What is Dissociation?

Dissociation is when a person feels disconnected from their thoughts, feelings, memories, or surroundings. It’s like the mind is trying to protect them from something stressful, scary, or overwhelming by “switching off” for a while. People often describe it as feeling numb, spaced out, or as if they’re watching themselves from outside their body.

Everyone experiences mild dissociation from time to time. For example, you might daydream at work and not hear what someone just said, or drive somewhere and not remember parts of the trip. That’s normal and usually not a problem.

However, for some people, dissociation happens more often or more intensely. It can be a response to trauma, such as abuse, accidents, or other upsetting events. When something is too painful to handle, the brain may “disconnect” to help the person cope. This is more common in people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (CPTSD).

There are different types of dissociation. Some people might feel like the world around them isn’t real (derealization), or like they themselves aren’t real (depersonalization). Others may have trouble remembering important events or feel like different parts of themselves aren’t fully connected. In rare cases, this can lead to a condition called Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), where a person has different identities or “parts.”

Dissociation can be confusing or frightening, especially if someone doesn’t understand what’s happening. But with support, therapy (such as EMDR or IFS), and coping tools, people can learn to manage it and feel more present and connected.