The 5 Causes Of Dissociation

This is really good Kati! Agree on all of it and it’s a really good refresh for me as sometimes I only attribute my own dissociation to one thing. ❤

If you’re reading this right now, chances are life hasn’t been fair at all to you. You’ve faced a lot of trauma and disappointment, but you’ve also overcome so much. Keep taking it one day at a time, just breathe and know it will get better ❣

I disassociate a lot. More so as a child than I do now but it’s still there getting better. Love all your videos. Thank you

Im 22. I was recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder and manic depressive at the beginning of this year and got ditched by my therapist right after. I'm black. It's so hard to find actual help without being randomly abandoned. I don't think talk therapy helps, but I'm in the lowest level of poverty, from flint so shit services. My dissociation has gotten worse in the past 4 years. I feel like my brain is constantly on fire, but I'm really trying to at least do my research.

I think I experienced dissociation during COVID lockdown times. When I would go outside it always felt like I was in a bubble. Everything was toned down, colors, sounds - everything felt very distant and it didn’t feel like I was in real life. More like a fluffy cloud. Super weird feeling, after several months these feelings went away more and more .

I think another good one to add to the list is pain. When you are in severe pain it is very hard to stay present and keep from dissociating

Dissociation and derealization have been ongoing since I tapered off benzos (valium and xanax mainly). I've been totally off the meds for three years but am still experiencing these symptoms. It's horrible feeling disconnected from yourself and reality. I've tried CBT, DBT, ACT and AA (a lot of letters) and have been hitting the gym almost every day for the past 6 months. And it's maybe a little better. But I still feel like I'm floating around in some weird existential void. It's worse than any sadness or anxiety I've had. You can't really describe it to someone who hasn't experienced it - they're basically living in a different reality, one which I used to take for granted. Oh well, whatever, it is what it is.

I remember dissociating, well, when I regained my consciousness of the world around me, I was in a constant dissociation, I mean it lasted years, I was in another world, I was not myself at all, unaware of the reality. Then something happened, and I had to come back to reality, but the alcohol abuse, the stressful events at work, the fear of homelessness, did not help me, all I can recall is walking my way back to home during a night after my night shift, having auditive hallucinations, seeing myself from another person eyes, blackout, and I am on an abandoned railway having more auditive hallucinations, hearing metal knocking. But hey, who cares ?!

Thank you very much. Yes please. PART 2.

So I have been diagnosed with C-PTSD and DP/DR. I just got back a couple weeks ago from a study abroad trip in Australia and New Zealand where I was able to finally get away from chronic trauma at home, and by the end I felt like my dissociation had slipped away, and my first week or two back in America I felt great. But I've been kind of thrown back into the fire so to speak, and also, because of a noisy environment in my house at night, I can't sleep very well, and so that's kind of bringing my dissociation back a little bit. Today, both my aunts, my cousin, and I are all visiting Oregon (we're from Washington) and it's just mostly been a fun relaxing day, but I found myself spacing out quite a bit and looking around at a too-bright world that felt a little surreal. And now, at the end of the day, I found myself having trouble recalling the day, and I was thinking to myself, "today has been a fun day, why am I dissociating?" because I already knew I was dissociating because of past and current trauma, and because of exhaustion which I was happy you pointed out, but then the last one quite possibly describes what I'm feeling- safety which is new to me an therefore my brain is distancing me from it.

I’ve been in DBT helping me with dissociation. It’s been a life changer.

this has been such an issue for me lately. I'm so grateful for your video, Katie.

Thank you for this. I've been extremely dissociated the past few weeks, especially because of moving and leaving a toxic relationship. I'm finally basically all settled into the new place. Yet I am CONSTANTLY in this intense daze. Like my eyes are just glazed over, and I find it too easy to just sit and stare at the wall. I talked to my therapist about this literally today. So I feel like you've been reading my mind! ^^ I've moved so many times in my life I've lost count, many times after a break-up. One break-up was due to a partner becoming violent. So it definitely makes sense that I'm dissociating so much. Plus not getting enough sleep, chronic illness, and pushing myself way past my limits trying to get everything in order, it just all makes sense. It's annoying at best, and alarming at worst when I suddenly realize literally HOURS have gone by, and I've lost track of time doing absolutely nothing. My therapist said that it's totally ok this is happening. That it's completely normal with all the stress I've been dealing with. He even said he'd be surprised if I WASN'T experiencing any of that lol. Thanks for confirming this Kati, it meant a lot.

Thank you for this important video Kati! I used to dissociate a lot when SH'ing when I was younger. It was scary not knowing what was going on. I never did find out until much later in life what dissociation was and why it happens.

13:39 The fact that you said that while I was actually coloring to soothe myself from feeling sick, made me emotional. 💛

Just came across your video, what a wonderful gift to hear you explain this so simple that my husband and I can understand!! He is the 7th of 9 children and I’m 10 of 10 children. We both experienced trauma and this is so informative!!

The last one was a real eye opener. Wow.

Thank you so much for these videos I can’t get my husband to go to therapy so I share these and he will watch them and it helps.

This has been far more helpful in explaining some of my students than many hours in Continuing Ed sessions. Thank you.

Thank you Katie, I enjoy your videos. It's good to keep hearing and learning about mental health.