What is dissociation? This is a term that may have been used by your therapist, particularly if you are in trauma focused therapy. However, googling this term can bring up some intimidating results about what dissociation is. This article aims to look at the form of dissociation that most commonly comes up in therapy sessions- depersonalisation and derealisation.
Dissociation can bring up results of serious mental health issues because it is a very broad term. It captures experiences that can be as drastically different as absent mindedly making a cup of tea to dissociative identity disorder. This article will focus on the derealisation and depersonalisation forms of dissociation. The other forms of dissociation are amnesia and identity (which includes DID).
Derealisation dissociation is the feeling of being disconnected from your environment. Depersonalisation dissociation is feeling disconnected from your own body/self. Dissociation can give you a feeling that things are unreal. It can feel like being emotionally numb, or that you are behind a plane of glass, or that you are watching yourself from the outside. However, everyone’s experience with dissociation will be unique to them.
This may be a long term strategy for coping with stress and be common for you. Alternatively, it could be a one off experience during a very stressful situation. In general dissociation is a method to deal with something very stressful, which includes traumatic events. It is almost a way to switch off from what is happening to you. Dissociation can last a short time (hours or days) or can be experienced for longer. It is usually developed as a coping strategy that we had to use when we were young to get through stressful situations.
Dissociation can be caused by traumatic events, either a one-off event or ongoing abuse, extreme stress, other mental health problems and/or side effects from alcohol or medication. It can also be used as part of religious or cultural practices.
Dissociation can be treated through talking therapies where you can develop a better understanding of the causes of the dissociation and find strategies and methods to help control it in future. EMDR can also be helpful for working through traumatic memories, which can then reduce dissociation.