Dissociation Vs Disassociation; What’s The Difference?

Dissociation happens when a person feels detached from their thoughts, identity, or surroundings, often as a reaction to trauma or stress. It is an automatic response and a recognized mental health condition. Disassociation, on the other hand, is a deliberate choice to separate from certain thoughts, beliefs, or situations. It is not a medical condition but rather a way to create emotional or mental distance.

Dissociation

Disassociation:

Key Takeaway:

Dissociation is an involuntary psychological response, often requiring medical attention, while disassociation is a personal choice to separate from something, with no clinical significance.

Read: Getting Over Someone You Work With Your 10-Step Guide.

Why Learning the Difference Is Essential? 

Dissociation has two main categories that end up getting confused with one another. Dissociation is the act of severing oneself from one’s ideas or emotions, whereas disassociation is the act of severing oneself from a particular event. 

We will assist you in comprehending this distinction, the significance of it for your daily life, and how to deal with either type on a personal level.

What Is Dissociation?

Dissociation is a psychological concept where people detach themselves from their thoughts, feelings, memories, or even the sense of who they are.

It is common in people who have had to experience any sort of tragedy or trauma in life; however, some people develop some kind of  Dissociation that needs severe attention and treatment.

Types of Dissociation

1- Depersonalization disorder

People who develop this sort of Dissociation feel out of place and develop detachment from their emotions, feelings, or actions. It’s more like they feel like they’re watching someone else doing everything.

2- Dissociative amnesia

In this case, the person cannot process and forget the memories of a traumatic event while being aware that they’ve lost that chunk of their memory.

3- Dissociative identity disorder

This is also known as a personality disorder; in this case, people are often confused about who they are and develop multiple personalities.

Causes

The primary cause for Dissociation is mostly a traumatic experience or an accident sending people into shock. It could also develop by witnessing disturbing things. Such as: 

• Emotional or sexual abuse as a child can lead to a whole-blown traumatic experience as an adult. Furthermore, dissociation is a common factor for people with a trauma history. 
• Alcohol abuse or drugs is another major cause of such issues. Using substances can be a coping strategy for handling challenging feelings and memories. Dissociation may result as a side effect.
• Anxiety, depression, and other psychological problems may act as triggers. Dissociation can be an effective coping mechanism for overwhelming or stressful feelings.

Symptoms Of Dissociation: 

It can be hard to determine the symptoms of psychological issues because this term differs from other illnesses. There are specific indications, though, that you might rely on this coping strategy frequently.

These consist of:

• Depersonalization is the sensation of being cut off from reality or oneself. When someone has gone through a painful situation, it frequently happens.
• Derealization is the feeling that nothing is accurate or that your perceptions of reality are reliable. It frequently happens following a traumatic event, like in PTSD instances.

Another indication that dissociation might impact your life is changes in your memory and focus skills. 

Additionally, some people experience emotional numbness when they exhibit lower levels of emotion than most people would in the same circumstances.

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What Is Disassociation? 

The term Disassociation is the process of getting oneself distant from something. It could be psychological, social, or just general. It is a broad concept of Dissociation and is more of a general idea used in daily life due to any harm.

Psychologically, disassociation is usually emotionally disconnecting from someone, and it is considered a coping mechanism to maintain emotional wellness.

Socially, when people Disassociate from someone, they no longer want to be in a person’s company. And it’s often considered boundaries.

In general, it’s either disassociation in business, culture, or religion, which could have their respective causes.

Causes: 

Disassociation is a coping mechanism for harsh situations or memories. It can also happen when someone experiences anything that sets off feelings of dissociation, such as using drugs.

Additional root causes include:

• Disassociation in adulthood is frequently linked to a history of childhood trauma. It may be the result of abuse sustained in the early years.
• Drug abuse history. Due to the potential side effects of disassociation from alcohol and drugs, some trauma survivors may utilize these substances to help them cope with their traumatic experiences.

Symptoms of Disassociation: 

Similar to Dissociation, this term isn’t easy to detect, mainly because the difference for ordinary people is thin. However, here’s how you can identify them: 

• One indication of disassociation could be a feeling of numbness or disconnection from your environment. It might be the case if anything conjures up unpleasant memories for you or makes you feel dissociative. You can possibly think something is occurring to someone else and isn’t genuine.
• Another indication that you have disassociated in a particular setting is difficulty concentrating or focusing. Moreover, this can be the case if you experience a sense of confusion or disbelief.
• People who detach frequently feel that they are seeing themselves from the outside. You can have a dream-like state or the impression that you are not in the situation.

Effects On Real Life 

Disassociation is a helpful coping method since it has some immediate advantages. Over time, though, this state of mind might impair your capacity to carry out daily tasks at work or home.

Disassociation can have several long-term repercussions, including:

• Difficulties in maintaining Relationships: It is due to the possibility that dissociation can induce a loss of closeness and trust in interpersonal relationships.
• Poor work or school performance: Dissociation can impact your motivation, focus, and learning capacity.
• Actions that can cause harm to oneself: It can happen because emptiness or numbness is frequently present during dissociation.

Dissociation Vs. Disassociation

Dissociation and disassociation vary primarily because one is a coping technique, and the other may indicate a mental health problem. To dissociate is to distance oneself from a situation or memory. 

Dissociation is the state of being cut off from your immediate environment. Addiction or PTSD may indicate a mental health condition.

Contact a healthcare physician if you encounter any alarming indications. They’ll offer you the best recovery plans according to your medical state. 

Read: 7 Tips To Be Your Best Self And Achieve Happiness

Conclusion: 

Mental health is crucial, and we must treat it right. Everyone gets anxious, and it’s standard because we have so much to worry about that sometimes it feels like we’re running out of time.

In such cases, detaching yourself from the world is the best escape. However, not knowing when to come back is the real deal. 

Detaching yourself from the world may sound like a plan, but its temporary solution can cause permanent damage.

Therefore, knowing dissociation vs. disassociation beforehand can help clear the air around identifying symptoms and causes and provide you and your loved ones with the professional help you need. 

Book an appointment with us at Positive Realist so we can offer you an optimistic approach to handling life’s problems perfectly. However, we strongly recommend contacting a medical professional if you have a serious condition.