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<p>Dissociation could occur in adolescence in response to traumatic life experiences disrupting essential areas of psychological functioning. We report three complex presentations of dissociation in adolescents in Sri Lanka.</p><p> </p><p>A 16-year-old girl presented with poor sleep, overtalkativeness and euphoric mood after her father had left home a day before.</p><p> </p><p>During the war, a 14-year-old boy was brought to hospital as he was speaking in Tamil and mentioning the names of terrorist leaders. Later it was found that he is from a Sinhalese family and had experienced violence at home.</p><p> </p><p>A 16-year-old boy presented with irritability, disinhibition and regressed behaviour. A detailed assessment revealed an underlying depressive state in the context of family conflicts.</p><p> </p>All the above patients presented with features suggestive of mania, misleading clinicians and leading to unsuccessful treatment strategies. Therefore, in-depth psychosocial assessment is needed to diagnose dissociation in adolescents and to plan evidence-based treatment.