail on the disorder, diagnostics and other important information like culture, statistics and more.
your own treatment providers can also explain in more detail what the words reality testing remains intact means in relation to dissociative disorder.
you can also google the words.. Reality testing psychological definition and you will get many results detailing how the term came to be and what it means today in different locations, and with different mental disorders.
a bit of information on the term reality testing....
the first person that used this phrase was Sigmund freud. he used the term and developed questions that would distinguish the difference between what is reality and what is psychosis. what is outside ones body vs what is in ones mind.
the phrase reality testing wasnt meant to nor is it supposed to define a persons emotions, memories, feelings, whether someone has alters or not...
its simply a phrase to help people to know what is outside their minds and what is inside their minds.
even normal people hold onto beliefs, that doesnt make them psychotic.
psychosis is believing in things that can not possibly be real.. if I believed I could fly like a bird in psychology terms that would be a psychotic belief.
Again ....Im not saying alters can not believe in things....
Im just saying this is the ......psychological definition..... of what reality testing is ....here in america.... and how it fits in with the diagnostics of dissociative disorders, per APA standards, by using my own situations for examples.