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People who suffer from dissociative disorders have usually experienced some type of extreme trauma which has shocked the brain, causing the individual to involuntarily escape from reality and creating a form of mental illness as a result . This is the mind’s way of protecting the individual. There are 3 main types of dissociative disorders according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and these are:

• Dissociative Identity Disorder- This is the condition that used to be called multiple personality disorder, and the individual alternates between two or more identities. Many believe that each identity is related to a specific trauma, and there have been a few rare cases in the past of extreme child abuse and torture which have resulted in an individual with numerous identities. Many times the individual states that it feels like someone is trying to take over in their head.
• Dissociative Amnesia- This is one of the dissociative disorders which is classified as mental illness. The individual will have a hard time remembering important information specific to themselves, and the episode of amnesia may be related to a specific traumatic event. This type of disorder may occur at any age, and it may last just minutes or in rare cases for may years.
• Depersonalization Disorder- With this type of metal disorder the individual starts to experience feelings of detachment and distant. Things may seem like they are on a movie or television screen instead of real life. Another symptom that may occur is hearing voices or feeling like someone else is taking over. This disorder is most likely to occur when extreme trauma happens to someone who is younger than 15 years old, although it has occurred in adults as well.