Dissociative disorders are a group of psychiatric conditions that arise when mental processes that normally function together become separated or fragmented. These disorders are often associated with traumatic events and can affect a person's normal functioning. They are defined in the DSM-5 and include several different types.

Some important types of dissociative disorders include:

Dissociative Identity Disorder: In this condition, the person's personality, memory, and behaviour may appear divided into distinct alternate identities. These identities usually do not communicate with one another, and the person is often unaware of the different identities.
Dissociative Amnesia: The person is unable to recall a traumatic event, usually. This memory loss involves erasure of information related to the event from memory and can negatively affect daily life.
Dissociative Fugue: The person suddenly leaves their familiar surroundings in an attempt to escape their identity and past. They may appear elsewhere under a different identity or personality.
Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder: The person experiences their body or mind as strange or unreal. They may feel detached from their own feelings or behaviour.

Serious traumatic events often underlie dissociative disorders, although not everyone exposed to such events develops a dissociative disorder. Treatment usually includes psychotherapy, especially individual therapy. The aim is to help the person cope with traumatic experiences and manage dissociative symptoms. Medication can sometimes help control symptoms. Psychotherapy is essential in addressing dissociative disorders.