"In the term ‘‘somatoform dissociation,’’ ‘‘dissociation’’ describes the existence of a disruption of the normal integrative mental functions. Thus ‘‘somatoform dissociation’’ denotes phenomena that are manifestations of a lack of integration of somatoform experiences, reactions, and functions."
"In our study comparing dissociative disorder patients (N = 45) with control patients (N = 43) (Nijenhuis, Spinhoven, Van Dyck, Van der Hart, & Vanderlinden, 1998b), the dissociative disorder patients reported severe and multifaceted traumatization on the Traumatic Experiences Checklist (TEC; Nijenhuis, Van der Hart, & Vanderlinden; see Nijenhuis, 1999). Among various types of trauma, physical abuse, with an independent contribution of sexual trauma, best predicted somatoform dissociation. Sexual trauma best predicted psychological dissociation. According to the reports of the dissoiative disorder patients, this abuse usually occurred in an emotionally neglectful and abusive social context. Both somatoform and psychological dissociation were best predicted by early onset of reported intense, chronic and multiple traumatization."
I thought this was interesting (link below). It's hard to learn about this sort of thing because it seems to be pretty poorly researched or understood. I'm currently working with a somatic-focused therapist who does Somatic Experiencing for trauma, but is also a Dance/Movement Therapist. I find it helpful and am waiting for a call back from my new insurance company as to whether there is a way for me to continue because only "talk" therapists are covered in their network and that pisses me off. Here we go again with the mind-body separation. I've had lots of somatic symptoms, including an eating disorder, panic attacks and all forms of autonomic dysregulation, not feeling any of my own basic survival cues or feeling embodied at all, and chronic pain that feels like a compartmentalized, silent, and separate part of myself. I've also experienced my "self" as existing outside of my body.
I've appreciated being able to share some here...not that I totally understand it myself, but it feels good that some other people can understand because I can't even begin to explain it to my friends. And if I would go back to "talk" therapy, my experience has been that those specialists just want me to get on the right kind of anxiety pill...and that would fix it. My major traumas are very early medical traumas as well as neglectful, abusive, and horrible attachment (I don't know about early s.a. and don't want to assign meaning to screwed up early things I remember or nightmares). I have very few memories in the normal sense and not much I can talk about (or I feel like I physically cannot talk). I don't have DID, but my pain often belongs to a dissociated or disconnected sort of self.
Also, my meltdowns have a lot to do with what feels like real immobilization. I've wasted months and years trying to understand this in mainstream therapy. My back will "communicate" with other parts of my body, like my hands, which can communicate through gestures or movement (I cannot truly "notice" my back and speak or even breath well at this point...it's all disconnected)...but that has only come up in somatic therapy recently and now I fear I will lose that opportunity for possible integration because we have the body and mind so separated that "trauma" mostly fits into an issue of "psych" or mind and not the body approach.
I'm scared that if I can't continue the therapy I've been doing, the only help my doctors can give me is pain medication, because that's been my experience so far (physical therapy helps for injuries, but hasn't helped with my chronic pain stuff). I've already been to rehab loads of times for alcohol, so would love to avoid the painkiller route. Everything stops working and you have to take more or somehow resolve the pain!!! I wish the mainstream medical world would do something with this kind of information faster!!! More study, more inclusion of the body in pain and trauma studies and therapies, more somatic forms of therapy coverage and inclusion in major medical clinics, etc.
PDF article on Somatoform Dissociation:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...=vcrjhkrxAUT01NQEDa5-iA&bvm=bv.79189006,d.aWw
"In our study comparing dissociative disorder patients (N = 45) with control patients (N = 43) (Nijenhuis, Spinhoven, Van Dyck, Van der Hart, & Vanderlinden, 1998b), the dissociative disorder patients reported severe and multifaceted traumatization on the Traumatic Experiences Checklist (TEC; Nijenhuis, Van der Hart, & Vanderlinden; see Nijenhuis, 1999). Among various types of trauma, physical abuse, with an independent contribution of sexual trauma, best predicted somatoform dissociation. Sexual trauma best predicted psychological dissociation. According to the reports of the dissoiative disorder patients, this abuse usually occurred in an emotionally neglectful and abusive social context. Both somatoform and psychological dissociation were best predicted by early onset of reported intense, chronic and multiple traumatization."
I thought this was interesting (link below). It's hard to learn about this sort of thing because it seems to be pretty poorly researched or understood. I'm currently working with a somatic-focused therapist who does Somatic Experiencing for trauma, but is also a Dance/Movement Therapist. I find it helpful and am waiting for a call back from my new insurance company as to whether there is a way for me to continue because only "talk" therapists are covered in their network and that pisses me off. Here we go again with the mind-body separation. I've had lots of somatic symptoms, including an eating disorder, panic attacks and all forms of autonomic dysregulation, not feeling any of my own basic survival cues or feeling embodied at all, and chronic pain that feels like a compartmentalized, silent, and separate part of myself. I've also experienced my "self" as existing outside of my body.
I've appreciated being able to share some here...not that I totally understand it myself, but it feels good that some other people can understand because I can't even begin to explain it to my friends. And if I would go back to "talk" therapy, my experience has been that those specialists just want me to get on the right kind of anxiety pill...and that would fix it. My major traumas are very early medical traumas as well as neglectful, abusive, and horrible attachment (I don't know about early s.a. and don't want to assign meaning to screwed up early things I remember or nightmares). I have very few memories in the normal sense and not much I can talk about (or I feel like I physically cannot talk). I don't have DID, but my pain often belongs to a dissociated or disconnected sort of self.
Also, my meltdowns have a lot to do with what feels like real immobilization. I've wasted months and years trying to understand this in mainstream therapy. My back will "communicate" with other parts of my body, like my hands, which can communicate through gestures or movement (I cannot truly "notice" my back and speak or even breath well at this point...it's all disconnected)...but that has only come up in somatic therapy recently and now I fear I will lose that opportunity for possible integration because we have the body and mind so separated that "trauma" mostly fits into an issue of "psych" or mind and not the body approach.
I'm scared that if I can't continue the therapy I've been doing, the only help my doctors can give me is pain medication, because that's been my experience so far (physical therapy helps for injuries, but hasn't helped with my chronic pain stuff). I've already been to rehab loads of times for alcohol, so would love to avoid the painkiller route. Everything stops working and you have to take more or somehow resolve the pain!!! I wish the mainstream medical world would do something with this kind of information faster!!! More study, more inclusion of the body in pain and trauma studies and therapies, more somatic forms of therapy coverage and inclusion in major medical clinics, etc.
PDF article on Somatoform Dissociation:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...=vcrjhkrxAUT01NQEDa5-iA&bvm=bv.79189006,d.aWw
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