All About Dissociation
Dissociation is a protective mechanism we engage in, to help protect us from overwhelming and distressing emotions and experiences. What is a healthy strategy our brains engage in automatically during times of fight or flight, can become dysfunctional when an individual’s dissociative response becomes their primary way of coping with stress.
Dissociation, according to Sarah Jenkins, an expert in trauma and dissociative disorders from Firefly Therapy International, indicates that dissociative issues are much more common in the general population that most clinicians realize and will often interfere with successful trauma treatment. Trauma is a specialized area of practice in psychology, and unfortunately those who do not have specialized training will often overlook the impact of a client’s dissociative process.
Dissociation is like fragmenting parts of our experiences because they are too overwhelming for us to fully understand and integrate into our psyche’s.
The impact of dissociation is especially apparent in those who have experienced complex, childhood trauma, such as chronic abuse and neglect, however it is a very common process people from all walks of life engage in.
Children experiencing high levels of chronic stress are especially vulnerable to developing dissociative processes as they do not have the cognitive capacities to fully integrate their experiences, and instead they dissociate during times of stress. This fragmenting of their experiences outside of their awareness is used as a way to cope. This coping mechanism continues into adulthood until addressed, and the dissociated information and experiences can cause problems unless accessed and integrated.
So, what exactly is a dissociate process?
The following is a non-exhaustive list of some dissociative processes that you may be engaging in, that could be a sign that there is more going on underneath your awareness.
Realizing part way through a conversation that you do not know some or all of what the other person has said
Arriving at a destination and realizing you don’t remember all or part of the drive
Talking out loud to yourself when alone
Not being able to remember if something actually happened, or if you just dreamed or thought it happened
Finding things among your belongings that you don’t remember buying or do not think belong to you
Being in a familiar place but finding it strange and unfamiliar
Feeling like you are living in a fog or having a feeling that people or objects are far away or unclear
Finding yourself staring into space, thinking about nothing, and being unaware of the passage of time
Do you think you experience dissociation? Is it impacting your life?
Talk to your therapist today, or book an intake now for specialized support.
-Rachel