What is dissociation?
Here’s a hint, it’s not always a part of Dissociative Identity Disorder or having multiple personalities. Most people have experienced some form of dissociation at some point in their lives. Like most things dissociative symptoms are on a spectrum. Some people may occasionally experience it throughout their life time and be able to use mindfulness and grounding skills to move past it. Others deal with it on a daily basis, and it can significantly impact quality of life.
What is it like?
Dissociation is a disconnection from one’s senses, emotions, thoughts, memories, actions, or reality. Under the umbrella of dissociation is depersonalization; where one might feel like their body is not real or they are not connected to parts of their body, or it might feel like they have left their body and are looking at it from the outside. Derealization is another term that describes when someone experiences things in a surreal way; They may feel like the world or objects around them don’t actually exist.
What do you experience?
People experiencing dissociation may lose time, feel disoriented, scared, confused, or numb. Oftentimes chronic dissociative symptoms are due to an individual having had to learn how to dissociate to cope with a trauma. Sometimes it is something an individual can choose, but more often than not, it is not something that is chosen.
If you are experiencing these symptoms you are not alone. Dissociation is a common and normal human reaction to trauma or acute stress. A mental health professional can help you to minimize symptoms by re-establishing safety and adding in the use of more helpful coping tools.