How To Stop Dissociating? These Strategies May Work for You

What is dissociation and how to get out of dissociation?

According to the American Psychiatric Association, dissociation is: “a disconnection between a person’s thoughts, memories, feelings, actions or sense of who he or she is.” (1)

Then is dissociation bad? Not entirely.

Everyone experiences some kind of dissociation from time to time which can also be called the experience of being in a “flow” state. 

When in a “flow,” you feel fully absorbed in the activity you are doing and may not notice your surroundings or yourself. Perhaps it’s when you are dancing, playing the guitar, or simply getting lost in a fascinating novel.

However, the dissociation that we are discussing here is understood as a coping mechanism used by individuals to manage and survive intense stress or trauma. 

What are the causes and symptoms?

So, what causes dissociation? 

The primary causes are typically linked to traumatic experiences, particularly those occurring in early childhood; however, they can also be the result of repeated trauma in adulthood. 

This can include physical or sexual abuse, emotional neglect, being a part of or witnessing a terrifying event, such as a war, or living in a hostile, unsafe environment. 

Chronic stress and some types of mental health disorders, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Borderline Personality Disorder, and some forms of depression, such as Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), may also lead to dissociation (1). Dissociation can also result as a symptom that relates to anxiety (2).

Common symptoms of dissociation may include:

• Amnesia (An inability to recall autobiographical information) 
• Spacing or blanking out
• Constantly recalling a certain memory (Usually happens with PTSD)
• Depersonalization (Feeling like watching yourself in a third-person view)
• Derealization (Feeling like you are in a dream or a movie, disconnected from your surroundings)
• Identity confusion (Not sure who you are)
• Identity alteration (Having multiple identities)

Dissociation as a coping mechanism?

Well, how does dissociation can be used as a coping strategy?

At its core, dissociation functions as a coping mechanism as it is the mind and body’s way of pressing the ‘pause’ button, disconnecting from emotionally charged thoughts, memories, sensations, or emotions when they become too overwhelming (3).

While the short-term, protective function of dissociation serves as a survival mechanism at the moment, especially during acute stress or trauma, over-reliance on dissociation in the long term can lead to complex issues (4).

Dissociative Amnesia, Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder, and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) may emerge and thus cause more problems in one’s daily life. DID is when different “parts” or personalities develop as the result of recurrent trauma, often in childhood. 

For instance, in the Marvel TV series Moon Knight (spoiler alert!), the protagonist, Marc, created a new identity as a coping mechanism to handle his childhood traumatic experience. This manifestation of Dissociative Identity Disorder causes memory gaps and significant challenges in his social life.

Non-epileptic seizures and other conversion disorder (somatic) symptoms are also evident in some presentations of Dissociative Identity Disorder. These are manifestations of DID in the body. 

What does anxiety dissociation feel like? – Dissociative Panic Attack

Dissociation with anxiety or panic attacks can feel quite distressing and surreal.

During such an episode, you might feel detached or disconnected from your own body, as if you’re observing yourself, like watching a movie. This is known as depersonalization. You may feel as though you’re in a dream or that things around you aren’t real, called derealization symptoms (5). 

Like in the movie Momento, you may also experience a form of memory loss, where you can’t remember details about yourself or what happened during the panic attack. 

Physical sensations can also be part of the experience. It’s common to have heightened senses; noises may seem louder than usual, lights brighter, and you might feel your surroundings closing in on you (6). Although people going through dissociation episodes may notice some of the experiences described above, they may not always realize that these are coping techniques to deal with trauma. 

Working with a mental health professional is recommended if the symptoms of dissociation cause functional impairments in one’s life. 

How to get rid of dissociation? 8 powerful methods

Dissociation can become a problem and interfere with your daily life, especially dissociation at work. No one wants to blank out at an important meeting.

If you are wondering how to deal with dissociation, the key is to practice being present. So next time you realize that you are disconnecting from yourself, you can try one of these practices:

1. Choose a personal object: Just like the protagonist in Inception has a spinner to remind him that he is in reality, you can have a small personal object, such as a coin or a watch, to help you snap back into the present moment.
2. Be mindful of your breath: Try finding a quiet place and sit comfortably. Slowly breathe in and out of your nose. 

One recommended practice is the 4-7-8 breathing method. This breathing practice encompasses inhaling for a count of four seconds, holding the breath for seven seconds, and exhaling for eight seconds. The theory behind this breathing method is that the exhale is slightly longer than the inhale, promoting parasympathetic dominance mode– helping the body and mind to relax. 

3. Mindfulness walk or forest bathing: If you prefer a more active practice, going for a walk in nature can also help you feel more present. 

Have a stroll in the park, and pay attention to your surroundings: How are the birds chirping? What are the colors of the leaves? How does the sun feel on your face? These practices have been found to reduce levels of cortisol, or the stress hormone in the body (7).

4. The 5-4-3-2-1 method: This is a popular grounding method that can help calm anxiety attacks while also helping people with dissociation regain their sense of awareness. Practice using your senses and notice five things around you:

• Five things you hear: These may include the sound of the AC or dogs barking outside. It can be intentional meditative music or a particular song that anchors you to the present moment. 
• Four things you see: This might be your reflection in the mirror or a color on the wall. It could also be a guided imagery exercise for further exploring this sense and its impact on regulating the body and mind. 
• Three things you can touch: Perhaps the seat beneath you or your feet on the ground. It could also be petting your dog—which can also be soothing to your nervous system. If you’re finding you need extra support grounding back into the present moment, holding a frozen orange may be particularly beneficial due to the cold, texture, and scent.
• Two things you can smell: This can be the scent of coffee or diffused lavender oil (having this on hand may also be a good idea as this scent has been found to be calming).
• One thing you can taste: Perhaps the taste of your lip balm. Or, you may want to even bite into an orange but be mindful of its citrus taste.

Besides the tips that can help you calm down at the moment, other practices can help you prevent dissociation in the long term and support you in regulating emotional distress and anxiety, tackling dissociation from its core:

5. Get quality sleep each night: Sleep is foundational for all aspects of our health, including our mental health. In fact, sleep deprivation has been suggested to induce acute dissociation (8). Furthermore, studies show that sleep disturbance can worsen anxiety (9). To get enough quality sleep, you can try these tips below to practice good sleep hygiene:

• Keep your room dark and cool
• Aim to get 15-30 minutes of sunlight first thing in the morning. This helps in regulating circadian rhythm, your body’s internal clock. 
• Limit screen time 1 hour before bed
• Go to bed at the same time every day
• Avoid caffeine 4 hours before bed

6. Get regular exercise: Regular exercise is proven to help lower anxiety (10). Try jogging, swimming, walking, dancing, or any type of physical activity for 30 – 60 minutes daily to feel more present and energetic.
7. Maintain a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet: A balanced diet with diverse, colorful vegetables, fruits, quality protein, and omega-3 fatty acids is foundational for mental health (11). 

The Mediterranean diet is an ideal choice. It provides the body with key micronutrients while limiting processed sugar and refined carbohydrates that can wreak havoc on mood. The Mediterranean Diet also supports microbiome health, further playing a role in mental health as a number of neurotransmitters important for mood are synthesized by beneficial strains of bacteria in the gut (12, 13). 

8. Keep a journal: Jotting your feelings down can help you identify the moments leading up to periods of dissociation and the triggers contributing to them.

 Reflecting on your feelings throughout the day can provide insight into your dissociation while supporting long-term mental health. In fact, research shows that just labeling your feelings has a soothing effect on the amygdala, the alarm center of the brain (14). If journaling doesn’t align with you, other forms of emotional identification and expression, such as art or poetry, maybe something helpful to explore. 

If dissociation interferes with your daily functioning, such as in your personal relationships, school, or work, reaching out to a mental health professional is recommended. 

The health professional can help you develop healthy coping strategies, such as mindfulness, grounding techniques, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Eye-Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) with the help of a skilled therapist may also address underlying trauma and get to the root of the dissociative behaviors (15). 

Somatic therapies, including yoga, biofeedback, and meditation, may be supportive in bringing the body and mind back into balance. Yoga and meditation, for instance, can improve vagal tone, which has positive effects on the nervous system and mood (16). Biofeedback can also provide insight into one’s triggers of dissociation, as it provides a measurement of one’s nervous system functioning in real-time.