Welcome to the Dissociators world...

Jordan B. Peterson, Ph.D, states, "You cannot implement the correct answer if you do not understand the problem."

Treating clinicians and therapists often hold a mistaken belief that the child who was traumatized initially is oftentimes too depleted and weak, or no longer exists, never to be seen again. So, they search for a part within the dissociative system to regurgitate disconnected, unresolved, and dissociated trauma events. Furthermore,  surmising that someone "must remember" as the primary focus and  treatment method, to successfully integrate and become whole and non dissociative. Nothing could be further from the truth. 

What they don't realize is that they have it backwards, with the horses in back of the buggy, rather than in front, being a natural position for the horses to skillfully and easily drive, pulling the buggy forward. 

Because of this mistaken assertion, survivors will attempt to put a dissociative puzzle back together, without a clear understanding of its puzzle pieces and how they fit together correctly, They risk the puzzle falling apart later on. If the survivor lacks an accurate understanding of who they are and how they dissociate, they will struggle to put themselves back together again. 

HERE IS WHAT'S HAPPENING INSIDE THE BRAIN

Danger signals will replay repeatedly while trauma is occurring, remaining active until the brain forms a compilation of progressive dissociative steps. The first step involves a switch in neuronal tracks, allowing the young child to hide and achieve safety. Heroic Mini-Mes act as a barrier during and between trauma episodes. When faced with danger, the child switches between hiding and bringing their Mini-me heroes forward to deal with the trauma on their behalf. This process allows the child to disconnect from the pain while still bringing in separate support, so they don’t suffer. This specialized strategy is not in error or an accidental mix-up. It is a purposeful and tactical move and is heralded as an added strength to provide the best possible protection from trauma.

The survivor's mind can suddenly shift, making people they usually consider trustworthy and safe instantly become suspect and untrustworthy. They don't realize that past trauma is influencing their feelings and emerging into their current awareness, "Blending" the past and present together, therefore their newly formed current feelings are valid. Unfortunately, however, several prior "feelings and emotional distress from earlier traumas" leak out of their compartments and are not readily recognizable when they blend into the current. That's why most trauma survivors describe 'being triggered'. Leaking traumas trigger urgent responses linked to childhood events, often flooding and overwhelming the mind.

Sadly, many questions will arise regarding the motives of loved ones, colleagues, and associates. It will become difficult to pinpoint the original true source of their distrust and doubts, not realizing the source is from leaking trauma pockets.

The brain has learned that some traumatic events need to be separated from the child, creating enough dissociative signal splitting to achieve its goal. As a result, it directs some signals to split and flow upward together, while others are compelled to move downward, allowing trauma information to be kept away from the struggling child. This dissociative process is called the Dissociative Blending Effect, which guides signals to split and flow up and down along a new neuronal pathway. One direction helps free the child to find a safe place where danger cannot reach, damage, or harm the child. Essentially, the child's brain learns the important dissociative step of "actively disconnecting" to keep the trauma far away.

"In the initial phase of this new Dissociative Dance, the goal is designed to allow heroes (mini-me parts) to deeply embed instinctive responses of denial that trauma is not happening. It attributes it to some other child who is suffering. This supports a strong defense mechanism, making it easier for the next "separation to occur."

The second phase involves skillfully separating 'parts of the self,’ where dissociative steps like these become crucial for effectively fragmenting and disconnecting each trauma, transferring all trauma-laden signals to "another child that will step into the proper place, via proxy, securing the child's place temporarily." The mechanism that keeps trauma episodes apart from the child-dissociator also prevents them from internalizing trauma. It is also the glue that attaches traumas directly to approaching Heroes, releasing the hold it has on the young child, allowing them to escape safely.

The young Dissociator depends heavily on their ability to actively dissociate, which disconnects their conscious awareness from what they are doing. They are removing large amounts of terrifying feelings and emotions. A successful dissociative outcome relies on the (DBE) Dissociative Blending Effect functioning automatically and effortlessly, staying precisely on track, and providing full access to a wide range of other dissociative functions.

We all need to develop a deeper and more accurate understanding of the role and internal movement of parts, alters, and mini-mes within the brilliant Dissociative Dance. This includes recognizing how trauma can resurface on anniversaries and why these interactions occur long after the trauma has ended. There is more to the relationship between the Dissociator and their mini-mes than just trauma. Many survivors and therapists hold mistaken ideas about how the dissociative system works, prompting the question: Why is there so much focus on trauma in therapy? Survivors are often encouraged to relive and recall their trauma in fine detail. Therapists are eager to use EMDR and hypnosis, which causes survivors to regurgitate and vividly relive the emotional and physical aspects of their trauma repeatedly.

Is this holistically integrative in nature, or is it made to appear resolved by the stealthy dissociator who sits "actively dissociating" while struggling to think clearly and calmly? Shouldn't we consider what happens after trauma and what the child feels and thinks about themselves, rather than focusing on trauma events exclusively? What does real healing look like? Does solving who did what and how they did it, with all the horrid details, really the primary key to healing?

Understanding the role of powerful defense mechanisms during and after trauma is essential for healing, especially when Dissociation is chosen as a distinct response to what occurred. Asking these questions is vital to understanding the child's needs at the precise moment of injury. It empowers them to find answers to their questions, recognize their strengths and gifts hidden inside, and decide when they are ready to heal and move forward at their own pace.  Fortunately, true and accurate knowledge brings calmness to an anxious and overexcited heart.

 The actively dissociating brain frequently hiccups and drifts from one subject to another without any clear purpose or direction. Therefore, the hope of achieving a focused mind will be a gift to look forward to in the future. When survivors' questions are answered and they realize how dissociation has affected their lives, they are better able to recognize the strengths and insights they have gained.

Having developed a functional defense against danger and harm is truly a blessing. And when the survivor realizes their use of dissociation as a coping mechanism, they will unlock the door they used to escape horrific harm.

Survivors may, for the first time, take great pride in what they have accomplished. Thank goodness they did for themselves what no one else could do!

**The methods used in therapy and the "determination of the survivor to heal " become the glue for each puzzle piece keeping each puzzle held securely in place. 

If they do not have a clear understanding of their dissociative process, no matter how much they squeeze and shove each piece in place, the potential for success will fail. 

Dissociation camouflages itself from the very survivor that created. Trauma events compel survivors to learn unique dissociative skills that enable them to take a neurological position directly behind a dissociative wall/barrier, and they will "blend and shift positions" of extreme internal influence and. This internal shift and blend enable survivors to camouflage themselves much like a chameleon, which blends into its background. By doing so, this dissociative step allows their brain to reorganize and segregate all trauma signals into secretly held compartments. 

Dissociative Facts:

The survivor's brain will suddenly shift neuronal tracks, making people they usually consider trustworthy and safe instantly suspect and untrustworthy. They don’t realize that past traumas infiltrate their feelings, emerging into their current awareness by "Blending" the past and present together. Therefore, the newly emerged feelings become valid. Unfortunately, the survivor's prior "feelings and emotional distress from earlier traumas" leak out of their compartments and are not readily recognizable when they blend into the current day's situation. The leaking trauma(s) bring up mini-urgencies in direct relationship to prior trauma events in childhood and will flood and overwhelm the conscious mind. 

Unfortunately, many questions will arise regarding the motives of loved ones, friends, associates, and spouses. It will be difficult to pinpoint the original true source of their distrust and doubts, not realizing the true source is from leaking trauma pockets.

While trauma is occurring, Neuronal Danger signals will replay repeatedly, remaining active until the brain forms a series of progressive dissociative steps. The first step invokes a switch of neuronal tracks that allows the young child to hide and achieve safety. Heroic Mini-Mes act as a barrier during and in between trauma episodes. When faced with danger, the child hides and brings Mini-me heroes to deal directly with trauma on their behalf. This process allows the child to disconnect from abuse and pain while bringing in separate support so they don't have to endure the trauma load. This specialized strategy is not in error or an accidental mix-up. It is a purposeful and tactical move and is heralded as a key factor in providing the best possible protection. 

The brain has figured out that some trauma events will need to be separated from the child, providing enough dissociative signal-splitting to accomplish the result it is looking to achieve. It directs some signals to separate and flow upward together while compelling others to proceed in a downward flow, allowing trauma information to sequester away from the struggling child. This dissociative step is known as the "Dissociative Blending Effect", which instructs all signals to separate and flow up and down a new neuronal pathway. One directive flow will free up the child to secure a safe place where danger cannot enter. In effect, the child's brain learns a valuable dissociative step of "actively disconnecting" to sequester the trauma load far away.

"The Dissociative Dance" is designed to allow heroic Mini-Mes' to be formed and embed instinctive responses of denial "that trauma is not happening".  Furthermore, attributing trauma to another child who is suffering. This supports a strong defense mechanism, making it easier for the next “separation to occur." 

The second phase is to skillfully and completely separate into "parts of the self," wherein dissociative steps like these are vital to successfully fragment and dissociate (disconnect) each trauma, transferring all trauma signals to "another child that will step into the proper place via proxy, replacing the child's place temporarily. Blending is the glue that keeps any trauma episodes/elements safely sealed away from the child/Dissociator, in turn preventing trauma from attaching directly to them. It attaches trauma directly to approaching Heroes, releasing the hold that it has upon the young child, therefore allowing them to escape safely. 

The young Dissociator relies heavily upon their ability to actively dissociate, which breaks their conscious connection to what they are doing. In essence, they are removing vast amounts of terrifying feelings and emotions. A successful dissociative outcome is dependent on the (DBE) Dissociative Blending Effect operating autonomously and effortlessly, staying precisely on course, and granting full access to a complete array of many other dissociative functions. 

We all must come to a more in-depth and accurate understanding of the role and internal movement of parts, alters, and mini-me's within the Dissociative System. This includes recognizing how trauma can resurface on trauma anniversary times of the year, and why these interactions happen even long after the trauma(s)have ended. There's more to the relationship between the Dissociator and their Mini-Me's than just trauma events. Many survivors and their therapists have erroneous ideas about how the dissociative system operates, raising the question: Why do most therapists mainly focus on trauma as a treatment modality? Survivors are often led to relive and fully remember their trauma in detail. The use of EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, combined with hypnosis, causes survivors to regurgitate the raw emotions and physical aspects of what they have already suffered.

Is this holistically integrative in nature or made to look resolved by the stealthy Dissociator who sits "actively dissociating" while struggling to think clearly and calmly during these types of therapy sessions? Shouldn't we consider what happens after trauma and what the child feels and thinks about themselves, rather than focusing on trauma events exclusively? 

What does real healing look like? Does solving who did what and how they did it, with all the horrid details, really the key to healing? 

Discovering hidden coping skills during and afterward is crucial to healing especially when they chose such a distinctive course of Dissociation despite all that happened to them! To ask these types of questions is imperative in understanding the needs of the child at the precise time of injury, and by doing so, puts them in charge of their own healing, empowering them that they will find their personal questions answered and identify their strengths and gifts that they have locked inside. They alone must choose when they are ready to heal at their own rate of speed and progress. 

Fortunately, true and accurate knowledge brings with it a calmness to an anxious and over-excited heart, and the dissociative brain will often hiccup and wander from subject to subject without any clear purpose or direction. So the hope of gaining a clear focus of mind will be a gift to look forward to in the future. When survivors find the answers that they are looking for and when they understand the role that dissociation has had in their life, it is only then that they will appreciate the gifts that they have been given. 

Having a functional defense against danger and harm is truly a blessing. And when the survivor realizes their use of dissociation as a coping mechanism, they will unlock the door they used to escape horrific harm and hence save themselves.  Survivors may, for the first time, be very proud of what they have done. Thank goodness they did for themselves what no one else could do!