You might have heard the term ‘dissociation’ when talking about mental illness – but what does it actually mean?
Well, to dissociate means you may feel disconnected from yourself and the world around you.
According to Mind, you may feel ‘detached from your body’ or feel as though the world around you is unreal. But every experience of dissociation is different – which is important to remember.
Dissociation may happen as a way the mind copes with too much stress, such as during a traumatic event.
Many people experience dissociation, but if you dissociate for a long time when you are young, or regularly, you may develop a dissociative disorder – so dissociation becomes a much more common experience, and may turn into the main way you deal with stress.
Dissociation can be a natural response to trauma that is out of your control. For instance, a one-off traumatic event or ongoing trauma – the latter of which might mean dissociation happens more frequently.
Dissociation can also be a way of calming down, or as a symptom of a mental illness, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder.
In fact, around 75-80% of people with BPD report having experienced dissociation at least once.
Dissociation can also become a disorder, of which includes but is not limited to: dissociative identity disorder, derealisation disorder and unspecified dissociative disorder, which is where you have symptoms that don’t fit into any other diagnosis.
To be diagnosed with a dissociative disorder, you need to undergo a full assessment with a psychiatrist, of which you can receive a referral through your GP. There are also self-care methods to help you cope such as: trying grounding techniques, keeping a journal, joining support groups, making a personal crisis plan, and trying visualisation.
For both dissociative disorders and dissociation experienced as a symptom of another mental illness, talking therapies can help, though it’s very important to choose the right therapist who will understand and support you – for instance, one who specialises in your symptoms; because dissociation and dissociative disorders face a lot of stigma and a lot of therapists aren’t familiar with it.
But it’s important to know that there is support out there, and it can be very helpful to talk to people you will be able to relate to – especially to remind you that you are absolutely not alone.
Right now, therapy might be harder to access due to the Covid-19 pandemic. If you are struggling, please call Samaritans on 116 123 to talk to someone who will listen and support you.
