Dissociative Disorders  home contact us
Dissociation is a common strategy that survivors of trauma use literally for survival.  To dissociate is a general human experience. For example how many people go to the dentist and once sitting in the chair, mouth open, focus on the ceiling or some inner memory to avoid the actuality of the treatment they are about to receive. That is a normal creative human response to a situation perceived as unpleasant.

For those who experience trauma such as a car accident it is common for the memory of the incident to be blanked out or hazy. This is a similar survival strategy that allows the mind to assimilate slowly the traumatic event.

There are various degrees of dissociation and dissociative identity disorder is at the higher end of the spectrum.  Children who are traumatised, sexually abused, have brains that are still developing. If the trauma is great the brain may 'blank' the event and create a coping strategy where another 'person' experiences the trauma. If the trauma is repeated the process of coping can also repeat. The result in the adult survivor can be memory loss that leads to later recovery of memories. Therapists awareness that the child's creation of alternate 'personas' can extend into adulthood is growing and much research is being done to understand how to help these survivors heal. This extreme form of dissociation can lead to confusion, chaos, and other symptomatic behaviour. 

Mind, the UK organisation that publishes information on many conditions has an excellent booklet on the different levels of dissociation, it offers information in a well presented format. We recommend that anyone interested in this subject visits the following link: http://www.mind.org.uk/Information/Booklets/Understanding/Understanding+dissociative+disorders.htm

First Person Plural are a charitable group formed to create awareness of Dissociative Disorders click the link to visit their website: www.firstpersonplural.org.uk
See book reviews for information on books on this subject. Also please email if anyone has read a book they feel helpful.
We have opened a page on the site dedicated to dissociative conditions. The page gives opportunity for survivors with dissociative conditions to share.
Please click to visit the page on dissociation

Please click to view report on the Workshop held by First Person Plural

 

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