"Dissociation is ... a way of protecting oneself that most organisms can do when they're in a state of acute threat,"
"And that's done by engaging a part of the nervous system that allows you to freeze. It's more or less akin to the freeze response that you hear about in the fight, flight or freeze responses to threat,"
"It's a protective measure that evolves to make it so that the impact of something threatening, bad, scary, dangerous, isn't going to overwhelm [you],"
People commonly say "I'm dissociating" to describe taking an intentional brain break from stressors like work, family issues, or the news. Dissociation functions as a protective nervous-system response that allows a person to freeze and create a buffer against overwhelming threats. Engaging dissociation prevents immediate emotional overwhelm and conserves mental energy for necessary tasks. The response evolved to shield individuals when faced with acute threat. Dissociation exists on a spectrum: everyday, adaptive forms can be helpful, while more severe or persistent dissociation can become problematic and may require professional attention.
Read at BuzzFeed
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