Dissociation

Dissociation is the disconnection from thoughts, feelings, memories or sense of identity. It is usually unconscious, though in some circumstances it can be intentional such as choosing to daydream rather than pay attention to a lecture or as a response to severe trauma. Dissociation ranges on a scale from mild to severe and may be brief (minutes) or more extended (hours/days).  Mild cases of dissociation are common but severe cases are indicative of experiences that are too overwhelming to manage so dissociation provides a way of exiting a traumatic situation.

An example of mild dissociation would be the state of mind that you may find yourself in while mindlessly poking a fireplace or driving a car on the same route after many previous trips so that the journey is familiar and comfortable allowing your mind to be in  another space (with memories or thoughts or feelings) while your body continues to safely and competently drive the car in an automatic mode.

In a more moderate case, you may find yourself losing time only discovering afterwards that you have been mentally absent without awareness and you may be a bit confused about where your mind was. This is an indication that seeking treatment from a psychologist may be warranted. 

 Even more seriously, people who have been severely abused such as in war or through child sexual assault or physical abuse can dissociate and lose their sense of identity and location.  This is a serious condition and long term psychological treatment is warranted.

If you are concerned about dissociation, you may wish to complete this free online screening assessment for dissociative experiences.

An uncommon condition that can occur is when a person dissociates so completely from themselves that they adopt a new identity and can become ‘lost’ for days, weeks or months.  This is called a fugue state or dissociative amnesia and these people have no awareness or memory of their real identity as they create their new life.  This article details the experiences of Hannah Upp who suffered with dissociative amnesia and whose story was later told in a documentary Vanished in Paradise. Many movies have been made based on this concept and most are horror or thriller genre such as Secret Obsession.  Other less horror/thriller themed movies include Fugue about a woman named Alicja who does not know how she lost her memory, and how she has created a new, independent life for herself over two years, turning her back on her unknown past. Or you may be interested in watching Regarding Henry with Harrison Ford about a rude corporate lawyer who  is shot in the head and suffers from amnesia, then as he recovers, he reveals a much kinder personality that surprises his family and friends.

Below are some resources providing further information about dissociation.  If you have experienced trauma and dissociation these resources may not be suitable for you.