Effects of disassociation following trauma

Question

Effects of disassociation in Trauma &#010;Disassociation is a well-recognised result of trauma. While the disassociation may be part of an overall defense mechanism in view of the trauma, still new research (LeBois et al, 2022, as cited in ScienceDaily, 2022) indicates that the presence of disassociation and derealisation may indicate further mental health issues for several months following the trauma.   The overall study AUOROA (Advancement Understanding of RecOvery after traumA) focused on data from 1,464 patients treated at a variety of emergency departments. 145 of these patients also underwent assessment as they were given an emotional task.  &#010;Findings:   The researchers found a wide variety of issues in those who reported derealisation at a 3-month follow-up. These included:   1.Depression 2.PTSD symptoms 3.Anxiety 4.Pain &#010;The findings are important as knowledge of who is more at risk of mental health issues following trauma, may aid in supplying a rapid response and early intervention to those who need it most.   "Therefore, persistent derealization is both an early psychological marker and a biological marker of worse psychiatric outcomes later, and its neural correlates in the brain may serve as potential future targets for treatments to prevent PTSD," said senior author Kerry J. Ressler, MD, PhD  References:   McLean Hospital. "Feelings of detachment predict worse mental health outcomes after trauma: Patients who experience this symptom may benefit from early interventions." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 22 June 2022. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/06/220622101352.htm>  image credits: chenspec/pixabay

Emily M · Accepted Answer

I think trauma is a great topic and disassociation is a fascinating subject. Interesting that disassociation seems to be a protective measure our brains take, but it is a sign of further mental health issues.

M · Answer

Dissociation from trauma can leads to Mental health issues. And here I thought putting mental block on trauma can save us from emotional pain. But it's like we are trying to fix broken mirror with saniplast. It's always something with brain.

Daniel Sumner · Answer

Absolutely, I guess there's a trade-off for this temporary patch just long enough for you to survive the trauma. I'm looking forward to further research to elucidate this finding.

Jonathan Samson · Answer

Thanks @Daniel Sumner