notes for therapy
Lastly, dissociation asks us to consider Who is leaving, and who is left behind when we dissociate?
Staci Haines • The Politics of Trauma
I hadn’t realized how prevalent dissociative states were in people.
Stephen W. Porges • The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology)
Dissociation: The making of a new, cut-off self, to hold the deadly, disorganizing pain away from the ongoing growth of the logical, goal-directed watching self, the one we need to help us master the world, the one that keeps us safe, the one that knows danger. We have to preserve that left-brain self, so we encode the very strong negative memory w
... See moreDon Kerson • Getting Unstuck; Unravelling the Knot of Depression Attention and Trauma
We might ‘dissociate’ and do the opposite: we check out, numb ourselves, engage in escapism, or fixate harder on connecting with others. In a state of dissociation, it is hard to advocate for our needs, our boundaries, and our limits. In addition, many of us have excellent auto-pilot functions and masking skills for when we dissociate, which can so... See more
The Radical Guide to Being Your Own Primary Partner | Radical Relating
Dissociation is the essence of trauma. The overwhelming experience is split off and fragmented, so that the emotions, sounds, images, thoughts, and physical sensations related to the trauma take on a life of their own.
Bessel van der Kolk • The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
