The Spectrum of Dissociation

From daydreaming to dissociative identity disorder, the spectrum of dissociation can be creative to destructive. And what is Structural Dissociation?

Daydreaming

This falls under the normal/well-adjusted part of the spectrum. The mind readily wanders to relax and explore new ideas. It is a natural response when we are not focusing on anything or in a habitual pattern our neurons are used to. It is an enjoyable experience because we can easily step out of it when the need arises.

Dysfunctional dissociation

These range from a mild form of dissociation where we must consciously make ourselves come back to presence to having multiple personalities that are unaware of each other’s existence.

DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) used to be called Multiple Personality Disorder. This infographic illustrates the degree of fragmentation well. It does not include Structural Dissociation which I would suggest is between CPTSD and DID. The increasing fragmentation means the person has less access to self and perhaps none at all. They may have grown up with no concept of self. Without self energy, one cannot find their grounding point. Every single challenge, small or large, feels like being thrown from a land mine. And the mines are everywhere in the body.

Therapists who do not understand this, will leave you more traumatized than before. They will fail to see the masking a client uses in a session and make choices of therapy tools based on what is presented instead of what is suppressed underneath. A client with severe fragmentation will not be able to correctly describe themselves while also being the best person to describe themselves. They will crave help and dismiss it at the same time. A therapist stuck navigating the ping pong effect of fragmentation instead of working with the underneath trauma will strengthen the ping pong instead of self energy. It takes a wise therapist to undo land mines and soil the field for new growth.

And it takes a wise therapist to take into account a client’s environment into all of the challenges. Anyone who does not discuss the world the client lives in on a relational and social level is missing one of the major root causes of fragmentation in the first place. 

Structural Dissociation

When one experiences trauma significant enough to destabilize the body and mind, the psyche splits into parts where the trauma part holds the experience of the trauma so the rest of the self can go on with everyday life. Structural Dissociation has the person believing and living in the trauma parts, thinking that is the real them. They struggle to switch off the part, and all belief systems in that part become their identity. If they have multiple trauma parts, there are multiple identities and survival mechanisms to manage.

Meanwhile, the self/ the whole feels off because they are missing critical parts of their development into a whole human being. Many people with Structural Dissociation will say they don’t feel like themselves and that they are living a role or feel fake. 

Structural Dissociation interloops with CPTSD and DID. Dissociation is not a black-and-white issue. It runs a spectrum and can feel mild one day and severe the next. 

I highly recommend reading the works of Janina Fisher. She understands diagnosing and treating Dissociation with great expertise. 

Finding a proper therapist or support group

People with strong dissociation have trouble finding proper support. As I mentioned above, very few people know how clients present themselves and cannot work the underlying self that is seeking healing. 

I have found it difficult to find proper therapy. Instead, I have pursued the experts’ works and bought their courses and books to use independently. Over time, I have mostly undone my dissociation and now understand the self concept. Just like a pianist spends thousands of hours working at her craft by meticulously practicing and discovering what sounds right and what doesn’t, so does the practitioner who works with the self damaged by dissociation. 

Below, I will list some of my favourite resources.

Trauma Peer Support

I also now provide trauma peer support for those in this challenging dilemma of seeking help but not finding it. I do not offer professional therapy but a friendly ear and personal experience to help you navigate your land mines. Check out my page for more information.

The Spectrum of Dissociation

People with CPTSD and strong dissociation will struggle to find their center. They may barely have one if they grew up in a hostile home. This is why dissociation occurs. Without an internal grounding point or an external source of safety and stability, the psyche dissociates from reality to help the person stay out of relentless pain and suffering. Whatever form it takes, from rumination to ideation to fantasy, dissociation is the nervous system trying to create a center where there isn’t one. 

Thanks to neuroplasticity, one can build a center point. We can fill the donut hole with strength and adversity and anchor to our goals of healing. The mind and body that are capable of creating dissociation are also capable of creating a strong sense of self. 

My favourite resources are

• Peer Support as discussed in my trauma peer support program. Peer Support
• Mother Nature as we are a direct reflection of her. We ground when we ground in her earth. Mother Nature Worksheets to Regulate our Nervous System
• Education programs on dissociation. NICABM program on dissociation
• Aline LaPierre and her programs on developmental trauma. NeuroAffective Touch