What is this called?
I dissociate. My dissociations are about (1) my ideal self from the future, (2) my self from the past, but acting differenly than I did in a specific situation, (3) living the life of others, whether they are real or fictional people or non-human beings. By "dissociation" I mean that my emotions and my body's reactions are a match to whatever my dissociations are about and they are intense, but I don't have multiple personalities, I don't have dissociative amnesia and I am aware of dissociation when it happens. I know this is part of my CPTSD, but I feel like it happens too often, too much. If it's not DID (multiple personality disorder) and it's not just daydreaming, then what it is? And what to do with it? If I remember to ground myself each time that dissociation happens, will this eventually stop? I've been experiencing this since I was a child. Does this happen to anyone else? Thank you!
@inventiveWest3210 I'm not an expert on any of this, but if you hadn't mentioned CPTSD I would have assumed that you're a highly creative person, maybe someone who writes books or screenplays.
So now that you've mentioned CPTSD I'm thinking maybe you're a highly creative person, and you also happen to have CPTSD at the same time. In that case the answer to what to do with it might be to express it in writing or some other art form.
I'm just guessing here, of course, as I don't know you. For some more information, see: A New Study Says Daydreaming Is A Sign Of Creativity And Intelligence
If you'd ever like to chat about it, feel free to click on my profile picture and message me.
Charlie
@inventiveWest3210
Hi inventive, I relate a lot with what you said. I don't know if I experience exactly the same as you, but to me it sounds like a form of escapism. When I was younger, I read pretty much constantly in an effort to get outside my own life. I prefered feeling the feelings of characters in books because I suppose it felt more logical and maybe I felt safer and more predictable in a life that wasn't my own, because I knew about the pain in my own circumstance.
I think that escapist forms of daydreaming can be quite common in CPTSD because sometimes it's all we have to calm ourselves down. When we are constantly stressed, our brains want desperately to not be in that state, and perhaps these escapist habits (reading, daydreaming, substance abuse, writing, etc) are a form of giving our brains a break from the stress, or creating a situation where we feel more in control of what is happening at the very least.
I always saw it as my brain trying to help me out, give me a bit of a break. Do you feel that these dissociations give any relief? Or are they more stressful? (In the moment, not after)
Perhaps analyzing how they make you feel will give some insight into why they are happening. Dissociation in itself is the brain's main coping mechanism for getting us through extreme or prolongued trauma, so it would make sense that it is some sort of form of that.
@inventiveWest3210
Hello. I am so sorry to hear that you are struggling with this; I understand that not knowing how to define these issues makes them all the more stressful. While we at 7cups are not professionals, and we do not have the tools and knowledge to provide a diagnosis, there are some things we can do to help. I would look into Maladaptive Daydreaming Disorder, also known as MDD or MaDD. It is a relatively newly coined disorder, but you are not alone in experiencing it, and I am always open to talking if you would like to. Best of luck to you, stay safe and take care. I hope this was helpful. 