WHAT IS DISSOCIATION?

Dissociation in psychiatry is the separation of some aspects of one’s mental functioning from conscious awareness. This may lead to a degree of mental dysfunction or to mental conditions such as dissociative identity disorder.  

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ONE DISSOCIATES?

Many people experience dissociation (dissociate) during their lifetime. When you dissociate, you may feel disconnected from self and the world around you; you feel detached from your body or feel as though the world around you is unreal.  You may feel disconnect from:

• Your thoughts
• Your Feelings
• Your Memories

Or Even

• Your Sense of identity

Remember that people experience dissociation in different ways.  

WHAT CAN CAUSE DISSOCIATION?

It can be experienced as symptom of mental health issues, such as:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Bipolar Disorder
• PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)

AND

• Other Mental Health Conditions

 

SYMPTOMS OF DISSOCIATIVE DISORDER

• Feeling disconnected from yourself and the world around you
• Forgetting about some time periods, events and even some of your personal information
• Unable to account for missing time
• Feeling uncertain about who you are (Fugue which is loss of awareness of your identity, often coupled with flight from one’s usual environment. This is also associated with certain forms of hysteria and epilepsy)
• Multiple distinct identities, such as formation of two or more distinct personalities (Identity Disorder)
• Dissociative amnesia (unable to recall specific information)
• Experiencing the feelings of detachment from self (Depersonalization)

  WHAT DISSOCIATION LOOKS LIKE IN EVERYDAY SETTING? In a very life situation, one suffering from Dissociation may feel like they are:

• Daydreaming, spacing out, or eyes glazed over
• Acting different, or using different tone of voice or different gestures
• Sudden switch between emotions or reactions to an event. This may present being frightened, then becoming bold and violent

 

PRACTICAL STRATEGIES TO TACKLE DISSOCIATION

• Keep a journal
• Look after your wellbeing by prioritize sleep and good nutrition
• Practice visualization
• End dysfunctional relationships
• Make a personal crisis plan
• Create Boundaries and maintain them
• Practice breath work
• Join a support group of people with similar experiences
• Use grounding techniques (see my article and video on these)
• Think about practical strategies in dealing with stigma

You can always contact me for a one-on-one chat, anytime.