Caring for a newborn at home is a time full of ups and downs – even a quick search on the Internet will come up with endless articles about what to expect, how to cope and even how to ‘survive’.
But for some new mums who have experienced a traumatic birth, returning home with a tiny baby can be even more challenging.
Louise Thompson has bravely spoken out about her experience and recently announced that she has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the birth of her first child.
After giving birth to her son Leo-Hunter in November, the former Made In Chelsea star spent five weeks in hospital and has since revealed that she’d developed a “major phobia” of her kitchen, and has also suffered from “depressive panic episodes”.
On Instagram, she recently wrote: “No longer scared of food or the range. Words I never thought I’d say.
“I think the reason I developed such a major phobia of my kitchen is because every time I came in here I would reach a 100/10 anxiety and dissociate so I learnt to associate it with very bad things.”
Many people will experience an episode known as ‘dissociation’ during their lives. Affecting people in different ways, it commonly leaves them feeling as though they are living in a dreamlike state.
In fact, the National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates that up to 75% of people will feel disconnected from their body (depersonalisation) or as though the world isn’t real (derealisation) at some point.
OK! spoke exclusively to Dr Earim Chaudry, Medical Director of men's health platform Manual and Danielle Haig, Principal Business Psychologist at DH Consulting, about these symptoms, and also discovered how many people – like Louise – will experience dissociation following trauma.
What is dissociation?
“Dissociation affects the way someone thinks and many will experience it at some point in their lifetime.
“It is a mental process of disconnecting from thoughts, feelings and memory which can alter a person's perception of time and sense of identity,” says Dr Chaudry.
What are the symptoms of dissociation?
“Memory gaps, feeling detached from your body, developing different identities or thinking the world around you isn’t real are all symptoms of dissociation,” Dr Chaudry explains.
According to Rethink Mental Illness, symptoms of dissociation include:
- Forgetting time periods, events and personal information
- Feeling disconnected from your body
- Feeling disconnected from the world
- Not having a sense of identity
- Feeling little or no physical pain
What causes dissociation?
As Louise indicates, there are lots of things that can cause people to dissociate, including stress or trauma. It can also be a symptom of other mental illnesses, such as anxiety or PTSD.
“Dissociation still is still a quandary as we aren’t sure what exactly causes it,” says Danielle.
“However, we do know that it is likely that the sufferer will have undergone a form of trauma.
“It normally occurs when someone is reliving a traumatic event and the mind detaches itself as a form of self-defence,” she adds.
“It can prevent feelings of anxiety and fear as you pause the reliving of that traumatic event.”
What’s the difference between dissociation and a dissociative disorder?
In some circumstances, very frequent episodes of dissociation may be a sign of a dissociative identity disorder (DID).
“Experiences of dissociation vary between short periods of hours and days, to longer periods of weeks and months,” says Dr Chaudry.
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“A DID is a type of mental disorder that causes someone to involuntarily escape reality in ways that are unhealthy and affect daily functionality.
“A DID can occur at any age. Women are more at risk than men at developing the condition, as well as individuals who are victims of past trauma and mistreatment.
“Men are more likely to hide symptoms and past traumas which can result in less diagnosis.”
How can people who experience dissociation look after themselves?
Though dissociation can be exhausting and frustrating, there are things that people can do to help cope with the symptoms.
“Some coping mechanisms include relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation and deep breathing,” explains Dr Chaudry.
“Also forming a support network of friends and family or online support groups and seeking professional treatment or speaking to a therapist which can help physically and mentally.”
For more support and advice, visitRethink Mental Illness orMind.
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