A patient describes a disturbed sense of who they are. Before revealing the answer, decide what distinguishes a disturbance of the continuity of self from a disturbance of self-unity.

Ask whether the disturbance concerns feeling like more than one person right now, or a loss of connection between the past and present self over time. A disturbance of the continuity of self differs from disturbance of self-unity, which concerns feeling like more than one person at a single moment, rather than a loss of continuity between one's past and present self over time — the disturbance of continuity is fundamentally about the relationship between who the person was and who they are now, extended across time. Disturbance of self-unity, by contrast, is about the number of selves experienced at a single given moment, often described as an 'as if' sense of being two people simultaneously. Whether the disturbance is about continuity across time versus unity at a single moment is the key distinguishing feature.