We all dissociate sometimes. Perhaps you took a journey from A to B and do not recall all of the journey. Sometimes dissociation is more problematic. Our sense of self, our thoughts, feelings and memories can become disconnected, so it becomes hard to access memories or feel grounded in our identity. This might be caused by trauma where we have disconnected from the situation in order to survive.

There are five types of dissociation…

• Depersonalisation

  Perhaps you feel as if your body is disconnected from you or does not feel quite right. Maybe you look at your hand, aware you are seeing it but somehow it does not seem to be yours. This is known as depersonalisation. You might even feel as if you are observing yourself, almost as if you are watching a movie but it is you you are watching.

• Derealisation

  Similar to depersonalisation, except it is the world around you that might feel unreal. Perhaps colours, shape or sizes in the world around feel dreamlike. For example, you might feel as if you are walking through a busy shopping centre but none of the people around you seem quite real, as if you are walking through a virtual reality game.

• Amnesia

  Some memories might feel missing or incomplete. Perhaps you do not remember how you got to work, or what you have been doing all day. Important information about periods of your life might feel as if they are missing but cant be explained by ordinary forgetfulness..

• Identity Alteration

  You might feel as if you are one person at home, another at work and yet another with your friends. It might feel as though you are not sure which ‘you’ is the real you, especially if each of these identities feels very different.

• Identity Confusion

This is when you feel uncertain or conflicted about who you truly are. You might struggle to define your own beliefs, preferences, or even your personality, as if your sense of self is unclear or shifting. It can feel like you’re trying to grasp who you are, but the answer keeps slipping away, leaving you feeling lost or fragmented inside.

 

Understanding Dissociative Disorders (DSM-5)

Dissociative disorders involve a disruption in consciousness, memory, identity, or perception, often as a response to trauma. These experiences go beyond everyday absent-mindedness, creating significant distress or impairment. The *Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5)* identifies the following key dissociative disorders:

1. Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Formerly called multiple personality disorder, DID is characterised by the presence of two or more distinct identity states that recurrently take control of behaviour. Gaps in memory for everyday events or traumatic experiences are common, and symptoms often stem from severe childhood trauma.

2. Dissociative Amnesia

This involves an inability to recall important personal information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature, that exceeds normal forgetfulness. In severe cases, it may include dissociative fugue, unexpected travel with amnesia for one’s identity or past.

3. Depersonalisation/Derealisation Disorder

Depersonalisation involves feeling detached from one’s body or thoughts (e.g., “I felt like a robot”). Derealisation is the sense that the world is unreal or distorted (e.g., “Everything looked foggy or fake”). Unlike psychosis, the person remains aware these are subjective feelings.

4. Other Specified Dissociative Disorder (OSDD)

This category includes clinically significant dissociative symptoms that don’t fully meet criteria for DID, amnesia, or depersonalisation/derealisation disorder. Examples include chronic dissociative symptoms without distinct alters (e.g., identity confusion) or acute dissociative reactions to stress.

5. Unspecified Dissociative Disorder

Used when dissociative symptoms cause distress or impairment but don’t fit neatly into the above categories—for example, trance-like states or cultural syndromes like possession trance.

On the Word “Disorder”

Labels like “disorder” can imply something is broken or faulty in you, but dissociation is neither a personal failure nor a flaw. It’s a profound adaptation, a way your mind protects you when overwhelm threatens survival. Think of it as a difference in processing, not a defect: your brain’s brilliant, if exhausting, attempt to shield you from pain. These responses were once solutions. Healing begins not with shame, but with honouring the resilience that carried you here.