The signature characteristic of dissociation is distance (dissociation means separation from association or union) . Dissociation is the least commonly reported part of the three facets of depersonalization and derealization disorder. The other two facets are depersonalization and derealization.
You are bothered by the distance, and you inability to feel connected to your loved ones. You notice that other people can feel their emotions, and can feel what situations require, are sensitive to situations, but you obviously cannot. You notice that you cannot cry anymore. You feel emotionally numb. Doctors and psychologists often call this anhedonia (the inability to experience joy, which often comes with affective blunting, known as being emotional flattening or emotional flat-lining) but without depression. Having a little dissociation is to be in your head, to have more creates more of a helicopter view. You see yourself from a distance, like you observe yourself, you body, as a lifeless thing.
What really stands out, is with being closed off from your emotions and feelings, your ability to empathize decreases, and you don't feel interconnected. This feeling out of connection, can also mean you can get accused of being insensitive to others. You feel alone.
The absence of emotions is not of a depressive nature, but more of an rational and untouched by emotion kind. It doesn't touch you. This a perfectly healthy reaction to extreme threat during a traumatic situation, but a very limiting and unhealthy reaction if this remains after trauma.
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Causes Depersonalization and Derealization
The cause of depersonalization and derealization is always a life-threatening situation. 1. Bad trip, 2. Trauma. 3 Stress. Deeper cause is a disorganized attachment style and double bind.