Summary of Suzette Boon, Kathy Steele & Onno van der Hart's Coping with Trauma-Related Dissociation

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 You will begin by learning how to stay present. Once you have practiced the exercise suggested for being present, you can read about dissociation in the chapter.

#2 Being in the present is essential to learning, growing, and healing from a dissociative disorder. You may encounter a number of problems that interfere with being present, such as being under stress or faced with a painful conflict or intense emotion.

#3 Pay attention to the details of the room around you. Notice three objects that you see, and describe their characteristics out loud to yourself. Notice three sounds that you hear, and describe their qualities out loud to yourself. Finally, touch three objects and describe how they feel.

#4 To help you focus on the present, try focusing on the sounds, smells, tastes, and touches around you. You can also take time to slow and regulate your breathing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Jun 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822532076

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

Book preview

Insights on Suzette Boon and Kathy Steele & Onno van der Hart's Coping with Trauma-Related Dissociation

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 11

Insights from Chapter 12

Insights from Chapter 13

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

You will begin by learning how to stay present. Once you have practiced the exercise suggested for being present, you can read about dissociation in the chapter.

#2

Being in the present is essential to learning, growing, and healing from a dissociative disorder. You may encounter a number of problems that interfere with being present, such as being under stress or faced with a painful conflict or intense emotion.

#3

Pay attention to the details of the room around you. Notice three objects that you see, and describe their characteristics out loud to yourself. Notice three sounds that you hear, and describe their qualities out loud to yourself. Finally, touch three objects and describe how they feel.

#4

To help you focus on the present, try focusing on the sounds, smells, tastes, and touches around you. You can also take time to slow and regulate your breathing.

#5

Dissociation is a word that is used for many different symptoms, and at times, it is understood differently by various professionals. It is a concept based on years of careful observations and study, including historical research into the original 19th-century literature on the subject.

#6

The opposite of dissociation is integration. Integration is the process of combining different aspects of personality into a unified whole that functions in a cohesive manner. It is the result of the development of a stable sense of who we are.

#7

We develop a sense of self over the course of our development, which is made up of our life experiences and our perception of who we are. We can then place these experiences in our life history as an integral part of our autobiography.

#8

The integrative capacity of children is much more limited than that of adults, and it is still developing. Thus, they are not able to integrate their experiences into a coherent and whole life narrative.

#9

The parts of the personality that are divided and respond differently are called dissociative parts of the personality. They can range from extremely limited to more elaborate in function. The functions of each part may vary from person to person.

#10

Dissociation develops when a person is too overwhelmed by an experience to be able to integrate it fully. It is a survival strategy that allows a person to go on with normal life by avoiding extremely stressful experiences.

#11

There are two classifications of diagnoses for people who have chronic dissociative disorders: the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is currently in its fourth edition, and the International Classification of Diseases, which is published by the World Health Organization.

#12

When you are in therapy, discuss your diagnosis with your therapist. Remember, diagnoses are not labels that make a statement about who you are. They are just ways to categorize broad experiences so that your therapist can help you.

#13

The following is a list of symptoms of dissociation, along with their associated changes in awareness.

#14

Dissociation involves a wide range of symptoms, from mild to severe, from temporary to chronic. For those with dissociative disorders, symptoms are generally chronic and interfere with daily life.

#15

The majority of people with a dissociative disorder do not have complaints about their identity or sense of self. They may experience strange and frightening symptoms that do not make sense, and which often lead them to fear they are crazy.

#16

The loss of certain functions or experiences that, in principle, you should be able to own is a common symptom of dissociation. For example, you may have amnesia, the loss of memory for important events or segments of your life. Or you may suddenly seem to lose a skill or knowledge that is a natural part of your life.

#17

Amnesia is the inability to recall events in your life. It can be caused by a dissociative disorder, and it typically involves serious memory problems. People may not only have amnesia for the past, but also for the present.

#18

When you feel estranged from yourself, it is often because your dissociative parts are overwhelmed or detached from your main personality. You may feel as if you do not exist or have any control over your actions.

#19

alienation from yourself and from your surroundings may occur. The world may feel unreal, like you are in a dream or a play, and people’s voices may sound very far away.

#20

Dissociative intrusions are when one dissociative part intrudes into the experience of another. They may occur in any arena of experience: memories, thoughts, feelings, perceptions, ideas, wishes, needs, movements, or behaviors.

#21

Dissociation is strongly associated with other changes in awareness that are common in everyone and are