What is dissociation? How to return to security?

One of the survival responses of the physique is freezing in sure conditions to take ourselves away from a painful half trauma. In this case, typically folks dissociate from their our bodies. “Dissociation is a normal protective response that falls under the immobilisation or freeze response. The ability to disconnect from your body or mind allows you to find safety elsewhere in moments of need. Derealisation and depersonalisation are types of dissociation, which can feel like you’re not connected to your environment or you’re floating above your body.⁠ These states and response systems are completely involuntary and automatic, your body and brain’s way of keeping you safe.,” wrote Therapist Anna Papaioannou as she defined the method of dissociation.

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Some of the signs of dissociation included not feeling like part of the physique, or feeling like an observer observing ourselves from exterior, and never being conscious of the environment we’re in and changing into absorbed in issues. Feeling overwhelmed or as a way to deal with stress or panic, dissociation occurs because the physique’s survival response. In their day by day lives, folks typically swap off someday to recharge themselves and get again to actuality. When we stock the burden of previous traumas, typically dissociation occurs in later levels of life as quickly as we spot comparable hazard. Disconnecting from the physique allows us to maneuver previous the scenario with out getting absorbed and affected by it – this might help us by way of excessive bodily, psychological and emotional struggling.

But how can we return to security from dissociation? Here are a couple of methods:

Glimmers: Glimmers are optimistic indicators to assist ourselves really feel that we’re protected within the current. From calming music to strolling barefoot on grass, or spending time in nature, or being within the presence of our family members can act because the sign of security for the physique and assist us get again to actuality from dissociation.

Touch: Soothing contact from ourselves or folks we join with might help us activate positivity and return to security. However, sudden contact could be triggering, and we must always method it slowly.