Why Do Flashbacks Feel Physically Real?
Flashbacks can feel physically real because traumatic memories are often stored with more than just thoughts and images. They may also include body sensations, emotions, and survival responses that were…
Why Do Flashbacks Feel Like They Are Happening Now?
Normally, memories come with a sense that they happened in the past. Flashbacks can be different. When a flashback is triggered, the memory may not be connected to the information…
Why Can I Talk about Horrific Trauma without Emotion?
There are two reasons you might be able to talk about horrific trauma without emotions. One possibility is that the trauma has been processed and no longer causes significant distress.…
What’s the Difference Between Dissociation and Emotional Overwhelm?
Dissociation and emotional overwhelm are separate experiences, but because they often occur together, the differences between them can become blurred. Emotional overwhelm occurs when emotions feel as though they are…
Why Can DID and OSDD Create “Knowing but Not Knowing” Experiences?
People with dissociative systems can experience the often uncomfortable feeling of “knowing but not knowing” due to dissociation. Because of dissociative barriers, information contained within the system may not be…
Why Can Trauma Survivors Feel Disconnected from Their Own Experiences?
Trauma survivors can feel disconnected from their own experiences due to dissociation. Dissociation can develop as a protective survival response which helps create distance from overwhelming emotions, sensations, memories, or…
Can You Be Dissociated without Losing Memory?
Yes, you can be dissociated without losing memory. Although dissociation can certainly impact memory, it can also affect: awareness emotions bodily sensations identity your sense of connection to the present…
How Do Depersonalization and Derealization Relate to Dissociative Systems?
Depersonalization and derealization are common dissociative experiences among people who have DID or OSDD. They are often everyday expressions of dissociation within dissociative systems, not unusual or separate phenomena. Experiencing…
What Is Derealization?
Derealization is one form of dissociation. It is a feeling of being disconnected from your surroundings, as though the world around you is somehow unreal, distant, dreamlike, foggy, artificial, or…
What Is Depersonalization?
Depersonalization is one form of dissociation. It is a feeling of being separate from yourself, as though you are merely observing yourself or your experiences from the outside, or not…