NURS 6665 Assignment: Controversy Associated with Dissociative Disorders
Walden University Assignment: Controversy Associated With Dissociative Disorders-Step-By-Step Guide
This guide will demonstrate how to complete the Walden University Assignment: Controversy Associated With Dissociative Disorders assignment based on general principles of academic writing. Here, we will show you the A, B, Cs of completing an academic paper, irrespective of the instructions. After guiding you through what to do, the guide will leave one or two sample essays at the end to highlight the various sections discussed below.
How to Research and Prepare for Assignment: Controversy Associated With Dissociative Disorders
Whether one passes or fails an academic assignment such as the Walden University Assignment: Controversy Associated With Dissociative Disorders depends on the preparation done beforehand. The first thing to do once you receive an assignment is to quickly skim through the requirements. Once that is done, start going through the instructions one by one to clearly understand what the instructor wants. The most important thing here is to understand the required format—whether it is APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.
After understanding the requirements of the paper, the next phase is to gather relevant materials. The first place to start the research process is the weekly resources. Go through the resources provided in the instructions to determine which ones fit the assignment. After reviewing the provided resources, use the university library to search for additional resources. After gathering sufficient and necessary resources, you are now ready to start drafting your paper.
How to Write the Introduction for Assignment: Controversy Associated With Dissociative Disorders
The introduction for the Walden University Assignment: Controversy Associated With Dissociative Disorders is where you tell the instructor what your paper will encompass. In three to four statements, highlight the important points that will form the basis of your paper. Here, you can include statistics to show the importance of the topic you will be discussing. At the end of the introduction, write a clear purpose statement outlining what exactly will be contained in the paper. This statement will start with “The purpose of this paper…” and then proceed to outline the various sections of the instructions.
How to Write the Body for Assignment: Controversy Associated With Dissociative Disorders
After the introduction, move into the main part of the Assignment: Controversy Associated With Dissociative Disorders assignment, which is the body. Given that the paper you will be writing is not experimental, the way you organize the headings and subheadings of your paper is critically important. In some cases, you might have to use more subheadings to properly organize the assignment. The organization will depend on the rubric provided. Carefully examine the rubric, as it will contain all the detailed requirements of the assignment. Sometimes, the rubric will have information that the normal instructions lack.
Another important factor to consider at this point is how to do citations. In-text citations are fundamental as they support the arguments and points you make in the paper. At this point, the resources gathered at the beginning will come in handy. Integrating the ideas of the authors with your own will ensure that you produce a comprehensive paper. Also, follow the given citation format. In most cases, APA 7 is the preferred format for nursing assignments.
How to Write the Conclusion for Assignment: Controversy Associated With Dissociative Disorders
After completing the main sections, write the conclusion of your paper. The conclusion is a summary of the main points you made in your paper. However, you need to rewrite the points and not simply copy and paste them. By restating the points from each subheading, you will provide a nuanced overview of the assignment to the reader.
How to Format the References List for Assignment: Controversy Associated With Dissociative Disorders
The very last part of your paper involves listing the sources used in your paper. These sources should be listed in alphabetical order and double-spaced. Additionally, use a hanging indent for each source that appears in this list. Lastly, only the sources cited within the body of the paper should appear here.
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Dissociative Disorders (DD) are characterized by disruption in the normal integration of memory, consciousness, perceptions, emotion, identity, motor control, body representation, and behavior. They are thought to develop after an individual undergoes an overwhelming, stressful event (Rafiq et al., 2018). The stress may be a result of traumatic events or unbearable inner conflict. DD is associated with trauma and stressor-related disorders, resulting in dissociative symptoms. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the controversy surrounding DD, professional views about DD, and ethical and legal considerations for the disorders.
The Controversy That Surrounds Dissociative Disorders
According to Loewenstein (2018), there has been controversy surrounding dissociation and DD since the start of modern psychiatry and psychology. Although DD is associated with a history of trauma, particularly childhood trauma, some professionals argue that there is no evidence supporting this. For instance, there are rare incidences of DD diagnosed in children with a history of abuse. Furthermore, some healthcare professionals argue that DD is not a real disorder and does not exist even though it is included in the DSM-V. They propose that the disorder should be removed from the DSM-V manual. In addition, there has been an argument that diagnosing and treating DD trigger memories of childhood abuse in individuals, which causes more harm than good (Loewenstein, 2018). Lastly, there have been arguments that criminals use DD as an excuse to escape responsibility for their criminal actions.
Professional Beliefs about Dissociative Disorders
My professional view of DD is that it is more of a coping mechanism for past trauma than a mental disorder. People dissociate from their memory and consciousness to block the intrusive painful memories of their childhood abuse. Rafiq et al. (2018) found that individuals who experienced childhood trauma had the highest levels of dissociation among persons with severe mental conditions. The study also identified significant positive relations between certain childhood difficulties and dissociation.
I believe that this form of coping is quite intense and negatively affects not only the individual but also those around them. Rinker (2019) explains that an individual’s vivid and broad imagination occurs mostly in childhood. The imagination is often used to cope with stress through a calm internalization. Besides, instead of a person having a single personality with diverse thoughts and emotions, the mind splits into sections, each with new ideas and attitudes that the person may agree or disagree with. Subramanyam et al. (2020) explain that dissociation is a means that allows the mind to sort out memories and thoughts from the normal consciousness. This explains my belief that DD occurs in the same way individuals usually detach themselves from an unpalatable or distressing event.
Strategies for Maintaining a Therapeutic Relationship
Creating and sustaining a therapeutic relationship with patients with DD and a history of trauma is often difficult due to distrust from the patient. Therefore, the provider should identify approaches that will help build trust with the patient to maintain the therapeutic relationship. The PMHNP or mental health provider should explain to the patient that a strong working relationship is crucial to help them return to normal functioning (Firestone, 2018). Another strategy is for the provider to collaborate with the client to identify their health needs, set therapy goals, and identify the interventions necessary to achieve these goals. The therapeutic relationship becomes stronger and lasts longer when the provider and the client have the same beliefs on treatment goals and consider the therapeutic interventions that will be used to meet these goals as appropriate and effective (Firestone, 2018). Active listening by the provider is essential in maintaining a therapeutic relationship. The provider should also be empathetic when interacting with the client to make the patient feel that their concerns have been understood.
Ethical and Legal Considerations Related to Dissociative Disorders
Ethical and legal factors that should be considered by mental health providers when dealing with patients with dissociative disorders include informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, beneficence, and nonmaleficence. In my future PMHNP practice, I will need to always obtain informed consent from the patient before starting assessment and treatment to avoid legal consequences. I will also need to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of patients’ information and always seek consent before sharing patient information to avoid legal consequences (Deshpande et al., 2020). Furthermore, I will need to assess interventions provided to patients to ensure they promote the best possible outcomes with no potential harm to the client.
Conclusion
Controversies in Dissociative disorders include a lack of evidence supporting their association with childhood trauma, beliefs that the disorder is inexistent, and that its diagnosis causes more harm than good. I believe that DD is more of a coping mechanism than a mental disorder and occurs when individuals want to detach themselves from painful past experiences. The provider can collaborate with the client in setting goals and identifying interventions to maintain a therapeutic relationship.
References
Deshpande, S. N., Mishra, N. N., Bhatia, T., Jakhar, K., Goyal, S., Sharma, S., Sachdeva, A., Choudhary, M., Shah, G. D., Lewis-Fernandez, R., & Jadhav, S. (2020). Informed consent in psychiatry outpatients. The Indian journal of medical research, 151(1), 35–41. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1036_18
Firestone, L. (2018). Dissociation and Therapeutic Alliance. In Phenomenology of Suicide (pp. 167-186). Springer, Cham.
Loewenstein, R. J. (2018). Dissociation debates: everything you know is wrong. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 20(3), 229–242. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2018.20.3/rloewenstein
Rafiq, S., Campodonico, C., & Varese, F. (2018). The relationship between childhood adversities and dissociation in severe mental illness: a meta-analytic review. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 138(6), 509–525. https://doi.org/10.1111/acps.12969
Rinker, K. (2019). Treatment of Trauma: Imaginative Minds of Dissociative Identify Disorder. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 0022167819877038. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167819877038
Subramanyam, A. A., Somaiya, M., Shankar, S., Nasirabadi, M., Shah, H. R., Paul, I., & Ghildiyal, R. (2020). Psychological Interventions for Dissociative disorders. Indian journal of psychiatry, 62(Suppl 2), S280–S289. https://doi.org/10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_777_19
Dissociative disorders include conditions where an individual disconnects from their thoughts, feelings, memories, or sense of identity. Dissociative disorders include dissociative amnesia, depersonalization disorder, and dissociative identity disorder. The purpose of this paper is to describe the controversy, professional beliefs, ethical and legal considerations, and how to maintain a therapeutic relationship with patients with this disorder.
The Controversy That Surrounds Dissociative Disorders
Diagnosis of dissociative disorders has been challenging as the disorder is complex, and the symptoms have been found in other mental health conditions. Psychiatrists have found that head trauma and brain tumors, especially in the cognition centers, have caused cognitive problems, resulting in personality disorders and amnesia (Agarwal et al., 2019). Psychiatrists have also recognized symptoms of dissociative disorder in mental illnesses such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, disputing the diagnosis. Some psychiatrists have disputed the diagnosis and argued that the diagnosis may result from the use of psychoactive substances such as marijuana (Kedare et al 2023). Lastly, the diagnosis has been disputed as it has been argued as an adaptation to certain conditions such as depression, bipolar, and schizophrenia.
Professional Beliefs about Dissociative Disorders
Most mental health professionals believe that the underlying cause of dissociative disorders is chronic trauma in childhood. Childhood trauma such as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse and neglect often cause affected children to disconnect their thoughts and feelings from reality (Kedare et al., 2023). As a result, the child’s inability to develop and maintain a unified sense of self results in isolation and loneliness with eventual dissociation. Additionally, adults may experience traumatic events such as war, torture, or a natural disaster, resulting in the disorder (Agarwal et al., 2019). Mental health professionals have noted the role of the community and cultural beliefs as the origin and facilitator of such kind of trauma (Boyer et al., 2022). As a result, the affected community is characterized by denial, boundary violations, reality distortions, oppression, paranoia, narcissism, and dramatic posturing.
Strategies for Maintaining a Therapeutic Relationship
Developing rapport and trust is vital to establishing a therapeutic relationship. Rapport and trust help build a connection between the patient and the therapist. To create a rapport, you must show interest in the patient’s symptoms and ensure consistency and confidentiality in all sessions with the patient (Lavik et al., 2022). In addition, it is vital to demonstrate empathy as it reassures the patient that the concerns about the condition are understood. Additionally, therapists can promote effective communication by actively listening and asking patients open-ended questions about their disorder. Open-ended questions allow patients to express themselves actively without feeling judged. Lastly, the therapist should encourage collaboration and shared decision-making while respecting the patient’s autonomy.
Ethical and Legal Considerations Related to Dissociative Disorders
Patients with dissociative disorders should be treated equally. It is thus crucial to establish whether they can make the appropriate clinical decisions and respect their autonomy. Additionally, one may consider involving the family when the patient is mentally unstable to make appropriate clinical decisions or when they are underage (Rocchio, 2020). Additionally, some patients with dissociative disorder may pose harm to themselves and others, making it crucial for the nurse to admit the patients without consent. In such scenarios, the therapists must warn others while maintaining medical confidentiality. Dissociative disorders have posed a challenge in the legal process of determining whether they are fit to stand trial or even be sentenced. As a result, a forensic psychiatrist has to establish whether the patient was mentally stable or not while committing the crime.
Conclusion
Dissociative disorders have raised controversies in diagnosis due to the overlapping mental conditions associated with them. An essential etiology of the disorder has been childhood and adult trauma. It is thus crucial for a therapist to understand these patients and treat them just like other patients.
References
Agarwal, V., Sitholey, P., & Srivastava, C. (2019). Clinical Practice Guidelines for the management of Dissociative disorders in children and adolescents. Indian journal of psychiatry, 61(Suppl 2), 247–253. https://doi.org/10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_493_18
Boyer, S. M., Caplan, J. E., & Edwards, L. K. (2022). Trauma-Related Dissociation and the Dissociative Disorders:: Neglected Symptoms with Severe Public Health Consequences. Delaware journal of public health, 8(2), 78–84. https://doi.org/10.32481/djph.2022.05.010
Kedare, J. S., Baliga, S. P., & Kadiani, A. M. (2023). Clinical Practice Guidelines for Assessment and Management of Dissociative Disorders Presenting as Psychiatric Emergencies. Indian journal of psychiatry, 65(2), 186–195. https://doi.org/10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_493_22
Lavik, K. O., McAleavey, A. A., Kvendseth, E. K., & Moltu, C. (2022). Relationship and Alliance Formation Processes in Psychotherapy: A Dual-Perspective Qualitative Study. Frontiers in psychology, 13, 915932. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.915932
Rocchio L. M. (2020). Ethical and Professional Considerations in the Forensic Assessment of Complex Trauma and Dissociation. Psychological injury and law, 13(2), 124–134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12207-020-09384-9