Dissociation

There is a name for when I emotionally check out, it's called dissociation. Per google Dissociation is a disconnection between a person's sensory experience, thoughts, sense of self, or personal history. It disrupts four areas that usually operate together smoothly, automatically with few problems. Consciousness, Identity, memory and self awareness.

There are three types of dissociative disorders but I only relate to two.

1. Depersonalization-derealization disorder: The condition involves feeling detached from one's own body and thoughts. People may feel that they are observing their own life as an outsider or feel disconnected from their surroundings.

2. Dissociative amnesia: This condition characterized by forgetting personal information and memories of events.

These also could be symptoms of depression, epilepsy, migraines, and PTSD which I have been diagnosed with. After being in treatment I've had more symptoms like flashbacks of traumatic events, Before treatment I had memory loss about certain events, no connections to my emotions and feeling numb.

Causes are trauma, drug use, mental conditions.

They can do a DES, SCID, and CAPS quiz to make sure they rule anything else out.

a. DES: Dissociative Experiences Scale

b. SCID: Structured Clinical Interview for Dissociation

c. CAPS: Clinician-Administered PTSD scale

There are three kinds of therapy, CBT, DBT, and EMDR that can help. Also learning healthy coping skills can help reduce the amount of times it happens. Getting enough sleep every night, relaxing, exercise, healthy diet, managing or avoiding triggers, and grounding techniques.

a. CBT: Cognitive behavioral therapy

b. DBT: Dialectical behavioral therapy

c. EMDR: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing

It's possible to experience these things without knowing; sudden mood changes, not being able to remember personal details, or feeling disconnected.

I've came a long way but still have so much work to do. Most people can have disassociation and not even realize it. One of the big thing's I am learning in treatment is to be aware of myself. I am always good at being aware of everyone else and their needs. So it's my turn to be aware of me and what I need.