Multiple Personalities Support Group

Dissociative identity disorder is a diagnosis described as the existence in an individual of two or more distinct identities or personalities, each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment. At least two of these personalities are considered to routinely take control of the individual's behavior, and there is also some associated memory loss,...

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We are not alone is dissociation

Wheezie
Wheezie
We are not the only beings on this planet that dissociate.If you want proof of that watch the National Geographic channel.I've seen documentaries on loins hunting and when they take down prey such as a zebra or wildebeest.The zebra or wildebeest will fight and fight and fight until they can fight no longer and then they go still and silent while still being alive in the clutches of these predators.That is dissociation. It is a natural response to trauma and every single animal on this planet utilizes it as a coping mechanism.
deleted_user
deleted_user
Interesting topic! The fainting goat is doing the same thing in a sense "fight or flight" when a predator comes around? They literally fall over and play dead. lol It's quite funny to watch on TV. It serves as two purposes; one to NOT be eaten and the other I think disassociating that the predator is there to not move.

That's what disassociation is, our fight or flight mechanism kicking in for us without warning, without a button and for our protection. I wish I could fall over dead, but that is another topic. lol Good point that all living animals have this! :)

Some amphibians do this as well and it's easier to spot in some than others.

Great topic!
ThePeople
ThePeople
you're right - every sentient creature has the ability to dissociate and does so in response to overwhelming danger. 'deer in the headlights' is dissociation but most people fail to recognize it as such. another interesting but rarely identified aspect of dissociation is that it isn't always as overwhelming as people who use it as a defense mechanism - it occurs on a spectrum and can be minimal, we call it daydreaming, 'road hypnosis,' and things like that.

anyone who's driven or traveled a distance and suddenly realized they don't recall what happened during the past several minutes has dissociated. same with the student in a boring class who suddenly realizes they don't have a clue what the instructor said, or an average person in a conversation who's lost the thread. it's all dissociation but not caused by trauma and of course it's rare, unlike what happens to people with trauma histories - notice i'm not saying 'abuse,' and the reason is that dissociation isn't caused only by abuse, although that is the #1 reason. it also happens to people who are traumatized in other ways, accidents, war, pain from an illness.

i think understanding what happens when i dissociate caused it to happen less frequently, i know i deal with it better and get less upset about it. that has nothing to do with the cause, another issue altogether but for me dealing with the symptoms was better than trying to deal with the cause.
Wheezie
Wheezie
LOL Ausie.Those goats are like super dissociators!They not only feign death but they mimic rigor mortis with their legs all stiff.They are very funny.