Dissociation, Trauma, Altered Existence

Abstract

When a child experiences a traumatic event, a very common result is either partial or complete repression of the traumatic event from their memory. This is possible because the brain forces an overwhelming amount of dissocation to occur, so much so that in some cases, the child may not even be aware of the fact that they went through the traumatic event in the first place. The brain keeps these memories buried until the child grows to be an adult, when they can better process and recover from what they went through. This is natural, an instinctive mechanism meant to help the child survive and have the ability to continue developing. However, the utilization of such a vast amount of dissociation at such a young age is not without consequence. Multiple traumatic responses connect back to memory repression. A child with a significant amount of trauma may see the world through a very different lens when they reach adulthood, and yet they may not even realize that they have trauma in the first place. In fact, one of the more interesting theories may be the connection between traumatic dissociation and the development of Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder later on in life. Understanding this connection, along with the many other ways that trauma manifests in adulthood, is what leads to more people feeling as though they have the right to ask for help in a world that largely discredits the validity of what they remember.