{"id":2497,"date":"2026-03-25T18:47:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T17:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/?p=2497"},"modified":"2026-10-23T13:44:11","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T11:44:11","slug":"dissociation-and-trauma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/en\/disociacion-y-trauma\/","title":{"rendered":"Dissociation and trauma: when disconnecting was the only way to go"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"sl-resumen\" style=\"background:#FFECEF;border-left:4px solid #7D1C31;border-radius:8px;padding:18px 22px;margin:0 0 28px\"><p style=\"margin:0\"><strong>In short:<\/strong> the <strong>dissociation<\/strong> It is an automatic response of the nervous system to experiences that were too intense. Disconnecting from emotions, the body, or memories was <strong>a form of protection<\/strong>. With proper treatment, such as <strong>EMDR therapy<\/strong>, It is possible to process those experiences and regain the connection with yourself.<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n<p data-start=\"641\" data-end=\"948\">Sometimes it\u2019s not that you \u201cdon\u2019t feel anything\u201d.<br \/>Sometimes it's that your nervous system learned to disconnect in order to move on.<br \/>Dissociation is a brain response to experiences that have been too intense, painful, or overwhelming. It is not something that the person chooses consciously. It is a form of protection. Understanding the relationship between dissociation and trauma is the first step to regaining connection with yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:32px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What exactly is dissociation?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>From a clinical perspective, dissociation involves partial disconnection or<br \/>Total:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Emotions<\/li>\n<li>Body sensations<\/li>\n<li>Memories<\/li>\n<li>Or even the environment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><br \/>It's as if the system \u201clowers the volume\u201d of the experience to make it more enjoyable.<br \/>tolerable.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:32px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens in the brain?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Research on trauma shows that when the nervous system is affected,<br \/>overloaded, the brain changes the way it processes the experience:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It reduces activity in the limbic system, especially in the<br \/>the amygdala, involved in the emotional response, and the hippocampus,<br \/>related to memory and the integration of what has been experienced.<\/li>\n<li>Activation in the insula, a key region for learning and memory, can also be reduced.<br \/>body and emotional awareness.<\/li>\n<li>It increases the activation of prefrontal areas, especially the cortex<br \/>prefrontal medial, associated with inhibition and emotional control, which<br \/>it helps to \u201cdisconnect\u201d the experience.<\/li>\n<li>Communication between:<br \/>\u2192 the emotional brain (amygdala, limbic system)<br \/>\u2192 and the rational brain (prefrontal cortex)<\/li>\n<li>The connection to networks involved in the<br \/>integration of experience, such as the default mode network, which makes it difficult to feel continuity between what is experienced, remembered, and felt.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This explains why a person may know what happened to them, but not feel it, or<br \/>on the contrary, feeling without being able to understand why, or not remembering episodes<br \/>the storms of his life story.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:32px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How does it manifest itself?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\">Dissociation can appear in very different ways:<br \/>On an emotional level<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\">Difficulty identifying what one feels.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Feeling of emptiness or disconnection.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">\u201cStifled\u201d or blocked emotions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>At a physical level<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Feeling unreal or \u201cbeing in a cloud\u201d.<\/li>\n<li>Disconnecting from the body.<\/li>\n<li>Lack of registration of internal sensations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><br \/>At a cognitive level<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Memory gaps.<\/li>\n<li>Feeling like you\u2019re driving in \u201cautomatic mode\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Difficulty concentrating.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:32px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br><strong>Why does it appear?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\">Dissociation is usually related to experiences in which the system<br \/>Nervous, he couldn't process what had happened at the time:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\">Trauma situations.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Prolonged stress.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Intense emotional experiences without sufficient support.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In that context, disconnecting was a solution.<br \/>It was the way the nervous system could continue to function.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:32px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br><strong>What function does it have?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"text-align: left;\">Although it can cause discomfort today, dissociation has a very clear function:<br \/>protecting the person from an experience that at the time was too difficult<br \/>to hold on. It is a survival strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:32px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How does it affect day-to-day life?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\">When this response persists over time, it can impact on:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\">Difficulty in connecting with oneself.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Problems in relationships.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Feeling of emptiness or disconnection.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/en\/why-anxiety-doesnt-go-away-even-if-you-try-to-control-it\/\">Anxiety without a clear cause<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Emotional fatigue<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The person may feel that they are \u201cthere,\u201d but not completely.<\/p>\n<p><br \/>In some cases, this discomfort can also be expressed through the body.<br \/>The<strong> psychosomatic manifestations<\/strong> \u2014such as pains without a clear medical cause,<br \/>digestive problems, muscle tension or persistent fatigue\u2014 may be<br \/>related to this difficulty in processing and feeling certain experiences.<br \/>When the nervous system cannot integrate what has been experienced on an emotional level, the<br \/>The body can become the channel through which that discomfort is expressed.<\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:32px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><br><strong>Dissociation and trauma: how EMDR therapy helps<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"p1\">The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/en\/emdr-therapy\/\">EMDR therapy<\/a><\/strong> allows us to work on the experiences that remained unprocessed and<br \/>that they continue to activate this disconnection.<br \/>Through a structured and respectful process with each person's rhythm,<br \/>facilitates the nervous system:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\">Process past experiences.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Integrate what you have experienced.<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\">Reduce the need to disconnect<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This is an approach supported by research and included in the World Health Organization's guidelines for post-traumatic stress. You can find more information here. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.emdr-es.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">EMDR Spain Association<\/a>. It's not about forcing it. It's about the system being able to<strong> feeling secure enough not to need to disconnect<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><br \/>If you identify with this, it\u2019s important to know something: The disconnection doesn\u2019t just happen by itself and makes sense within your story.<\/p>\n<p><br \/>And when you work from a <a href=\"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/en\/services\/\">appropriate therapeutic approach<\/a>, With the system no longer needing that protection, we can begin to recover our connection with ourselves and the present moment.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions about dissociation and trauma<\/h2>\n\n\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list\">\n<div id=\"faq-question-2001\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Is dissociation the same as a dissociative disorder?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>No. Disconnecting in times of great stress is a common response and does not always indicate a disorder. Dissociative disorder is referred to when the disconnection is intense, persistent, and significantly affects daily life. A professional must make the diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-2002\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">What are depersonalization and derealization?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>They are two forms of dissociation. In depersonalization, you feel that you are being watched from outside, or that your body is not entirely yours. In derealization, what surrounds you is unreal, distant, or like a dream.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-2003\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Can dissociation be treated with online therapy?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Yes. Online therapy allows you to work on dissociation safely, starting with a stabilization and resources phase before tackling the difficult memories. Each session ensures that you can maintain your connection with the present.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-2004\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">How does EMDR therapy help with dissociation?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>EMDR therapy allows us to process experiences that remain unintegrated and that continue to trigger disconnection. With dissociation, we progress gradually, first strengthening stability so that the nervous system no longer needs that protection.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>En resumen: la disociaci\u00f3n es una respuesta autom\u00e1tica del sistema nervioso ante experiencias que resultaron demasiado intensas. Desconectarse de las emociones, del cuerpo o de los recuerdos fue una forma de protecci\u00f3n. Con un tratamiento adecuado, como la terapia EMDR, es posible procesar esas experiencias y recuperar la conexi\u00f3n contigo. A veces no es que [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2607,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trauma"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2497"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2497\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2684,"href":"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2497\/revisions\/2684"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sonialopezpsicologaemdr.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}