Dissociative Disorders and Plurality
Sometimes, feeling disconnected is how we learn to stay connected to life. Dissociation could look like losing time or it could be much quieter than that. You may experience arriving at work and not knowing how you got there or being in a crowded room and feeling like a fly on the wall. For some, dissociation includes distinct parts, identity, or internal voices.
At Heart True, we provide trauma-informed therapy in Albany, NY for adults experiencing dissociation, depersonalization, derealization, dissociative identity disorder (DID), other specified dissociative disorder (OSDD), parts, and experiences of plurality or multiplicity.
What is dissociation?
Dissociation is a broad term describing disruptions in the usual integration of consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, body awareness, and experience of the world around you.
Most importantly: dissociation isn't automatically a disorder.
Most people experience some degree of dissociation. You might drive a familiar route and realize you remember very little of the drive, become completely absorbed in a book, or mentally "check out" during an overwhelming experience.
For others, however, dissociation becomes more frequent, intense, or disruptive.
This is particularly common in people who have experienced chronic trauma, attachment disruption, abuse, neglect, overwhelming stress, or situations where physically escaping wasn't possible.
When you can't leave something overwhelming, sometimes your mind learns how to leave instead.
Dissociation can include:
Depersonalization is when you feel detatched from yourself, your body, thoughts, emotions, or actions. You might feel as though you're watching yourself from the outside or operating your body rather than fully inhabiting it.
Derealization is when you feel disconnected from your surroundings. The world may seem dreamlike, artificial, distant, foggy, flat, or somehow "not real."
Dissociative Amnesia is when you experience gaps in memory that go beyond ordinary forgetfulness. These gaps may involve traumatic experiences, periods of childhood, conversations, actions, or portions of everyday life.."
Dissociative Amnesia is when you experience gaps in memory that go beyond ordinary forgetfulness. These gaps may involve traumatic experiences, periods of childhood, conversations, actions, or portions of everyday life.."
Identity Disruption is when you experience significant shifts in your sense of self, preferences, emotions, behaviors, memories, skills, or ways of relating to other people. Some people experience these shifts as different "parts" of themselves. Others experience distinct identities or system members.
Studies have estimated that Dissociative Identity Disorder may affect approximately 1% of the general population and that about 4% of adults experience pathological levels of dissociation
Dissociative structures and parts are meaningful adaptations rather than symptoms that must be eliminated. Our approach to dissociation integrates DBT, IFS, somatic interventions, and ACT to increase present-moment awareness, emotional regulation, grounding, and internal communication.Through affirmation, curiosity, and collaboration, clients can develop greater safety, choice, and connection within themselves.