Basically, the dissociation It consists of a distancing from reality.
There is a type of dissociation that we can consider non-pathological, a specific event that consists of that evasion or disconnection from reality that has happened to all of us at some point. For example, losing track of time, “daydreaming” or becoming so abstracted that we do not remember what we have been told during a conversation.
However, when dissociation has a complex emotional basis that seeks to avoid or cope with stressful circumstances, it can become a disorder.
What is a dissociative disorder?
The emotional and physical impact that a traumatic situation can cause can trigger the phenomenon of dissociation.
Most specialists define the emotional dissociation either cognitive dissociation as a defense mechanism that appears when the person is not able to face certain traumas.
It is an adaptive phenomenon that, due to the lack of psychological resources to endure a certain situation, disconnects the mind and isolates it emotionally to avoid the tension, fear and pain caused by a certain circumstance.
The brain activates dissociation unconsciously so that the mind is not disturbed, but this mechanism can leave harmful consequences on the subject.
According to the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, dissociation refers to a disconnection of elements that are normally integrated. For example, memory, consciousness, perception or identity.
There are different degrees, from milder to more severe.
Causes of dissociation
Research on this pathological phenomenon considers that different causes influence its development:
- Biological
- Social
- Relatives
However, the main causes are traumatic situations. For example, physical or emotional abuse or mistreatment in childhood; stressful situations experienced as adults, such as natural disasters, wars, etc.
Symptoms
- Dissociative amnesia: There are memory failures or blackouts related to the dissociative episode. The person cannot remember certain information for short or prolonged periods of time (microamnesias).
In relation to this we find dissociative fugues, in which the person suddenly appears in a certain place, but does not know where they are or how they got there. - : characterized by feelings of unfamiliarity with oneself or one’s own body. It can refer to “not feeling connected to the body”, feeling outside of it or feeling altered; or a more emotional disconnection, a feeling of “living like in a dream.”
- : refers to a feeling of strangeness with the environment that surrounds the person. Known places, family and friends, become unreal, perceived as false or strange.
- Identity confusion: It is a type of confusion that affects the core of one’s identity, with difficulties and conflicts in recognizing it or making decisions. This should not be confused with those “identity crises” that, at times, can affect any person (especially during adolescence) and which have more to do with a certain maladjustment or difficulty finding their place in this society. The identity confusion of dissociative disorder is more serious and profound.
- Identity alteration: Emotional disconnection causes alterations that lead you to assume different identities or ego states.
Examples of dissociation disorders
- After experiencing trauma, the person has no feelings when they think about that event. You suffer from a type of blockage called “emotional dullness.” It is one of the characteristics of the.
- The person experiences their thoughts, behaviors and feelings as if they emerged from nowhere or were controlled by some external agent.
- You experience feelings of immense joy or sadness for no apparent reason, which disappear in the same way.
- He performs actions that he normally would not do, as if something or someone is forcing him to do so.
- You feel like a passenger inside your body, not like the one in charge of driving it.
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