Dissociation (psychology)

Dissociation, in the realm of psychology, is a complex phenomenon that refers to a wide spectrum of experiences that involve a certain level of detachment from reality. These experiences can range from mild emotional detachment from immediate surroundings to a more severe disconnection from physical and emotional experiences. It is crucial to differentiate dissociation from psychosis where there is a loss of reality, while in dissociation there is more of a disengagement or disconnection from it.

Understanding Dissociation

Dissociative experiences are essentially a disconnection between a person's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of who they are. This is a normal process that everyone has experienced. Examples of mild, normal dissociation include daydreaming, highway hypnosis or "losing oneself" in a book or movie. All of these involve "losing touch" with awareness of one's immediate surroundings.

On a more severe and chronic level, dissociation can lead to disorders, such as dissociative identity disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder), dissociative amnesia, and depersonalization-derealization disorder.

Causes of Dissociation

Dissociation is often thought to be a coping mechanism that a person uses to disconnect from a stressful or traumatic situation, or to separate traumatic memories from normal awareness. It is believed that this is an unconscious survival response to protect the individual from the full impact of the trauma.

Diagnosis

Dissociative disorders are diagnosed based on the presence of persistent and recurrent episodes of dissociation that are causing distress or impairment in functioning. This diagnosis is often made through a detailed history taking, mental status examination and in some cases, psychological testing.

Treatment

Treatment for dissociative disorders often involves psychotherapy, with the aim of helping the individual safely recall and process the traumatic memories that are believed to be at the root of the dissociative symptoms. Other treatment modalities include cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Medication might be used for comorbid disorders, such as depression or anxiety, but there is no specific drug to treat dissociation itself.

References

Dissociation (psychology) Resources
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