Faded Mind
Wash the dishes. I need to go finish editing my pictures. Let me go shower, I need to get ready for the day. I need to call my parents. Let me go back to the kitchen, I’m really hungry. We’re out of bread, what will I do now? I need to go to the shop. Do I have enough money? Let me check my bank account. It’s cold outside.
I want to smoke. Keys. Phone. Hat. Gloves. Haven’t called my parents yet. I still need to write that essay. Keys. Keys. Keys. Stairs. Ouch my knee. Did I turn off the oven? I need bread. I still haven’t showered or done anything properly today. I’m exhausted already. I need a coffee. Wait, what was I doing?
I want to smoke. Keys. Phone. Hat. Gloves. Haven’t called my parents yet. I still need to write that essay. Keys. Keys. Keys. Stairs. Ouch my knee. Did I turn off the oven? I need bread. I still haven’t showered or done anything properly today. I’m exhausted already. I need a coffee. Wait, what was I doing?
Disassociation is defined as separation from surroundings and people as a natural response to trauma. It is often caused by other mental health problems, there are different dissociative disorders. Living with disassociation in your everyday life can ultimately feel ambiguous and dim, due to the intense symptoms of it. These vary from becoming easily forgetful, losing sense of time, having out of body experiences, feeling emotionally numb, and feeling like a different person.
Chronic trauma in childhood is said, by many mental health specialists, to be one of the biggest factors that trigger dissociative disorders, the unpleasant environment surrounding the child causes them to ‘disconnect’ from the world during stressful and emotional times. The more severe the trauma experienced in the past is, the more intense the factors that trigger the traumas become, commonly appearing in adulthood. Definite treatment has not been yet found although there are many options that can help some towards having less dissociative episodes, as well as practising them over the course of many years, some options being stress management, psychotherapy, hypnosis or even a safe environment with a doctor that could help trigger some unrecalled memories.
Chronic trauma in childhood is said, by many mental health specialists, to be one of the biggest factors that trigger dissociative disorders, the unpleasant environment surrounding the child causes them to ‘disconnect’ from the world during stressful and emotional times. The more severe the trauma experienced in the past is, the more intense the factors that trigger the traumas become, commonly appearing in adulthood. Definite treatment has not been yet found although there are many options that can help some towards having less dissociative episodes, as well as practising them over the course of many years, some options being stress management, psychotherapy, hypnosis or even a safe environment with a doctor that could help trigger some unrecalled memories.
The meaning is clear – to touch on the deeply rooted emotions individuals with disassociation embody and experience, significantly affecting the way they function and work around their life. It is detrimental for the artist to show people the way that disassociation can affect mental and physical factors of a person’s system. Starting conversations around mental health problems and disorders with the public is essential, in order to portray to people, the disconnected state of the body when experiencing harsh realities of a scattered and overwhelmed mind.
Living with dissociation can intervene with many life challenges. Experiencing the world as an observer can impact your daily life heavily. It can or might be triggered by other mental health problems due to all the massive gaps which lead to identity confusion. Not being able to process tough moments close to when they have occurred can send a person down a spiral of constant search for answers.
Everyone goes through it differently, from the frequency and duration of the dissociative episodes to the type of symptoms that they experience. Dissociative people are not forgetful, they become more insightful on working around those blank memory gaps, some of them might hold meaningful experiences from their life journey, but that doesn’t take away from their way of embracing living with dissociation.
Living with dissociation can intervene with many life challenges. Experiencing the world as an observer can impact your daily life heavily. It can or might be triggered by other mental health problems due to all the massive gaps which lead to identity confusion. Not being able to process tough moments close to when they have occurred can send a person down a spiral of constant search for answers.
Everyone goes through it differently, from the frequency and duration of the dissociative episodes to the type of symptoms that they experience. Dissociative people are not forgetful, they become more insightful on working around those blank memory gaps, some of them might hold meaningful experiences from their life journey, but that doesn’t take away from their way of embracing living with dissociation.
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