A few important facts about dissociation

🔸 Dissociation is a physiological survival response. It happens when things get too much (extreme stress, abuse, surgery etc… ) for your system. 

🔸When you dissociate you can feel slow, confused, numb and disconnected. 

🔸Dissociation is not a choice. It happens without your conscious decision. When overwhelmed, your body simply switches gear and dissociation happens. 

🔸Dissociation is one of the expressions of the parasympathetic nervous system. 

🔸People who have dealt with trauma/s by dissociating, may continue to dissociate even during minor daily challenges and stresses.

🔸Dissociation is an adaptive function to trauma. It serves the purpose of survival. It helped you to cope with what was too overwhelming at the time. But the use of dissociation to cope with daily minor stresses interferes with your ability to be fully present and productive in life. 

🔸The best way to resolve dissociation is to work towards gently discharging incomplete stress responses from your body and building up capacity and resilience in the nervous system.