The signs and symptoms associated with dissociative disorders vary depending on the type of disorder. However, some symptoms are evident in virtually all types of dissociative disorders. They include:

• Loss of memory (amnesia) of certain time periods, events and people
  
  
• Symptoms such as depression and anxiety
  
  
• The feeling of being detached from oneself (depersonalization)
  
  
• The perception that people and things are unreal or distorted (derealization)
  
  
• Undefined sense of identity

The symptoms of dissociative disorders may disappear and recur.

Other symptoms of dissociation may include:

• Behaviors that are not remembered
• Fugues (states in which a person functions but cannot later recall)
• Unexplained possessions
• Inexplicable changes in relationships
• Fluctuations in skills and knowledge
• Fragmentary recall of life history
• Spontaneous trances
• Spontaneous age regression
• Out-of-body experiences
• Awareness of other parts of self

In addition, patients with dissociative disorders are at increased risk for self-destructive behavior such as self-mutilation (for example, cutting or burning themselves) and suicide attempts. Some patients may develop substance abuse problems. Mental illnesses, such as depression, anxiety disorders and eating disorders, are also commonly associated with dissociative disorders.

People with dissociative disorders often struggle to maintain healthy personal and professional relationships because they tend to “tune out” or disappear when stressful situations arise.

Symptoms of dissociative disorders can be present in other mental disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and panic disorder.