Keywords: dissociative disorders, psychiatric consultation, psychiatric medications, therapeutic alliance, co-therapies
Since the early twentieth century dissociative disorder has undergone a decline and since the seventies the field of psychiatry has begun its path of medicalization.
Dissociative disorders are complex disorders that activate within the therapeutic setting specific dynamics related to traumatic family relationships. Recognizing and dealing with it becomes necessary before defining any pharmacological treatment.
This paper aims to review some crucial issues on the history of dissociative disorders and medical model of mental disorders. The article wants also to highlight the importance of the therapeutic alliance specifically in the first contacts with dissociative patients, the main role of the psychotherapist in treating Dissociative Identity Disorders (DID) and it wants to suggest some strategies to cope with these patients in the integrated settings of therapy.