Dissociation can be a response to a traumatic event or can be part of a mental health condition.
However, its thought that more people have these conditions but go undiagnosed.
This article explains the meaning of dissociation, the types and degrees of the condition, and the symptoms.
Verywell / Theresa Chiechi
For example, if you witness an accident, it may feel like what you saw wasnt real.
It feels like what is happening around you is not happeningtoyou.
Symptoms of depersonalization include:
What Does Dissociation Look Like?
The person may seem different from their usual self.
Derealization
Derealizationis a feeling of unreality relating to other people, places, or objects.
Dissociative Amnesia
People with dissociative amnesia have memory gaps in information about themselves (autobiographical).
Usually, the gaps relate to stressful or traumatic memories.
How Is Dissociative Amnesia Different From Dementia?
Their identity splits into at least two distinct personality states.
About 90% of people with dissociative identity disorder experienced overwhelming childhood abuse or neglect.
It is a jot down of dissociative amnesia.
The onset of dissociative fugue is generally associated with trauma and other stressful life events.
The episodes can suddenly stop or gradually decrease over time.
These structures include theamygdalaand hippocampus (also associated with emotion regulation).
Persistent symptoms can negatively affect a persons ability to function in their day-to-day life and interfere with their relationships.
Complications of dissociation can include:
Does Trauma Cause Symptoms?
If a loved one is experiencing dissociation, there are ways that you’re free to support them.
When they are dissociating, try not to take it personally.
Remember that when a person is dissociating, they may need help remembering to use grounding techniques.
Showing them empathy and being patient is key to supporting them through these episodes.
It may feel like you are watching a movie of your life when you’re dissociating.
Trauma is a major cause of dissociation and dissociative disorders.
you might learn to manage the symptoms with strategies like grounding techniques.
Therapy and medication can also be useful, particularly if you have a dissociative disorder.
American Psychiatric Association.What are dissociative disorders?
Mental Health America.Dissociation and dissociative disorders.
Alzheimer’s Society.Memory loss and dementia.
Clouden TA.Dissociative amnesia and dissociative fugue in a 20-Year-old woman With schizoaffective disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.Cureus.
Published online May 26, 2020.
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM5).
American Psychological Association.Dissociative fugue.
Raval CM, Upadhyaya S, Panchal BN.Dissociative fugue: Recurrent episodes in a young adult.Ind Psychiatry J.
2015;24(1):88-90. doi:10.4103/0972-6748.160944
National Alliance on Mental Illness.Dissociative disorders.
Better Health Victoria (Australia).Dissociation and dissociative disorders.
International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation.Fact sheet III: Trauma-related dissociation: An introduction.
American Psychiatric Association.Warning signs of mental illness.
