Dissociation and Trauma

Dissociation is a disconnection between a person's sensory experience, thoughts, or sense of self. There might be periods where you feel separate or detached from your self (depersonalization) or separate and detached from the world (derealization). For some of us, this falls into the category of normal dissociation: daydreaming, spacing out, or being wrapped up in a book etc. For others, dissociation is more problematic and maladaptive.

Dissociation often occurs as a reaction to trauma: a normal, adaptive response to abnormal circumstances. During a traumatic event, your body and mind might decide for you that it would endanger you to move or feel because it could cause further injury or antagonize a perpetrator.

Dissociation disrupts four areas of personal functioning:  consciousness, identity, memory, self-awareness and awareness of surroundings. It can range from a mild sense of detachment to a more severe disconnection from reality. In mild cases, people describe a sense of being detached, “out of it,” or experiencing memory issues or distortion of time. On the other hand, those with dissociative disorders have dissociative episodes that are disruptive, recurrent and impair functioning.

If you experience recurrent dissociation, it might be time to reach out for support. Despite it being a survival strategy, it is not sustainable and can cause issues in personal and professional relationships. Working with a therapist to identify triggers and process any trauma can help reduce or eliminate dissociative episodes.