What Is Dissociation?

Dissociation is a broad survival response that can range from spacing out to severe disconnection from memory, identity, body, or environment. 1 2 3

Main ideas

  • Mild dissociation is common; severe, chronic dissociation can become disabling.
  • Dissociation may protect someone during overwhelming experiences, then create problems later when it disrupts continuity and choice.
  • Grounding, pacing, and safety skills usually come before intense trauma processing.

Questions for reflection

  • When does disconnection show up most often?
  • What helps the body notice the present without force?
  • What early warning signs mean it is time to slow down?

Clinical note

The goal is not to shame dissociation away. The goal is to build enough safety that the mind has more options.

Footnotes

  1. Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020). Dissociative disorders. In Psychology 2e. OpenStax. Section 15.9, paragraph on dissociative disorders. Text-fragment link to the section definition. ↩

  2. Beauty After Bruises. (2022). The BASK model of trauma memory. Educational explainer. Accessible trauma-memory education page. ↩

  3. International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation. (2011). Guidelines for treating dissociative identity disorder in adults, third revision. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 12(2), 115-187. pp. 115-187. Full adult DID treatment guideline PDF. ↩

Up next

Identity States and Amnesia

Identity states can hold different memories, emotions, roles, skills, or body sensations, sometimes with partial or full amnesia between them.

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Independent from NPD Recovery. Educational content only, not emergency or medical care.