Dissociative disorders are characterized by an involuntary escape from reality characterized by a disconnection between thoughts, identity, consciousness and memory. People from all age groups and racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds can experience a dissociative disorder.

• Dissociative Amnesia is difficulty remembering important information about one's self. Dissociative amnesia may surround a particular event, such as combat or abuse, or more rarely, information about identity and life history.

• Depersonalization Disorder involves ongoing feelings of detachment from actions, feelings, thoughts and sensations as if they are watching a movie (depersonalization). Sometimes other people and things may feel like people and things in the world around them are unreal (derealization).

• Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder, this disorder is characterized by alternating between multiple identities.