Trauma and dissociation are often related, with dissociation often occurring as a coping mechanism for extreme traumatic situations. This can lead to dissociation disorders and even multiple personality disorder. Treatment may involve therapy to uncover underlying causes and medication. Mild forms of dissociation, such as daydreaming, can be part of a healthy lifestyle, but proper treatment can help those with dissociation disorders and PTSD lead productive lives.
Trauma and dissociation are related because one often feeds off the other. When someone experiences a very traumatic situation, they can learn to condition their brain to dissociate from it. This often happens in young children who experience frequent physical or sexual assaults. Sometimes with repeated exposure to trauma, a person can develop dissociation disorder. This happens in abusive situations, in soldiers who are involved in combat, and sometimes after a single highly traumatic event.
The relationship between trauma and dissociation has been studied, and most of the time dissociation occurs as a result of trauma, although many people experiencing extreme traumatic situations do not use dissociation as a coping technique. Many who use it are highly intelligent and creative, and this brain ability allows them to create separate realities that they can use to escape painful circumstances. Sometimes this can lead to separate identities or personalities that they continue to carry with them even after the trauma is over.
Trauma and dissociation are sometimes associated with multiple personality disorder. This is when a person claims more than one identity, and each separate entity appears to have no knowledge of the others. Sufferers switch from one personality to another, often without warning, in a process known as handover. Treatment may include medication or therapy to uncover the underlying causes of these extreme cases of dissociation.
Many people with these problems begin to use dissociation to escape even minor stresses or obstacles and often achieve very little due to constant personality changes or escapes from reality. In severe cases, you may not be able to function in a normal work or family environment. However, even some primarily healthy people may have some symptoms of a disorder, and there are varying degrees of personality disorder.
Nearly every person experiences some level of trauma and dissociation in their daily life, although most don’t think of these experiences that way. Daydreaming to relieve boredom or losing yourself in a movie or TV show after a stressful day are also forms of mild dissociation and can be part of a healthy lifestyle. That said, even these activities can be harmful if used too often or to escape all of life’s stressors.
With proper treatment, many people with dissociation disorders and PTSD can overcome their symptoms and lead productive lives. Overcoming these obstacles often involves therapy to discuss the sources of trauma and stress. Even those with only mild forms of the disorder, such as daydreaming or constant fantasies, can often benefit from certain therapies.
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