Recognizing Symptoms of Dissociation

Symptoms of dissociation can be terrifying. One night, I had horrific acute, prolonged panic symptoms, and in an out-of-body utter state of confusion, I looked at my husband and asked, "Are you going to have me committed?"

What Dissociation Felt Like for Me

That's a question I never thought I would ask anyone, let alone my husband. Sitting there on the bathroom floor, readying myself for the next bout of dry heaves, suffering tremors, agitation, racing heart, rapid breathing, chills, sweats, and more, my misery went to a whole other level. I felt myself detaching from myself. I knew I was there, but I felt like I was elsewhere. I knew who my husband was and that he loved me and wanted to care for me, yet I recoiled when he leaned toward me. He seemed a stranger.

What I didn't know at the time was that I was dissociating, something that, thanks to my therapist, I now know happens when our psyche is trying to protect us from harm, including extreme stress. Learn more about how dissociation feels to me in this video.