Dissociation is the disruption in the normal continuity of consciousness, memory, identity, or perception. In its mild form, everyone experiences it (driving on "autopilot," absorption in a movie). In traumatic contexts, it is the nervous system's response to an inescapable threat: disconnecting to survive. In its severe forms, it fragments identity.
Concept origin
Janet (1889) described dissociation as the basis of hysteria. Van der Hart, Nijenhuis, and Steele (2006) developed the Theory of Structural Dissociation of the Personality, explaining how trauma fragments personality into parts that separate to function. Trauma System Therapy and parts work (IFS) are modern derived approaches.
How it manifests
- ▸ Feeling of "floating" or watching one's own life from the outside (depersonalization)
- ▸ Unexplained memory gaps (lost time)
- ▸ Feeling that the world is not real or is distant (derealization)
Therapeutic approach
Treating trauma-associated dissociation follows Herman's three-phase model: stabilization (grounding skills, flashback management), trauma processing, and reintegration. Grounding techniques (sensory orientation to the present) are essential before any processing work.
Related concepts
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