Abuse and Trauma - Causes of Dissociative Disorders

Welcome to The Mental Breakdown and Psychreg Podcast! Today, Dr. Berney and Dr. Marshall discuss the causes, triggers, and risk factors associated with Dissociative Disorders.

We hope that you will join us each morning so that we can help you make your day the best it can be! See you tomorrow.

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[LuluMcRod]

I knew I diassociated when I was little to escape the abuse I was enduring, but as I got older I labeled it as "daydreaming" or "spacing out." It wasn't until a few years ago that I understood what it meant to "lose time" that I realized that it wasn't day dreaming or spacing out, but disassociating!
I disassociate to leave reality and enter into a world in my life that I "wish" I were at and things I want to do, places I want to be or go and people I want to be with, sexually. I know the things I disassociate about will never happen to me so I dream about it to the point of where I am "literall" out of my body and some where else with someone else. When I come "out of it" I look at the clock and realize I have been out of it for a significant amount of time (atleast an hour or more). Sometimes I am so deep into my disassociation that when I come out of it I have to look around to see where I am at and remember that I was there.
I have to say that at times I feel it is like an addiction when there is someone I want to be with and I know I'll "never" be with them that I take myself somewhere with them and dream of what it would be like. I can actually feel them nest to me as if they are really there with me. Sick, huh?
I was sexually abused as a child by my step-father from age 5-9 and then when I was 12 by a much older cousin. I am now about to be 58 next month 12-9-20. I do not see any end to this way of dealing with reality ever at all in my life.

[courtneymorris]

There is no help for us in the medical and mental health community. My episodes are destroying my life, it’s sad that I have to desperately search for some form of solution or consolation on YouTube, but yet when I am suffering with symptoms in the moment there are no providers in my area that know what I’m talking about. I feel so alone. At least I can watch these videos to remind myself that I’m not crazy and what I am going is real.
Thanks for your videos :)

[monicaepperson]

I knew something was wrong when I was a preteen, I would get these feelings, it’s hard to explain the feeling, but I would just feel so alone and cold and empty inside.

[magicparabola]

The initial comment made that **if there’s no trauma, there cannot be a dissociative is dismissive of those who are definitely dissociative (even clearly with DID) but have no memory of their childhood years. In these cases, the trauma is contained (or held) in hidden younger dissociative parts. Good trauma therapy can reveal this buried history, but it takes years.
But the comment above **, implies that these clients are making up their dissociative states. That does a HUGE disservice to DID clients who, by the nature if their illness, will then continue to keep their trauma a secret to their “living in the present” selves.

[melschez]

I have a question, what about a continuous blackout? I was abused when I was a child and from then on I can't remember my childhood which is to be expected but now Im also forgetting memories I've made three years ago and sometimes it gets worst. I forgotten major changes in my life, I don't remember my middle school experience or a trip I've made to Europe when I barely entered high school and even now its becoming harder to remember my high school experience. Its like a giant white wall that keeps growing, and Im afraid I'll just lose everything important. What is this an indication of?

[camilleharris]

I started dissociating as a kid several times that i can remember then again later in my 20's, i would not remember driving home from work which was like an hour drive that i did every day. I believe my mother has some mental issues and my ex husband is a covert aggressive(passive aggressive) covert narcissist, since exiting the marriage i have not had it happen again. I got into therapy during my marriage, i only went for a couple of sessions but i remember the therapist telling me that it sounded like i was dissociating. I am now in recovery for all of this and I came across this topic, i had forgotten all about her saying that until i realized i had seen/heard that word before. Very interesting, thank you for your video.

[heatherh.]

My mom has narcissistic traits, very ignoring growing up if I need anything emotional. Unless she was in a good mood or around others. So I tend to disassociate not sure how but I lose track of time. Been Dx with Bipolar 2, CPTSD & severe emotional abandonment disorder.

[englishrose]

I was left alone in my.room as a child. Not abused till .My teens and worse abuse in .marriage 20s and 30s. There was a period of time when I would forget where I put .my car or disoriented as to where I actually was?

[KiiTiiObaby]

I personally don’t remember much from my early childhood but during the traumatic times I remember, I always just dissociated through it. We are a system now but it was so strange forgetting so many moments and just not knowing about many memories.

[lifeneverends]

I feel so sad, empty and also I believe I am wasted although I believe I am much superior than most people. I am very violent especially if they disrespect me and I feel alive in violence. I had a very violent fight against 10 cops who provoked me lately all by myself and put them in their place. I get so mad when disrespected. I was once diagnosed with GAD for excessive worrying and it was very painful, no peace even for a second and I have to take efexor everyday for 5 years now. However it looks like what I have is more than GAD. I am highly educated professional but I dont trust justice cause there is not! I was sentenced for the felonies that I have never committed. I lost my dad at a very early age but my mom was very devoted to me. However, I enrolled in military school at age 15 to 17. I so often lose my direction in life. I dont trust relationships since everybody looks after their interest first! I find true companionship in animals, especially dogs. My spirit animal is a Siberian Tiger. I stop eating meat because of men's cruelty to innocent animals who love humans. I never liked helping my dad beheading animals when I am little but I have eaten them, crying. Its just very cold all of a sudden someone very cute loving innocent starts looking with dead eyes and all blood splashing is very ugly.

[memeswereablessingfromthel]

What is so confusing is that certain time-periods which did not elicit a reaction of stress (at least I don't think so) are missing. Like how come I don't remember 7th grade when others around me remember how I was? For e.g, one of my classmates brought up the fact that I "barely attended school in 7th grade" - she brought this up in 9th grade and that's something which I should have been able to remember, especially since others in my class unanimously agreed. Yet I still have no clue as to what I was doing during that year and I start studying in University this semester...So my question is this; How do I go about trying to recall memories from a time period where nothing traumatic was occuring? (I mean...I was still being abused that year, but I’ve recalled and processed those memories - just not the ones where things should have been relatively normal).

[mmyralynn]

I really really appreciate y’all’s videos!!!! They have been SO HELPFUL TO ME!!!- beyond belief! Thank you

[clonewarsgeneralgrievous]

My friend was not abused as a child but in real life he sometimes did get yelled at and was bullied in school and sometimes for no reason he will breathe heavily and it will seem like he blacks out and like I dont know maybe a half hour later he come back and wont remember anything does he have mpd or did also it seems like he was himself but at the same time he wasnt it was like someone else was controlling him in his body

[bbrrrr]

Something in our brains clicked after feeling so much during the..situations....it’s that click..my friend caught me with a dead stare during a situation that triggered a memory and seen the dissociating and blankness in my face, she pointed out then and there I was numbing myself without me even noticing I do it..pay attention..

[elsewherehouse]

Was Charlie Brown the interior decorator?

[finsterthecat]

There is a group that considers themselves “Plural” without trauma.
While I don’t want to diminish anyone’s experience I find anyone who thinks that being plural is just is what they are and don’t need fixing should stay off of Dissociative Disorder
commenting on sites pages or videos that are here to educate about what is a mechanism to deal with trauma.

[princesscheeseburger]

My therapist talked to me about my different "parts of self that take care of me" because of all of the severe trauma I went through at an early age but then my insurance cut our and she is very vague on her responses on the topic ever since. Any advice? We came up with about 8 system parts of but I haven't been diagnosed and haven't told anyone other than my GP

[jeanpolnareff]

It’s weird, I’m not under the impression that I’ve got DID, but for some reason, i e got two distinct personalities, or rather, moods.

One, which is anxious about everything, wanting to stay healthy, workout, enjoys some genres of music and fashion.

Another, which I would say, wants or feels a need to commit crimes, on a computing level, such as hacking. Music choice also changes to western music such as rap.


These “moods” shift, I was thinking that it could be DID or something similar, as I have had a very traumatic three years, maybe it could be something like that? I’m only 21, and I used to never be like this...

Is there any reason to assume that I do have DID or similar personality disorders based on what I’ve told you here?

Was thinking about telling my parents, but I don’t want to make myself out to fake something or to get attention.

[Gshkent]

I’m curious if dissociation of childhood could happen within a household that neglects ands isolates a child more so then abuse and manipulation? In your opinion?

[finsterthecat]

Frank Putnam has written books on the subject as well as others.
Yet if the therapist is already a skeptic I doubt that these will change their minds.