Understanding Dissociation
One of the strangest and perhaps most harmful symptoms of dissociative identity disorder is dissociation. Possibly dissociation is strange because other people aren’t expecting to see it happen to you and harmful because you are not fully aware when you dissociate.
This article will focus primarily on dissociation what it is and how it effects the everyday lives of those who experience it.
What is Dissociation?
Everyone dissociates. You may find yourself driving down a long road and experience road dissociation (hypnosis) where you “wake up” having driven several miles without realizing it.
Dysfunctional dissociation is an experience where you feel disconnected from your feelings such as feeling numb or shutdown. This type of dissociation is connected to traumatic experiences whether in adulthood or childhood.
One description of dysfunctional dissociation is when you are a survivor of a traumatic event or several related events. When triggered by something that reminds you of the trauma dissociation is a go-to defense where you suddenly go into a fog or lose time altogether due to an alter surfacing.
One who is experiencing dissociation are completely detached from their usual life having withdrawn inside or projecting somewhere else.
Peter Levine and His Views of Dissociation
Peter Levine is an American Psychologist who offers information through lectures and training courses about dissociation and how it can develop after trauma. In the opinion of Peter Levine, dissociation is a survival strategy that protects those who do it from reexperiencing or experiencing trauma that is very painful.
Dissociation develops when you experience trauma and your brain shuts down the regions of your brain that aid in the processing of the trauma. Also, dissociation develops when the memory of traumatic experiences become imprinted in the amygdala preventing the nervous system from returning to normal.
People who dissociate use dissociation to cope with their past trauma often keep doing so in response to even minor stress. People with dissociative identity disorder often dissociate, which can trigger another part of their identity.
How to Stop Dissociative Episodes
While dissociation is not something survivors can control, there are ways to end its reign of fear over your life. Dr. Levine helps people relive or live with their senses by encouraging them to move. His techniques also help those who dissociate abnormally learn to breathe and to de-stigmatize their emotions.
One technique your therapist can try is for her to hold one end of a towel or light blanket while you hold the other. When you begin to dissociate you can get help by shaking or tugging on the cloth. This is your therapists clue to begin to gently tug and swing the towel or blanket helping you to get grounded.
In doing the exercise above, it is easier to return to the room and force yourself to pay attention to where and who you are.
Another way to stop dissociative episodes is to record in a journal the time and place you experienced them and how long they last. Also, make sure to write down any sensations or memories that went with the episode.
Deep breathing exercises also help one to not dissociate or bring themselves back from an episode. It is recommended that you take a deep breath in through your nose, hold it for a few seconds, and then gently blow out through pursed lips. Doing so allows you to get your thinking brain engaged by calming your emotional brain.
Ending Our Time Together
Dissociation has always been a problem for me as I try to escape the memories associated with the childhood trauma I experienced earlier in my life. While the dissociation has died down to a dull roar for me, I still can be caught off guard and dissociate away to the extent that an alter gains power for a short time.
If you are like me, you experience dissociation as losing time. Such experiences are entirely typical for individuals diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder. Don’t panic because most of the time nothing untoward has occurred while you were gone. Write down as much as you remember about the episode including any triggers that you are aware of.
Having DID is no joy ride because of dissociation. Waking up in a different time that may be hours or even months later causes fear and chaos and sometimes there is no control or warning.
It is great to understand that dissociation doesn’t have to always rule your life. There are ways to defeat a majority of it and take responsibility over your actions and words.
If you have problems with dissociation, please seek the help of a mental health professional, preferably one that is training in the treatment of trauma.
“There is no knowledge so hard to acquire as the knowledge of how to live this life well and naturally.” ― MONTAIGNE
“While grief is not fun to deal with, it is a valuable tool to bring about amazing change and growth. The key to this deep level of learning is attitude. How will you respond to the pain you’re feeling?” ― Diamante Lavendar