15 Mind-Bending Mazes in The Landscape of Mental Health Conditions

9. Dissociative Disorders

Dissociative disorders are often a psychological escape route when the mind is overwhelmed. They involve disruptions in identity, memory, or sense of self. Dissociative identity disorder (formerly multiple personality disorder) features two or more distinct identities that control behavior at different times. Dissociative amnesia may cause someone to forget key life events, especially after trauma. Depersonalization-derealization disorder leads to feeling detached from one’s body or surroundings, as if in a dream. These are protective mechanisms gone awry—not attention-seeking or dramatic behavior. Therapy aims to integrate fractured parts of the self, rebuild trust, and create emotional safety.

10. Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders

In these disorders, emotional distress surfaces as physical symptoms. Somatic symptom disorder causes excessive focus on pain, fatigue, or other health concerns—even when no clear medical cause exists. Illness anxiety disorder (formerly hypochondriasis) involves an intense fear of having or developing a serious illness. Conversion disorder manifests emotional trauma as neurological symptoms—paralysis, tremors, or seizures with no medical basis. These aren’t “all in your head”—they’re real, lived experiences of suffering. The mind and body are deeply connected, and untreated psychological distress can manifest physically. Treatment blends medical support with psychotherapy to address the emotional roots.