Sure. Dissociation is a maladaptive coping technique where you remove your sense of self to avoid harms. It’s harmful in itself because it’s destructive to your very perception of the world and in developing meaningful interactions with life, but the entire reason you do it is so the outside world can’t harm you because you don’t recognize a you to harm as being important.
Actually that’s why we use ketamine as a painkiller. Dissociating is a powerful tool for both ignoring physical and psychological pain. When it comes to psychological harm, like anxiety from a casual conversation, then that conversation can’t really harm you if you’re precluding the anxiety from existing in the first place. That’s why it’s a coping mechanism. It’s just a destructive one in the long term.
What? could you elaborate on that?
Sure. Dissociation is a maladaptive coping technique where you remove your sense of self to avoid harms. It’s harmful in itself because it’s destructive to your very perception of the world and in developing meaningful interactions with life, but the entire reason you do it is so the outside world can’t harm you because you don’t recognize a you to harm as being important.
Hmm. Yes indeed. But can’t it… well…hurt, like physically, even if the sense of self is gone?
Actually that’s why we use ketamine as a painkiller. Dissociating is a powerful tool for both ignoring physical and psychological pain. When it comes to psychological harm, like anxiety from a casual conversation, then that conversation can’t really harm you if you’re precluding the anxiety from existing in the first place. That’s why it’s a coping mechanism. It’s just a destructive one in the long term.
Hmm. Thanks for the info. I might need to have a talk with my psychiatrist.
Oh, btw, one last thing. When you say “we”, you mean… Who ? Thanks!
I’m a nurse so the medical community.
Oh, right. I thought it was related to a particular kind of diagnosis. Thanks for clarifying.