I always joke with my therapist that I have a problem with the concept of object permanence. Like a toddler who thinks her toy is gone if covered by a blanket, I feel people disappear-or somehow fail to exist when I am not with them. I feel detached and very isolated and maybe even a little scared. Intellectually I know this isn't the case-but it still feels like I am nolonger connected to them. It probably sounds ridiculous, but it is problematic-especially when I also start feeling "unreal" or that I seem to disappear. My therapist said that it was related to depersonalization and derealization. Has anyone else had these issues. My therapist also said that it a relatively mild form of dissociation-which is good because I no longer lose time or anything-as I did for many, many years.
I am mostly interested in hearing from others who have experienced these things related to early trauma as opposed to a separate, free standing diagnosis.