[peaches100]

My t recently disclosed to me that I have DDNOS, which I had suspected for some time. I've done some research on it, but it looks like it is not a legitimate diagnosis in the DSM-V book. Is this true?

Can someone tell me what are the main similarities and differences between DID and DDNOS? Also, is DDNOS considered a serious mental illness or not? How many years does it take to recover? I've been in t over 10 years now, and still dont' feel finished. It makes me feel like I'm a failure! Even though my t and I work hard, and I have made alot of progress.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by peaches100

My t recently disclosed to me that I have DDNOS, which I had suspected for some time. I've done some research on it, but it looks like it is not a legitimate diagnosis in the DSM-V book. Is this true?

Can someone tell me what are the main similarities and differences between DID and DDNOS? Also, is DDNOS considered a serious mental illness or not? How many years does it take to recover? I've been in t over 10 years now, and still dont' feel finished. It makes me feel like I'm a failure! Even though my t and I work hard, and I have made alot of progress.

we here at the crisis center do not yet have our copy of the DSM 5 but have been preparing because most likely yes that disorder has been removed....

the basics of the last proposed diagnostics shown on the DSM 5 website was that it would be removed because the term NOS leaves room for a lot of guess work, assumptions and mis diagnosis..so that exact label has been removed. but the symptoms have been integrated (some locations use the term included) in other disorders...

here at the crisis center those with one label (DDNOS) wont carry DDNOS but will carry more than one dissociative disorder diagnosis for example instead of DDNOS their diagnosis may be PTSD, with depersonalization./derealization and dissociative amnesia (which includes the symptoms of memory problems, losing track of time...and dissociative fugue symptoms.)

some of the crisis center clients who show a possibility of alters are being referred out for diagnosis of DID.

Others may carry just the PTSD diagnosis...or depression with anxiety diagnosis....

it all depends on the persons own combination of symptoms.

mind you this is only what we are doing here at the crisis center....your own treatment provider can tell you how the new diagnostics is going to impact your own diagnostics and treatment.

you wanted simularities/differences...here in NY which is in the USA DDNOS was a mental disorder that did not fit any of the other dissociative disorders....

using DID as an example...in the DSM IV TR the DID diagnostics were having 2 or more special types of alters that took control many times, having a special type of memory problem, the symptoms were not because of drugs, alcohol, seizure disorders like epilepsy and wanst because of fantasy play/ imaginary friends.

DDNOS was any dissociative symptoms that did not fit that diagnostic criteria...maybe the person only had one alternate personality that they could control when the alter came out instead of the alter taking control, they had memory problems but it wasnt the same as the kind with DID.

similarities....all dissociative disorders (and many other mental and physical health problems share the same symptom of dissociation....spacing off, excessive daydreaming, doing things they dont remember doing due to stress, depression and other life issues.

[jax01]

I only know a couple of the differences.
One is having parts, but the parts do not take control for them selves. The parts are also not as clearly defined.
And the other is there's no loss of time.
That's all I got.

[ThisWayOut]

I don't really know the differences, but I can relate to being in T forever and getting frustrated that things don't change/heal as fast as I would like them to...
My old T also dx me DDNOS, so I wonder how that will change with the new DSM... will it still be a problem I can get treatment for?

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by MdngtRain

I don't really know the differences, but I can relate to being in T forever and getting frustrated that things don't change/heal as fast as I would like them to...
My old T also dx me DDNOS, so I wonder how that will change with the new DSM... will it still be a problem I can get treatment for?

yes you will still be able to get treated for your dissociative symptoms that used to be called DDNOS....

all that is happening is the name (DDNOS) is not being used....

all DDNOS means is that you dont have dissociative synmptoms to the severity or matching other dissociative disorders...

example maybe you have symptoms of numbness spaciness, spacing out, but not to the extreme of DID, or the other dissociative disorders.

all thats going to happen if its true that DDNOS isnt in the DSM 5 is your treatment providers will be matching your symptoms up with other mental disorders where dissociation symptoms happen...

for example depression has dissociative symptoms so does anxiety, so does seasonal affective disorder, so does adhd ...basically every mental disorder has some form of dissociative symptoms like numbness, spacing off, losing track of time, feeling unconnected, feeling like you are a watcher not a participant in life/activities....

dissociation is one of those things that is completely normal and happens to everyone at some point in all kinds of severities. what makes it a disorder is how often someone dissociates and why...

if the reason for your DDNOS symptoms was anxiety then your anxiety diagnosis will carry those dissociative symptoms in that diagnosis now.

if your DDNOS symptoms happen because of trauma then the diagnosis PTSD will fit your DDNOS symptoms...

talk with your treatment providers they will be able to match your problems up with the right mental disorder and be able to still treat your dissociative symptoms even though it may not be called DDNOS any more.

[Gr3tta]

Personally I wish everything with NOS at the end of it would go away. Being an NOS for every primary diagnosis I've ever had always made me feel like no one really knew what theyv were doing with me. Like I belonged in a miscellaneous junk drawer. I hope new changes will be positive fo everyone receiving treatment.

[-jimi-]

So are you saying the ultimate DSM 5 will differ from what Wiki claims?

300.15 Other specified dissociative disorder
Symptoms of a dissociative disorder are present but do not meet the full criteria for a specific disorder. The clinician specifies the reason.
300.15 Unspecified dissociative disorder
As 300.15 above, but the clinician does not specify the reason

This is basically what DDNOS was. To me it seems like it still exists.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by jimi...

So are you saying the ultimate DSM 5 will differ from what Wiki claims?


This is basically what DDNOS was. To me it seems like it still exists.

Like I said where I work (the crisis center) does not yet have a copy of the DSM 5.

the last update in the .....proposed....revisions about DDNOS was that it would be removed and its symptoms integrated /included in other diagnostic criteria of other mental disorders like the proposed revision for PTSD included some dissociative symptoms.

I can not say for sure whether it has been removed or not due to the crisis center has not yet received their copy of the DSM 5.

as for Wiki well I personally do not use that website very much and even less since their own staff admitted in media releases that they have placed bogus entries on their website purposely to mislead their readers, if I remember right it was with the point of showing people you cant believe every thing you find on the the internet. just because google, wiki or what ever says its true does not always make it so...

Fake Wikipedia entry on Bicholim Conflict finally deleted after five years | PCWorld

again for those of us that work here at the crisis center there is no way to know whether DDNOS has been removed officially until we get our copy of the DSM 5

the way the crisis center where I work is handling this issue is preparing for this by talking with our clients and having NOS removed from their diagnostics through new psychiatric testing.

[amandalouise]

an example of what I mean is found here
http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/PTSD%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf

instead of finding a DDNOS on the DSM 5 website Home | APA DSM-5

when you check out PTSD you see it now has a dissociative disorder subtype...

PTSD Preschool Subtype and PTSD Dissociative Subtype
DSM-5 will include the addition of two subtypes: PTSD in children younger than 6 years and PTSD with
prominent dissociative symptoms (either experiences of feeling detached from one’s own mind or
body, or experiences in which the world seems unreal, dreamlike or distorted).


basically the DDNOS symptoms have been included with the PTSD diagnostics now and is now called PTSD Dissociative Sub Type.

you can read more about the changes in the DSM 5 at their website

Home | APA DSM-5


I just clicked around on the DSM 5 website and found a link that leads to the index of the DSM 5 DSM-5 | psychiatry.org and click on table of contents...

DDNOS is .....not..... one of the labels in the index under dissociative dissociative disorders....the dissociative disorders are as follows

Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dissociative Amnesia
Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder
Other Specified Dissociative Disorder
Unspecified Dissociative Disorder

After placing a phone call I was able to find out that

other specified Dissociative Disorder is ......probably.....what americans call Conversion disorder

and UDD is ......probably ..... be what some of the DDNOS symptoms are now called..

again I do ........not........ have a copy of the DSM 5 so I am unable to tell you for sure what OSDD and UDD is. We are just making a guess here.

[-jimi-]

The specified disorders will be closest to NOS. The dx person have to explain what disorder this reminds of and why it does not reach up to the criteria.

You are telling people that their diagnosis will be absorbed by things like PTSD and anxiety when in fact that will probably not happen. You should check things out better, especially working in the field and all.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by jimi...

The specified disorders will be closest to NOS. The dx person have to explain what disorder this reminds of and why it does not reach up to the criteria.

You are telling people that their diagnosis will be absorbed by things like PTSD and anxiety when in fact that will probably not happen. You should check things out better, especially working in the field and all.

no Im not telling people here that those here on psych central that have DDNOS will have their DDNOS symptoms absorbed by things like PTSD....

I am stating that here in NY at the crisis center where I work we are dealing with the possibility that DDNOS has been removed by sending our clients to go through diagnostic evaluations or matching their (our clients symptoms) with what we do know that PTSD now does include dissociative symptoms that were once called DDNOS, or our clients have the choice to close their case with us and we refer them (our clients) to others.

and I have stated in general people with Dissociative symptoms will still get treated for their dissociative symptoms, it just ...may....be called something different, and to ..........check with their own treatment providers who will be able to tell them how the new DSM 5 diagnostics will be affecting their own individual diagnostics.

I havenot mislead anyone in this thread ...I have been very clear in the fact that I dont have a copy of the DSM 5 and so I can not tell them for sure whats going on.

[amandalouise]

I did some more checking and found out that UDD (unspecified dissociative disorder) is when someone has dissociative symptoms but they do .....not .....fit any specified dissociative disorder ie DID, Depersonalization/derealization/ Other Specified Dissociative Disorder (converstion disorder, ganser syndrome, ...)

for example if you have converstion type dissociative disorder then the label OSDD (other Specified Dissociative Disorder)

if you have numbness, a sense of unconnected ness, but not to the severity of meeting the DID/ depersonalization/derealization disorder/conversion/ganser syndrome diagnostics then UDD (unspecified dissociative disorder ) applies.

in other words anything that does not meet any dissociative disorder is now called UDD.

[Kendyll]

UDD, DDNOS...does it matter the much what it's called?
I have dissociative symptoms but i don't really meet any set criteria. DDNOS. Something's wrong but they just can't decide which basket of symptoms fits me best. I get better. I learn how to manage my stress and my triggers. I practice my grounding exercises and I use them when I need to. It helps. I don't know if I've ever cared WHAT they call it, as long as they can help me.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Kendyll

UDD, DDNOS...does it matter the much what it's called?
I have dissociative symptoms but i don't really meet any set criteria. DDNOS. Something's wrong but they just can't decide which basket of symptoms fits me best. I get better. I learn how to manage my stress and my triggers. I practice my grounding exercises and I use them when I need to. It helps. I don't know if I've ever cared WHAT they call it, as long as they can help me.

the short version about whether it matters what its called is that here in america over the next yr or so the treatment providers are switching to calling mental disorders by whats in the DSM 5 which is now the diagnostics and mental health labels america goes by.

that means for example my treatment provider is not going to call my problems....depersonalization disorder, derealization disorder, PTSd, DDNOS....

my treatment provider is now going to call my mental disorders....

PTSD dissociative disorder subtype
depersonalization disorder with derealization symptoms. (derealization and depersonalization disorders have been combined into one mental disorder in the DSM 5)
UDD (DDNOS is no longer the label being used )

In other words I have to get used to hearing my diagnosises being called by the new diagnostics criteria and new diagnostic labels that are in the DSM 5 because thats what my treatment providers are using now..

you will need to contact your own treatment providers to see if it matters what your diagnostics are called where you are...

..........