diff --git a/Dissociation.md b/Dissociation.md index 874fcfc..83b816c 100644 --- a/Dissociation.md +++ b/Dissociation.md @@ -1,51 +1,52 @@ -# Dissociation and Plurality - -This page is here to explain dissociation in more depth, and how it connects to our experience as a plural system. It’s okay if this all sounds unfamiliar or a little strange -- we’re not trying to be experts or speak for anyone but ourselves. We just want to help make sense of our inner world. - ---- - -### What is Dissociation? - -Dissociation is something almost everyone experiences. At its core, it’s a disconnection -- from thoughts, memories, emotions, the body, or even reality. It’s not always a sign of something wrong; in fact, it’s often a really effective survival mechanism. Dissociation exists on a spectrum, from very ordinary moments to deeper, more complex experiences that can come from trauma. - -Here’s a quick walk through that spectrum: - -- **Daydreaming** - Getting lost in thought, zoning out in a meeting, imagining a whole scene in your head. Harmless, common, and very human. - -- **Highway Hypnosis** - Driving a familiar route and suddenly realizing you don’t remember the last several miles. You were functional, just not fully “there.” - -- **Deep Concentration** - Getting so immersed in a task (reading, coding, art, etc.) that you lose track of time or awareness of your surroundings. - -- **PTSD** - After trauma, the brain can disconnect from certain thoughts, emotions, or memories to protect itself. Flashbacks, emotional numbing, and avoidance can all be forms of dissociation. - -- **CPTSD** - With ongoing or repeated trauma, this disconnection can become more chronic. Emotional numbing, memory fragmentation, and identity confusion are common. - -- **Depersonalization / Derealization** - Feeling like you’re not real, or like the world around you isn’t real. These can be fleeting or persistent, and often feel very unsettling. - -- **DID / OSDD** - When the brain walls off parts of itself to survive overwhelming experiences, it can result in distinct parts (or people) sharing a body. These systems may or may not experience memory gaps between members. - -![empty](./assets/Dissociation.webp) ---- - -### What is Plurality? - -Plurality is when more than one distinct self, identity, or consciousness exists in one body. These selves -- often called *parts*, *headmates*, or *Crew members* in our case -- might have their own names, roles, ways of thinking, and emotional responses. - -Plural systems form for different reasons. Some are trauma-based, others might form through different neurological or psychological mechanisms. Some systems don’t know exactly why they exist -- and that’s okay too. - -Being plural doesn’t always mean having amnesia or switching in dramatic ways. In systems like ours, there’s often shared memory and co-consciousness, where multiple members are aware of or participating in life at the same time. That doesn’t make us “less” plural -- just different in how it shows up. - -Plurality isn’t inherently a problem. For many systems, including us, it’s a source of resilience. It can also come with challenges -- communication, coordination, emotional intensity -- but we navigate those together. - -We know this may take some time to wrap your head around. That’s okay. We’ve had to do that too. We don’t expect anyone to understand it all right away -- we just ask for curiosity and compassion as you get to know us. - ---- - +# Dissociation and Plurality + +This page is here to explain dissociation in more depth, and how it connects to our experience as a plural system. It's okay if this all sounds unfamiliar or a little strange -- we're not trying to be experts or speak for anyone but ourselves. We just want to help make sense of our inner world. + +--- + +### What is Dissociation? + +Dissociation is something almost everyone experiences. At its core, it's a disconnection -- from thoughts, memories, emotions, the body, or even reality. It's not always a sign of something wrong; in fact, it's often a really effective survival mechanism. Dissociation exists on a spectrum, from very ordinary moments to deeper, more complex experiences that can come from trauma. + +Here's a quick walk through that spectrum: + +- **Daydreaming** + Getting lost in thought, zoning out in a meeting, imagining a whole scene in your head. Harmless, common, and very human. + +- **Highway Hypnosis** + Driving a familiar route and suddenly realizing you don't remember the last several miles. You were functional, just not fully "there." + +- **Deep Concentration** + Getting so immersed in a task (reading, coding, art, etc.) that you lose track of time or awareness of your surroundings. + +- **PTSD** + After trauma, the brain can disconnect from certain thoughts, emotions, or memories to protect itself. Flashbacks, emotional numbing, and avoidance can all be forms of dissociation. + +- **CPTSD** + With ongoing or repeated trauma, this disconnection can become more chronic. Emotional numbing, memory fragmentation, and identity confusion are common. + +- **Depersonalization / Derealization** + Feeling like you're not real, or like the world around you isn't real. These can be fleeting or persistent, and often feel very unsettling. + +- **DID / OSDD** + When the brain walls off parts of itself to survive overwhelming experiences, it can result in distinct parts (or people) sharing a body. These systems may or may not experience memory gaps between members. + +![empty](./assets/Dissociation.webp) + +--- + +### What is Plurality? + +Plurality is when more than one distinct self, identity, or consciousness exists in one body. These selves -- often called *parts*, *headmates*, or *Crew members* in our case -- might have their own names, roles, ways of thinking, and emotional responses. + +Plural systems form for different reasons. Some are trauma-based, others might form through different neurological or psychological mechanisms. Some systems don't know exactly why they exist -- and that's okay too. + +Being plural doesn't always mean having amnesia or switching in dramatic ways. In systems like ours, there's often shared memory and co-consciousness, where multiple members are aware of or participating in life at the same time. That doesn't make us "less" plural -- just different in how it shows up. + +Plurality isn't inherently a problem. For many systems, including us, it's a source of resilience. It can also come with challenges -- communication, coordination, emotional intensity -- but we navigate those together. + +We know this may take some time to wrap your head around. That's okay. We've had to do that too. We don't expect anyone to understand it all right away -- we just ask for curiosity and compassion as you get to know us. + +--- + Let us know if you'd like to learn more, or visit our [Crew Page](./System) to meet the people who make up Starship Voidfish. \ No newline at end of file