Dissociation

[synisthesia]

I was told that PTSD is a personality disorder, typically a dual-personality disorder.

I know I have that from Caregivers Stress. It forms because you are showing/being loving and kind to someone sick or dying when really inside you feel angry/guilty. By putting on a fake happy face and suppressing your real emotions, one is both disassociating and creating a dual-personality.

I would not really be too scared of finding out the crazy ways we can disassociate and discovering a dual-personality, is very healing when you can reintegrate. I think a lot of people are scared of the personality and disassociation aspects because of movies like Sybil or the Three Faces of Eve (which are both movies about multiple personality disorders brought on by extreme abuse).

The day I discovered my disassociation via my dual-personality was the day I became a whole person.

 

[Tsalagi]

Thanks for the links to explain dissociation. Wow after reading it I realize I have been doing that all my life. But just the more subtle forms. I don't think I have DID because I don't seem to have different personalities or whatever. I wanted to talk to my psych about it today at my appointment, but I couldn't bring myself too. I don't know how to talk to her about stuff unless she asks me questions to get it out of me! I didn't even tell her today how I had some kinda breakdown this weekend nor that I had a trigger at the store today and jumped out of my skin as someone came around the corner.

 

[Auburngirl]

Synesthesia- the DSM classified PTSD as an anxiety disorder. Some argue that it could also be classified as a dissociative disorder (multiple personality disorder/dissociative identity disorder is one of these, but most dissociative disorders don't involve multiple identities).

To my knowledge regular PTSD is never considered a personality disorder, though CPTSD (which isn't (yet) in the DSM) is considered by some to share traits with borderline personality disorder.

 

[Tsalagi]

I'm wondering if these are examples where I was dissociating? Can I get opinions please?

Years ago in a martial arts class our instructor was demonstrating a judo hold down when he accidently broke this girls arm. Everyone was standing around in a circle watching and I noticed no one really react to the fact the girl had just got her arm broken. But I started getting really dizzy headed, heard a high pitched hum in my ears and thought I might faint. My friend apparently I was distressed. Actually I think I mouthed to him "I think I'm going to faint". The humming in my ear was so loud I couldn't even hear myself speak let alone anyone else talk. He grabbed me hand and helped me sit down on the floor and I sit there dizzy for a long time. Was that dissociation?

Other times I find it strange how generally speaking if someone starts yelling at me like an irate customer when I used to work in customer service I would respond back calmly. If someone in a store or a stranger yells at me and I will verbally retaliate back and they generally regret having messed with me. But if someone I know such as my landlord who is very verbally abusive to many of the tenants starts yelling I just go absolutely mute where I will shake and not be able to say a word. I don't even think of a word to say! Now is that dissociation because I am again being put in a situation of verbal/emotional abuse by someone I know and I can't respond just like when I was a kid being abused?