Monthly Archives: October 2010
Disentangling Animal Defenses From Dissociation: Part II
We have no idea where our animal defenses end and our dissociative symptoms begin. The more that I immerse myself in this area, the more I am surprised that the dissociation literature hasn’t thought more deeply about animal defenses. Animal … Continue reading
Disentangling Animal Defenses From Dissociation: Part I
We need to disentangle the phenomena of animal defenses (e.g., freezing, hyperfocus, tonic immobility, etc.) from the phenomena of clinical dissociation (depersonalization, derealization, amnesia, etc.). Animal defenses have been built into us by natural selection; as such, their phenomena are … Continue reading
Are Flashbacks Just Memories?
Today’s post is really Trying To Forge a Deeper Understanding of Flashbacks: Part III. My choice of the above title, however, nicely encapsulates today’s topic and avoids the mind-dulling repetitiveness (“O, the wretched monotony!”) of continuing to use the same title. … Continue reading
Forging a Deeper Understanding of Flashbacks: Part II
Flashbacks have at least four striking features: 1. Flashbacks are experiential, marked by a sense of reliving, accompanied by sensations and affects). 2. Flashbacks are distinctly fragmentary. 3. Flashbacks are autonomous and involuntary. 4. Flashbacks are frequently associated with dissociative … Continue reading
Forging a Deeper Understanding of Flashbacks: Part I
I believe that experienced trauma therapists (Think: PTSD specialists) possess an approximate, rather cognitive understanding of flashbacks. On the other hand, I am certain that dissociative disorders therapists (Think: DID specialists) have a much richer grasp of flashbacks, but I … Continue reading
