The Dissociation Experience Scale

[MomOfTwo]

Part of my homework from my therapist is to complete a questionnaire she gave me for dissociation. It is called the DES or Dissociation Experience Scale. Has anyone else ever done the scale? I think that dissociation is a fairly common symptom of those people that are dealing with PTSD. I had no idea that numbing oneself emotionally or physically is dissociation as well. I think depending on the day as well you could rate so differently on the scale.

 

[Abstract]

Yes I have Momoftwo. It's quite enlightening isn't it? How are you feeling about this?

As for the time of day, I did find it hard to decide how to answer as I tend to over-think it.

 

[maddog]

Yes, I've done it, truthfully can't remember what I scored, but it was below the indicated range for DID... which I don't have.

I also agree that the way the items are scored and rated lends itself to more variation, depending on how you're feeling/viewing your experiences at the time, than a lot of scales. For that reason, among others, there are more than the usual disclaimers that it is merely designed to indicate whether you are likely to benefit from further assessment for the presence of a dissociative disorder, as opposed to directly indicating whether you have one or not. And the flip side is that it has also been repeatedly proven that not all people with diagnosable dissociative disorders will necessarily score within the indicated range.

The most interesting part of the test for me when I did it was in learning about the common symptoms and indicators of dissociative disorders. The fact that I genuinely scored 0 on the majority of indicators seemed pretty compelling to me that I probably didn't have DID, though obviously there are still significant dissociative symptoms, and other dissociative disorders, that can exist further back along the spectrum.

In short, I found it interesting, but nothing to take as gospil proof of anything.

Maddog

 

[Deleted member 1860]

I believe that scale is an indicator of both DID and DESNOS. I've taken it twice, a few years apart, and in those few years my dissociative experiences didn't change. Once I scored in the normal range, another time I scored in the possible DESNOS range. I don't know the actual scores, just what my various therapists have told me. So yes, there is the possibility of error.

I honestly don't believe I have DESNOS as my dissociation seems to be on a level of just PTSD. I don't have time loss issues and such. That is, aside from flashbacks, there is no dissociation which interferes with my daily life.

 

[Abstract]

It also indicates not-personality-based dissociation issues such as depersonalisation. In fact I always wonder how it can possibly be effective as so many of the questions could describe two totally different mechanisms. They can look the same but have a totally different source. And I do find the the way one has to choose how much one does it a bit confusing too.

The part that interested me is that doing it just raised my awareness levels on what experiences could be related to dissociation.

 

[MomOfTwo]

Thanks everyone for your responses. :)

Abstract - I am feeling a little uncomfortable doing the scale. Not sure why. I can never make a decision on anything so I overthink things too much.

At times when I am very stressed I feel like I take up more space then what I do. Now I have struggled in the past with an eating disorder but it has nothing to do with that. I just feel like uncomfortable in my own skin and I am too big or something that it is suffocating. It is the only way to explain it. I don't know if that is depersonalization or derealization. I know at the time that I am not physically taking up that much space but I feel like I do.

One thing on the scale that I do very often is miss a lot of a conversation but I think it is related to hypervigilence. My friends will tease me that I have changed the subject but most times it is because I have lost track of where we were are in the conversation.

I do feel at times I am a different person as well or two people but I think in the way that I could be very good at multi tasking and troubleshooting at work and seem very confident but at home I could not make a simple decision on anything.

I have not completed it yet and still have several days before my next appointment to do so.

 

[.Bubbles.]

Is there anywhere to get hold of one online? I'd be interested to do this.

 

[Becca2904]

I did it. It was questions like - "Do you ever drive somewhere and then forget how you got there?", "Do you ever find objects amongst your possessions that you do not remember buying?", "Do you every find letters/drawings that you can't remember producing?", "Do you ever talk to yourself outloud?" "Do you ever get so involved in a film/TV programme that you feel you are actually a part of it?"

I think though you can say yes to afew of them without it meaning your dissociating. They do some number crunching and some things have more onus than others.

 

[Abstract]

I just feel like uncomfortable in my own skin and I am too big or something

Hi Momoftwo! I do think that could potentially be a form of depersonalisation or even derealisation. I have had experiences where I feel big, small or that I am coming apart and disintegrating. Lots of feelings that I get are to do with not fitting in my body, feeling it belongs to me or not being in control of it in some way.

In my mind the difference between loosing track of conversations as a result of hypervigenence compared to dissociation (D) would be that with the first it would be because I was consciously checking the environment for danger or getting distracted by things that felt dangerous whereas with D it would be because I got lost. I just lost that time or track or felt removed.

When it comes to personality the way I understand it is that we all have different parts. For some of us they are less seamlessly connected. When there are walls and they cause enough impairment in someones life then thats when it starts being a problem. Good luck finishing it! Try not to think too much. I know its hard! :)


Lovelyjubbly, [DLMURL]http://www.healthyplace.com/psychological-tests/dissociative-experiences-scale/[/DLMURL]

Becca, strangely enough things such as daydreaming and not remembering getting from a to b when we drive is technically dissociation (D ranges from these to DID). But yes, I think what they call pathological dissociation is diagnosed when they look at the big picture.

And I think regardless of the score it can be informative to just look at what one has answered with a yes.

 

[Pietro]

Funny, I just took this yesterday. While just searching about psych subjects, this popped-up. I scored a 44, which is not indicative of DID, but definitely indicative of someone who's highly dissociative. I don't lose track of time, but I don't keep track of time, either. :) And, as I've recently learned, I am often perpetually experiencing emotional flashbacks; I'm also having a lot more visual flashbacks than I used to, none of which make any sense, currently.

I can never make a decision on anything...

In the context of PTSD, this is quite common and can be a symptom of personality fragmentation -- which is along the spectrum of dissociation. It's not quite DID, but each fragmented personality does have its own "energy", as my therapist says.

This is one of my biggest problems. Whenever it's time to make a decision, I have to sort through a myriad of opinions and perspectives from the "committee" in my head, and try to choose one. Very often, this proves too difficult, and I do nothing. I haven't yet learned to be "in charge", or be "the parent" to all of these unruly "children". ;) If you are interested in more information about this syndrome, you can lookup "Structural Dissociation Theory".

 

[Deleted member 1860]

One thing on the scale that I do very often is miss a lot of a conversation but I think it is related to hypervigilence.

This is exactly why you can take the test multiple times and end up with different diagnosis'.

A symptom that appears to be dissociation, ie not fully grounded in the present, is really just our attention being directed elsewhere, but still in the present. Like in a crowd for instance. I bet I could tell more about my surroundings than anyone I'm with, simply because that's where my focus is directed. It's quite different from dissociation where your mind isn't in the present moment, rather checks out to a degree.

 

[MomOfTwo]

Well I never did the scale so my therapist did it with me. She was trying to clarify many things. One question was on pain and I ranked 90 percent of the time I do not feel pain. When I think about it I feel pain but little and not to the degree that others probably do. I have felt nothing many times because I can escape in my mind but it does not happen as often as being able to numb pain I guess. I think was confused about the question. One question is about feeling being different people or something like that and I do but it is not that distinct. I said yes but it is hard to explain because it is not like I think I am different people but I feel like it. I feel for instance like am five years old when I am faced with certain situations. It is like my five year old self comes out and my more rational self is not there. I felt this when the HR manager used to try putting his hands on me. I don't know if I should write a letter to my therapist trying to explain my inner experience. I do hear voices in my head and know that it is like inner parts of myself just debating what to do.

She is using the scale to determine if I am ready enough to start some EMDR. I can't remember the acronym other than Eye Movement.

I am under incredible stress right now at the moment and am going to court soon to face my perpetrator. I feel like I become my five year old self and I will not be able to handle seeing him or speaking. I feel like the Corporation will squish me like a bug and make me look like I am nothing more than crazy.