Dissociative Addiction Disorders (DAD) involve a loss of certain cognitive functions

Dissociative Addiction Disorders (DAD) involve a loss of certain cognitive functions, therefore meaning you can experience too little. This can be things such as amnesia, loss of a skill or piece of knowledge. It’s common for people with a dissociative addiction disorders to be unable to feel an emotion or sensation in the body. This means they become emotionally or physically numb and a separate part of us holds an experience or sensation that can’t be felt.

We with a dissociative addiction disorder often experience amnesia that goes beyond the normal range of forgetfulness. They’re also susceptible to time distortions and feel time go by too quickly or slowly. Often we will experience depersonalisation and feel as if we only exist in our head. We become alienated from our body and are insensitive to physical pain or lack sensation in some parts of our body. Depersonalisation is usually an attempt to avoid or regulate overwhelming feelings or experiences, usually of abuse.

De-realisation, where events or surroundings seem unreal may also be experienced. The world may feel unreal as if we are in a dream or a play.We with a dissociative addiction disorder, these events may be related to parts of the personality that are living in a trauma time. These parts may confuse the present with the past and therefore do not experience the present as real.