What is Dissociation?

“Bringing resolution to dissociative ‘parts’ of the mind has been an important factor in healing for many of our clients.”

Dissociation is the experience of detaching from reality. And trauma is the central reason dissociation occurs. When faced with overwhelming physical or emotional pain, a person unconsciously distances themselves from the experience. It is the mind’s protective mechanism to help us survive the experience. Our brains essentially ‘switch off’ certain connections. So the memory and emotions of the traumatic event are not integrated normally but are held outside the person’s cognitive awareness.

For example, dissociation is a common response to childhood trauma. When a child experiences overwhelming situations they cannot escape, such as abuse, neglect, abandonment, or witnessing violence, dissociation is the mechanism by which the child can cope. With no other option available, the child’s developing brain ‘disconnects’ from the distressing experience.

Dissociation in response to trauma can happen in adulthood as well, such as experiencing a serious physical assault or during military combat.

How does dissociation work?

When we are overwhelmed beyond our ability to cope, an ‘alter’ or ‘part’ of the mind is formed and takes over functioning for the person during the trauma – absorbing all the physical and emotional pain they are experiencing. When the trauma is over, the newly formed ‘part’ recedes, and the person returns to full awareness once again – but without recall of everything that just happened. The part ‘hides’ the memory, in a sense, to protect the person from an event they are not yet able to process. In childhood, this coping mechanism enables the child to continue growing and developing into adulthood despite experiences that would otherwise be debilitating.

The part is now alert all the time and can cause the person to become anxious, fearful, or even physically sick if the person is in a situation that resembles the original trauma in any way. This can be puzzling for someone who does not understand why they are feeling the way they do. Parts that once protected the person may now actually be disruptive to normal daily life. And this can leave the person feeling confused, disturbed, and anxious.

Dissociation in the general population exists on a continuum, and we have found in our work with clients that ALL people dissociate to varying degrees to cope with overwhelming experiences, particularly in early childhood. That includes you too!

Some of the symptoms of dissociation include:

• Memory loss of certain time periods, events, people and personal information.
• Mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, fears and phobias, suicidal thoughts and behaviours, self-harm, and eating disorders.
• Puzzling emotional reactions and sudden changes in mood and perception.
• A sense of being separated from yourself and your emotions.
• Problems in relationships, work or other important areas of life.
• Not being able to cope well with emotional or work-related stress.

Dissociation is a co-factor in many conditions, including depression, anxiety, fears and phobias, eating disorders, self-harm, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, seizure disorders, substance or alcohol abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Bringing resolution to dissociative parts is a key component of healing for many clients.

Further reading

• Toth, P. (2012). Dissociation: The forgotten factor in Healing. Anazao Press Amazon
• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing.
• Psychology Today – Unconscious memories
• Mayo Clinic – Dissociative disorders