Dissociation is a mental process that causes a lack of connection between a person’s thoughts, memory and self-identity. It is sometimes the way the mind deals with trauma or stress and it can be thought of as literally feeling disconnected from yourself or the world around you.
Dissociation can be a one-off event that is a result of a traumatic experience, or ongoing trauma. Some people actively dissociate as a way of coping with stress; for others it is an involuntary symptom of a mental health problem such as schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, bipolar, or post-traumatic stress disorder. However, dissociation can be experienced by everyone and isn’t necessarily linked to a psychological cause.
Dissociation can be thought of as a spectrum of severity. Most people have experienced mild dissociation at some time or another. For example, have you ever been driving home or to work and suddenly realised you can’t remember a portion of your journey? This is common and certainly nothing to worry about; in fact, some form of dissociation is necessary to prioritise your thoughts, de-stress and relax.
At the other end of the spectrum, some people have dissociation that is distressing, severe or lasts a long time. Have you ever heard of someone going into ‘shock’ after a traumatic event? This refers to dissociation following a crisis or trauma.
Physical illnesses can also lead to dissociation. For example, people with MS, infections, chronic pain, epilepsy, head injury, and migraines. Other causes include sleep deprivation, lack of food, or social isolation.
How Dissociation Manifests Itself
Lola’s Recovery Website has some great information about dissociation. She describes some common dissociative symptoms, such as:
- Emotionally disengaging from situations
- Staring into space
- Feeling disconnected from herself
- Daydreaming
- Partially disconnecting from the world around her- ie, not hearing people speak to her.
- Forgetting things right after they’ve happened
- Blank spells
Other symptoms include:
- Feeling as though you’re observing your emotions
- Feeling as though you’re watching yourself, like a movie
- Feeling as though you’re floating away
- Seeing objects changing shape and colour
- Having gaps in your life where you can’t remember what happened
- Speaking in different voices
- Feeling as though there’s another person inside of you
- Being unable to remember things about yourself or your life
Recovery From Dissociation
Although the process of recovery from dissociation is very individual and depends on what works for each person, there are some general approaches that may work best.
Safety should be the first priority. It is very important to adapt to the potential risks and dangers of dissociation, just like you wouldn’t drive a car after taking medication that makes you drowsy.
Some people may find that they have certain triggers for dissociation, such as sleep deprivation, a manic episode, or a person, place, smell or feeling that is linked to a traumatic experience. Sometimes there is no trigger at all. If a trigger can be identified, then dealing with the trigger will in turn help with reducing the likelihood and severity of the dissociation. For example, engaging in trauma work to deal with the trigger of trauma will be helpful.
Some people experience dissociation as a chronic symptom of other underlying causes; successful treatment of the cause will inevitably lead to reduced dissociation. Once dissociation has been triggered, there can be many ways of dealing with its impact. Many people make use of memory aids, such as photographs of loved ones, phone reminders, and to-do lists. It may also be helpful to try different grounding techniques that are emotionally moving or personally meaningful; the more personalised these techniques are, the more effective they will be.
Dissociation is often rooted in grief or trauma and it is very important to spend time dealing with these experiences if this is the case. Dealing with the events of the past while connecting with the present can reduce dissociation. Creating a safe environment, regaining control and using mindfulness techniques can also be highly helpful. Counselling or psychotherapy will help with treatment, both of the dissociation and any underlying psychological causes.