By Lyz Hart, LPCC
A common theme that has been emerging over the past few years, especially in the light of the pandemic, is a general sense of disconnection. The disconnection may be from others, ourselves, and even the world around us. Feeling disconnected can simply be a normal byproduct of daily life stress or it can be a symptom of dissociation.
What is Dissociation?
Dissociation is a broad range of symptoms and experiences that can manifest physically, emotionally, and psychologically due to chronic stress, trauma, and/or adverse experiences. Experiencing dissociation can be unsettling and confusing, but gaining a deeper understanding of the clinical manifestations, attributes, and contributing factors can help to gain insight and awareness around this phenomenon.
Dissociation and its varied forms and expressions have been studied since the dawn of psychology. With more recent research on dissociation, we have learned more about the neurobiological causes of dissociation. Although dissociation has been studied and categorized into clinical disorders in the DSM (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), it is important to understand that dissociation is not pathological, rather it is a safety mechanism that is in place to keep ourselves safe from stressful or traumatic events and situations. However, depending on the severity of our experiences and trauma(s), dissociation can develop into a more serious presentation in which parts of our psyche are split off from the others (i.e. Dissociative Identity Disorder).
Types of Dissociation
Dissociation is often difficult to definitively categorize and people can experience different kinds of dissociation depending on their history and current situation. The following are several categories of dissociation.
Disconnection/Everyday Dissociation
Disconnection or everyday dissociation is something that happens to everyone at some point. It is the feeling of being “spaced out” or on “auto-pilot.” Sometimes we stare off into space, daydreaming or thinking about something else. Maybe we “zone out” while our co-worker is talking to us or as we pull into our driveway without remembering our drive home. We also can turn to different activities like scrolling on social media or binge-watching our favorite TV shows as ways to dissociate from our daily stresses. While there is nothing wrong with watching TV or going on social media, doing so mindlessly we disconnect from ourselves and others.
Depersonalization
Depersonalization is a more intense experience of dissociation in which a person feels a sense of severe detachment from their body and mind. Some people report feeling an out-of-body experience, like they are watching themselves from outside of themselves, or looking in the mirror and not being able to recognize themselves. People experiencing depersonalization often have a warped sense of time and space, and can feel numb to their surroundings and experiences.
Derealization
Derealization is similar in severity to depersonalization, however rather than feeling outside of yourself, it is the world that feels fake or false in some way. People experiencing derealization report feeling like life is passing by like a movie or that they are on a TV set. Life can feel foggy, blurry, and/or visually distorted.
Dissociative Amnesia
Dissociative amnesia is the inability to recall specific memories or feeling like you have gaps in memory. Many survivors of childhood trauma report not being able to remember large periods of time in their childhood (i.e middle school or ages 4-7). Many times when we experience dissociation, we are in a fear response: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn mode. When our fear is activated, our prefrontal cortex (the part needed for decision making and helping with memory consolidation) is offline. Therefore, if someone is spending a lot of time dissociating from their trauma they can have trouble with memory.
Dissociative/Fragmented Identity
Dissociative or fragmented identity is typically the experience of those suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). We all have innate “parts” of ourselves that develop over time, but when a person experiences trauma these parts can split from each other forming distinct personalities that have separate experiences, wants, and needs. Persons who experience fragmented personalities report other forms of dissociation including depersonalization, derealization, and dissociative amnesia when switching between alternate personalities. DID is the most intense form of dissociation and is typically a result of severe pre-verbal trauma, abuse, or neglect. While DID is portrayed often in media, it is rather rare in the general population.
Trauma and Dissociation
Since dissociation is often a protective mechanism, it is important to understand what it might be protecting us from. Trauma, which can be defined as “the response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms an individual's ability to cope, causes feelings of helplessness, diminishes their sense of self and their ability to feel the full range of emotions and experiences.” These disturbing experiences can lead to chronic, cyclical activation of the autonomic nervous system, swinging between hyperarousal and hypoarousal.
Dissociation & the Body
Symptoms of autonomic dysregulation include: increased heart rate, lightheadedness, hypervigilance, irritability, nausea, gastrointestinal distress, shifts in mood, panic, numbing, avoidance, withdrawal, and flattened affect (or mood).
Flashbacks are also common in people who are struggling with PTSD and dissociation. Flashbacks are sudden moments of re-experiencing trauma and can be triggered by a familiar or similar event. During a flashback the body responds similarly to how it did during the traumatic event fully believing the event is happening again.
It can be deeply difficult and distressing to our bodies to experience these extreme oscillations in experience and that is where dissociation comes in to “help” us separate ourselves from our embodied experience(s) of trauma, including feelings of pain, panic, fear, grief, shame, and guilt. Dissociation can be very helpful in the moment to get us through terrifying or uncomfortable moments, but in the long run it can also disconnect us from joy, happiness, peace, and our spirit.
What Now?
Dealing with Dissociation
Dissociation is something that will always occur on some level throughout our lives. Therefore, the goal is not to eliminate this defense mechanism, but to grow awareness of our patterns and triggers for dissociation by learning how to process emotions, heal trauma, and be in our bodies.
Practices to navigate dissociation and healing
Mindfulness/Grounding Exercises
Mindfulness and grounding tools are a great place to start with learning about our dissociative tendencies and helping us to return to the present moment.
Exercise: Five Senses
Take a deep breath and then name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can feel, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. This helps bring you into your senses in the current moment.
Somatic embodiment exercises
Somatic embodiment exercises help us get into our bodies. Many times the body cannot distinguish between a physical or emotional threat, so getting to know your emotions and how they show up in your body is crucial to gain a deeper understanding of what is truly happening in your body.
Exercise: Body Scan
Bring your awareness to your breath and then slowly scan your body starting at the top of your head, slowly scanning your body until you get to your feet, spending a moment to feel your feet connected to the ground. As you scan your body, note any sensations you have.
Track your triggers
Tracking your triggers helps to understand patterns and what’s happening in the present moment. Once we start to increase our awareness of dissociation we might notice that certain people, places, objects, or feelings might trigger our dissociation response.
Exercise: Keep a journal or log
Track your mood, feelings, and triggers throughout the day/week/month. Note what happened (the trigger), sensations in your body, and how you navigated the situation. Depending on how a situation went, note what went well or what you could have done differently if you had more resources on board.
Parts work/Trauma therapy
Therapy is a powerful tool to help heal past traumas and gain insight into your defense mechanisms. Seeking support from a therapist who is trained in trauma modalities and parts work is helpful to get a deeper understanding of our patterns and parts of self that have developed based on our past experiences.
If you are curious about learning more about or struggling with dissociation or trauma please reach out to the therapists at Evolve in Nature. Our therapists are trauma-informed, work with somatic therapies to help you connect with your body and feelings, and are trained in specific trauma modalities such as EMDR, Brainspotting, and parts work.