Understanding Dissociation: Signs and What Helps
Dissociation: what is it and what helps?
Do you sometimes feel as if you are beside yourself, wrapped in cotton wool or numb inside? Then you may have experienced dissociation. In this post you will learn what dissociative states are, how to recognize them, and which grounding exercises can bring you back to the here and now.
Please note: these symptoms should always be checked by a psychotherapist and a physician. This article is for general information only and does not replace psychotherapy.
What is dissociation?
Psychotherapists speak of dissociation when perception or awareness is temporarily cut off or distorted. You then barely notice yourself or your surroundings, or you lose your sense of space and time.
Basically, everyone knows mild dissociative states. But they happen more often in people who are under high tension or suffer from inner restlessness. Many describe dissociation as emotional emptiness or numbness, as "spacing out", or as feeling they have lost contact with themselves or with other people.
Why do we dissociate? The protective function
To a certain degree, dissociation is healthy and serves an important protective function. When we are injured, we feel the pain less at first, so we can still act. An emergency doctor, too, can "function" in stressful situations thanks to this automatic distance, instead of being flooded by feelings.
Dissociation becomes a problem when it affects your daily life: when it happens often, involuntarily and in a distressing way, without being helpful in the situation. It still protects you from unpleasant feelings, but in the long run it keeps you from facing those feelings and the situations behind them.
How to recognize dissociation: typical signs
Dissociation can look very different and last from a few seconds to several hours. These signs can point to it:
- You have gaps in your memory.
- You feel as if you are standing beside yourself.
- You feel empty or numb inside.
- You often get a fixed, blank "tunnel vision" stare.
- Your thoughts often drift off.
- You perceive situations as blurred or muted.
- Sounds or voices seem to come from far away.
- You feel as if you are under a glass dome or wrapped in cotton wool.
- In your mind, you are not in the here and now.
- You can't feel yourself or parts of your body. This is often announced by tingling or a feeling of cold.
Dissociation: what can you do?
Dissociation does not necessarily have to be "fought". After all, it has a protective function. A good first step is to understand when and why this state occurs, and whether you want to change something about it. A life that meets your needs can sometimes prevent dissociation, because the protective mechanism is needed less often.
Two approaches have proven helpful for finding your way out of a dissociative state: strong sensory input and mindfulness exercises.
Strong sensory input
- Run cold water over your hands and forearms, or take a cold shower
- Eat something very spicy or sour, such as a chili pepper or an extremely sour candy
- Use an acupressure ring or a spiky massage ball
- Smell something very intense, such as ammonia smelling salts or peppermint oil
- Make conscious contact with the ground: press your feet firmly into the floor
- Open the window and consciously breathe in fresh air
- Wall sit: lean against a wall with bent knees and hold the position for two minutes. If you don't feel a pull in your thighs, bend your knees a little more.
Mindfulness exercises
- Mindful walking: Walk slowly and consciously. Focus on one sense at a time: What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you feel? What do you see?
- Body scan: Sit down for two minutes, close your eyes if you like, and move your attention from your head down to your feet. Notice what you feel and where.
- 5-4-3-2-1 exercise: Name 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you feel, 2 things you smell and 1 thing you taste.
Tip: It works best to catch dissociation right at the start. This takes practice and good self-awareness. Over time, you will recognize the early warning signs better and better. Related reading: my post on regulating high tension.
When should you seek help?
Dissociation can be clinically relevant and may point to a physical or mental health condition, for example in connection with trauma, anxiety disorders or depression. If dissociative states happen often or weigh heavily on you, please have them checked by a physician or psychotherapist.
As a licensed psychological psychotherapist (behavioral therapy) and psychologist (M.Sc.) with my own private practice in Munich, I support people with ADHD, borderline, depression, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders in individual and group therapy. Together we find out what lies behind your dissociation and how you can regulate your tension better.
Quick answers
Is dissociation dangerous?
Mild dissociative states are normal and harmless. If they happen often, last long or are distressing, they should be checked by a professional.
How long does dissociation last?
It varies a lot, from a few seconds to several hours.
What helps quickly against dissociation?
Strong sensory input such as cold water, spicy food or intense smells brings many people back fastest. In the long run, mindfulness exercises and recognizing early warning signs help.
