PS280 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Iatrogenesis, Derealization, Child Abuse
Document Summary
Anxiety is seen as underlying feature of dissociative and somatoform disorders. Both are characterized by physical symptoms and/or behaviours that are thought to be cause by the way people think or their ideas. Were once viewed as expressions of hysteria. Plato believed a wandering womb caused symptoms of hysteria. Rise of christianity saw organic theories of hysteria replaced with supernatural explanations: dissociation seen as result of demonic possession, exorcism was favoured treatment. Decline in acceptance of possession allowed more psychologically based theories to develop. Components of hysteria examined as separate processes. Pierre janet first to systematically study concept of dissociation viewed as pathological breakdown in normal integration of mental processes occurring as result of exposure to traumatic experiences. Freud and breuer identified severe psychological trauma as important in the etiology of dissociation. Freud believed that dissociation developed in order to protect form unacceptable sexual impulses, not from real traumatic memories.
