A dissociative episode looks like feeling disconnected from yourself, your body, or reality (like watching a movie of your life), experiencing memory gaps (amnesia), confusion about your identity, or feeling emotionally numb, sometimes appearing as spacing out, zoning out, or sudden mood/behavior shifts, making it hard to cope with stress. Symptoms vary but often involve feeling unreal (derealization/depersonalization) or having different identity states, which can disrupt daily functioning.
Symptoms depend on the type of dissociative disorder, but may include:
When a person experiences dissociation, it may look like: Daydreaming, spacing out, or eyes glazed over. Acting different, or using a different tone of voice or different gestures. Suddenly switching between emotions or reactions to an event, such as appearing frightened and timid, then becoming bombastic and violent.
With movements – typically the patient has thrashing movements that look just like a generalised epileptic seizure (previously called 'grand mal') Without movements – in these attacks patients fall down to the ground and lie motionless and unresponsive, often for many minutes. Some people also have staring episodes.
Furthermore, there are actually 5 types of dissociation: Depersonalization, derealization, amnesia, identity confusion, and identity alteration. Not all of them have to be present to constitute a dissociative disorder, but quite often they manifest in tandem and they can intensify if the disorder is not treated.
Mental illnesses such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder may cause similar symptoms to a dissociative disorder. The effects of certain substances, including some recreational drugs and prescription medications, can mimic symptoms.
You might: Switch between different parts of your personality. Speak in a different voice or voices.
Any kind of trauma can cause dissociation. This could be assault, abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual), natural disasters, military combat, war, kidnapping, invasive medical procedures, neglect, or any other stressful experience.
An absence seizure causes a short period of “blanking out” or staring into space. Like other kinds of seizures, they are caused by brief abnormal electrical activity in a person's brain.
If the person is lying down, turn them gently on their side, with their mouth pointing to the ground. This will keep their airway clear. Time the seizure to track if it lasts more than 5 minutes. If it does, seek immediate medical attention or call 911.
Dissociation can feel frightening because it often involves feeling detached from your body, thoughts, or surroundings. This can be sudden and unsettling, making it hard to feel in control. But it's important to remember that support is out there.
Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a type of dissociative disorder. It most often develops in early childhood among children who experience long-term trauma, such as emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, neglect, or unpredictable caregiver behavior.
Shutdown dissociation is when someone appears to “shut down” emotionally or physically in response to overwhelming stress or trauma. It can happen suddenly and may last for a short time or much longer.
Symptoms of simple partial seizures are:
Use the three C's campaign (Calm, Cushion, Call) to ensure everyone knows what to do if they see someone having a seizure. Stay CALM and stay with the person who is having a seizure.
Less frequently, PNES may mimic absence seizures or focal impaired awareness seizures. A physician may suspect PNES when the seizures have unusual features, such as type of movements, duration, triggers, and frequency.
Signs of a PTSD Blackout
Those include: Sending messages or making calls you do not remember. Losing track of time. Feeling an unexpected adrenaline rush (may occur after a blackout is over)
Signs of childhood trauma
[1] The result in such extreme cases is often a highly fragmented sense of life and self-identity that can lead to mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
Key Signs a Client is Dissociating in Therapy. Emotional Numbness: One of the foremost indicators is when clients become emotionally detached. This is not a mere distraction; they might feel as if they're observing themselves from afar. It's as if their feelings have been muted or switched off.
There is a large and significant association between voice-hearing and dissociative experiences. Dissociative experiences may mediate the relationship between trauma and voice-hearing. Future studies should determine directional effects between dissociation and voices.
Some people with dissociative disorders have seizures. These can vary from fainting to something more like an epileptic seizure.