What is Dissociation, anyway?
I am not a therapist, but as publisher of MANY VOICES since 1989, I’d like to tell you a little about dissociation as I understand it. Some of this is based on my own experience as one diagnosed with DD-NOS. (That’s Shrink-speak for "Dissociative Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified.")Though
nearly everyone has experienced episodes of dissociation (unknowingly
passing up an exit on a freeway, "blanking out" occasionally)
people with a Dissociative Disorder use dissociation routinely
to cope with stress. Think of it as a way to "escape" without leaving
the scene.
It seems that DD develops in people who (a) have the capacity to dissociate
(b) are subject at an early age to repeated trauma (often child abuse—physical,
sexual, emotional or all three—but sometimes other traumas, such as
operations to correct birth defects.) The results can range from annoying
problems with memory, to extreme disconnection of various parts of the
self from each other, often with amnesia. For example, feelings such
as anger may be segmented off from the rest of the personality and emerge
in an uncontrolled fashion, or roles such as work or marriage may be
handled by one or more parts or fragments of the personality, leaving
the rest of the individual ill-equipped and possibly unaware of these
activities. Thus, a wonderful housewife and mother might have parts
of herself that really don’t "believe"
they have a husband and children, and don’t interact with them
the way "the mother" does.
People with an untreated Dissociative Disorder may appear to function well in society, yet inside they may feel awful, confused, crazy because of "lost time" and bewildered by the extreme changes of mood and belief they experience. Suicidal feelings are common, and some may attempt suicide. Many are seriously depressed. Other self-destructive behaviors include cutting or self-mutilation, substance abuse, eating disorders, associating with abusive persons, or undermining their own constructive goals. Some people with a Dissociative Disorder repeat the abusive behavior they experienced as children with others, even with their own children.
There is no level of society that’s immune to dissociation: there are physicians, lawyers, executives, computer programmers, salespeople, truck drivers, students and homemakers—as well as the homeless—who are working to recover from very uncomfortable dissociative symptoms.
However, with appropriate treatment, many people with DD greatly improve their level of functioning and personal comfort. Some learn to cooperate internally, and stop their harmful behaviors. Others eventually "integrate" or reconnect the separated parts of the personality, reaping additional benefits such as added energy and inner peace.
There are several different diagnoses that come under the heading of a Dissociative Disorder. An experienced therapist can best explain these differences, or you can read about them in the DSM-IV, available at your local library.
No one chooses to have a serious emotional health problem. But each of us can choose to do our best to get better, and live healthier lives. I’ll be glad to send anyone who writes a free sample issue of MANY VOICES. For professionals, an excellent source of treatment information is the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD- new name of the former ISSD or International Society for the Study of Dissociation) at 8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300, McLean, VA 22102 . Website www.isst-d.org.
Sincerely,
Lynn
W.
Editor/Publisher
(513)751-8020
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