Dissociation does not exist

Sadly there are still some therapists that do not believe in DID. This does not make sense as everyone dissociates to some extent. ie. when you are driving you might find yourself momentarily drift off.

Dissociation is found in everyday life and in many mental health problems. In, depression, schizophrenia, PTSD right up to full blown DID.

Now, considering that therapists are dealing in trauma it should make sense that people dissociate. You ask any ambulance technician if he remembers all of the fatal car crash he just witnessed and he'll say no. It's a natural defence mechanism which can get out of hand. It saves us from trauma but which needs to be dealt with at a date when it can be worked through.

Print this out for your T, she needs to learn! Or just say, 'Good riddance!'

Hugs!

LOL. Good one.

Actually I had thought I would post an update with my temporary solution. My son keeps whining, meh every time I use the computer you are logged into yahoo and I have to log you out and log me in, oh life is so very very rough for me. So I am like, dude, get a grip. It takes you perhaps thirty seconds.

But then I discovered that if he and I use different browsers that we are both logged into yahoo simultaneously. We had both been using Opera because it seemed to have less issues with our virus, worm, whatever until he reinstalled the OS so we got rid of the infection.

So I recently started using Mozilla Firefox as my browser to stop the whine. The benefit to me and to you is that Firefox has a spell checker that Opera does not have (or was not yet downloaded). So my "a" key is still fussy but the spell checker helps on most words but you may still see the occasional @ or 4 from time to time in words I miss. Yippee!

Okay back on topic now...

I have had dissociation that had therapeutic value when I was so overloaded from the domestic violence that I could no longer process the input and had to "shut down" for periods of time until I could deal with the reality and think clearly. At my worst I would find myself sitting on the kitchen stool rocking back and forth to soothe myself. I couldn't think. I couldn't talk. I couldn't interact. But nearly ten years later I have more clarity and accept the situation and outcome though I will never really understand why.

For something that doesn't exist there sure is a lot about it on the internet. I just searched dissociation and got this: http://www.bing.com/search?q=dissociation&form=OSDSRC

Makes me wonder where some people received their degrees. Did you at least argue with them about this crap? I certainly would have. I have confrontation issues but I would have been moved so much that I couldn't have any self respect unless I confronted T about their statement. Not saying that about you though, please don't misunderstand what I'm saying. You may have many reasons not to discuss this with them....They may be an idiot (as it looks to me) and you might feel that you could be wasting your words.

um, look at the dsm?

Tollhouse - I am sorry to hear this. It's understandable some Ts may not agree with the consensus of research.....obviously dissociation exists, but I can understand how a T could have some divergent views about the theories out there...I've seen numerous research studies that agree, then a researcher will come along with a new revelation and "disprove" something, a concept. It all serves a purpose.....maybe she doesn't agree with one aspect of the theory, rather than disputing its existence entirely? Did she mean this was true for everyone who experiences dissociation?

I have read some research where people do sometimes do this for disability purposes, lawsuits, etc. However, it's odd that a mental health professional would formulate their whole view on a subject based upon the minority.

What your therapist said is a big red flag, imo.



I know I couldn't tolerate a T with such a negative view of people. My T is so positive-so uplifting. He sees the best in everyone - never the worst.

I could not stay in therapy with someone who saw me as being manipulative. It must have been so hard to hear that. Remember that many therapists have different views on things, and you need to find the view that will help you the best.

Gosh I just read this from begining to end. So much good advice. It is a know scientific fact that DID is the way an abused or traumatised child/adult survives. There are different levels or stages of course depending on how much the brain 'fragments'. I'm so sorry you had to feel degraded. I just wanted to offer a hug is all. Ophelia xx

I also just read this from beginning to end- good responses. I'll add my 2 cents.

Desk-t told me I was "daydreaming". She never understood what I have been experiencing for my entire life for as long as I can remember. It never occurred to me to do anything but hide it or make up for "gaps". So I didnt look stupid. I even made up for a "gap" while in session with dt and she said to me"what just happened there?" And I said "I dont know." And she moved on. I was embarrassed. I didnt have a name for it at that time, I just thought I go off or something like that now and then. And this was recently.

Ftt went on the explain dissoc the way it was explained on this thread. She said I dont have to use that word for it if I dont want to. I said it is OK to use it. But I understand myself better. Ftt said that dt probably didnt have experience with trama or understand it very well. It is unusual for a t to say something about another t, but she was trying to help me to understnad why dt had such a different perspective. I asked ftt what is the difference between daydremaing and dissoc. She said with daydreaming you would be able to recall and repeat to her what I was thinking or daydreaming about. With dissoc not so. I told her there are times I go in and out and can describe some of it. Iin a fuzzy way. She said it doesnt sound like daydreaming. Other times I have no idea what happened.

I think a t that doesnt think dissoc exists is not a very well-trained t. And dt WAS a behavioral therapist.

Glad I left dt........

There are quite a few Ts who believe that. Opinions about dissociation are very polarized.

If a T said that to me I would ask him or her to back it up with credible research. most Ts who do not believe in dissociation refer to the repressed memory debate and the False Memory Foundation site is NOT credible research. Their stance is based on opinion, not scientific evidence. 'False memory syndrome' does not in fact exist at all: It is merely a phrase coined by a group of people who were accused of historic sexual abuse.

I would also point that T in the direction of current research on dissociation. There is a wealth of it out there. And I would direct them to the committee of people who are responsbile for developing the dissociative disorders section in the DSM-V.

And in the case of my ex t, who did not believe in dissociation, if none of that changed the Ts opinion at all7 I would shake her hand in farewell and find someone else to travel with me on my journey.