We who have a dissociative addiction disorders, our symptoms are chronic and interfere with daily life.

Dissociation involves many symptoms that range from mild to severe and temporary to chronic. We who have a dissociative addiction disorders, our symptoms are chronic and interfere with daily life.

We with dissociative disorders do not arrive in therapy with complaints about our identity and sense of self, rather they present with symptoms such as sleep disturbances, relational problems, depression and anxiety. We often find it hard to describe our inner experiences and may not share these details unless asked directly because they’re ashamed. Often, these frightening symptoms are directly related to the disowned addiction actions of other parts of the personality. Understanding the nature of these symptoms usually leads to us feeling more comfortable and understood.

A major symptom of dissociation is involuntariness, whereby were we are aware of thoughts and sensations, but these experiences do not seem to belong to us.

Each dissociative part of our personality has the potential to develop an individual view of self, others and the world. These opposing views can lead to us being very confused about who we are. It’s pertinent to remind ourselves  that dissociative parts of our addiction personality are not separate identities living in one body, but rather parts of us that are not yet functioning in a coordinated way.

We then looked at how our inner division can manifest in a range that can broadly be described as experiencing too little or too much.