In psychology, dissociation is a defense mechanism.
The act and consequence of dissociating (that is, of separating something that was attached to something else) is known as dissociation . There are various meanings of this term, taking into account the perspective with which it is analyzed.
In the field of chemistry it is used to refer to the division of the elements of a substance through an action of a chemical or physical nature.
chemical dissociation
The chemical dissociation procedure, experts reveal, allows a substance to be segmented into smaller molecules , usually reversible. Dissociation is a mechanism that opposes association, synthesis and recombination.
The quotient that results from dividing the amount of substance that has been dissociated and the amount of original substance is known as the degree of dissociation . These quantities can be measured in moles or in proportional magnitudes.
When a dissociation into salts occurs through the process of solvation in some kind of solvent , cations and anions can be divided. By generating evaporation of the solvent or causing it to crystallize, the salt can be recovered.
Regarding the dissociation of acids within a solution , it must be said that in this framework an H+ proton is released. It is a balanced procedure where dissociation and recombination take place simultaneously.
Psychological disorders
Dissociation in psychology is a symptomatology where the affected person generates a blockage against painful contents in their consciousness. By not accepting these elements, the person carries out dissociation as a way of coping with anxiety or stress . It represents a defense mechanism that involves removing disruptive elements for the self from the rest of the psychic apparatus. That is why the subject ends up living with incongruent elements.
The fundamental problem for a person with this type of disorder is the inability to regulate their emotions ; It is difficult for him to tolerate and be above certain intense emotional experiences, mainly because no one has taught him or helped him to control and understand them. So when faced with certain situations that produce overwhelming emotions, he runs away, because he relives certain traumatic memories that he is not able to handle.
The inability to regulate emotions leads to dissociation.
Forms of dissociation
All this triggers a change of state in the ego that can present itself in five different ways; They respond to the way in which said individual perceives his or her own existence, and they can be:
* Depersonalization : feeling of being separated or alienated from one's own body. Inability to recognize yourself in the mirror or simply to feel yourself;
* Derealization : feeling that what is happening around you is not real. Perception that the external world is false, distant or nebulous or as if one were not in it;
* Dissociative amnesia : inability to remember relevant personal data or important events in your own life. Micro- amnesias are more common, which are characterized by forgetting small events, such as arguments or conversations;
* Confusion and alteration of identity : sudden sensation that awakens and prevents the patient from being aware of who they are. Getting to the point of being surprised by being in a certain place and asking questions like "Who are you, and what am I doing here?" There is also confusion regarding time and place; It often happens that you feel like you are in another time and place, usually in the past.
It is good to keep in mind, however, that sometimes dissociation shows itself in more subtle ways; That is, without feeling like she is another person or alien to her body, she shows a sudden change in mood or appears confused about her emotions.
It is worth mentioning that this disease can develop for various reasons, but it is more present in people who have suffered sexual, physical or emotional abuse in childhood; especially if they are children of individuals with the same disorder or who present highly contradictory behavior.