What Does Dissociation Feel Like?
Symptoms, Causes & TMS Therapy for PTSD & Depression
8 Minute Read
Imagine standing in a room, but somehow, it doesn’t feel real. It’s like you’re watching yourself from the outside, going through the motions without really being there. Your voice sounds distant, your hands move like they belong to someone else, and the world around you seems blurry or out of focus. It’s as if you’re floating, disconnected from reality, not fully in control.
Maybe you’ve also had moments when you can’t remember simple things, like how you got somewhere or what you were doing just moments ago. Or you might feel like you’re becoming someone else entirely, like your thoughts and actions aren’t really yours.
At its worst, dissociation can feel like living in a dream — nothing seems familiar or grounded, and you’re just watching life happen, not fully living it. It’s unsettling, disorienting, and honestly, kind of scary. You know something’s wrong, but it’s hard to explain to others, and even harder to understand yourself. Dissociative Disorder Awareness Day on March 5th, 2025, is the perfect time to take a closer look at this often misunderstood but common experience.
What is Dissociation?
Dissociation is a mental process where a person feels disconnected from their thoughts, feelings, memories, or sense of identity. It’s often considered a defense mechanism — a way for the mind to protect itself from emotional overload, particularly in response to trauma, stress, or anxiety. In individuals dealing with PTSD or depression, dissociation can act as a coping strategy when the emotional or psychological burden becomes too heavy.
For someone experiencing dissociation, it might feel like you’re not truly “there.” You may feel like you’re watching your life from the outside, or like you’re no longer in control of your own actions. It’s as if your mind is trying to take a break from overwhelming emotions — a common reaction in trauma-related disorders.
What Does Dissociation Feel Like?
While dissociation is often linked with traumatic experiences, it can also be a prominent symptom in depression, anxiety, and PTSD. People who experience dissociation describe a range of sensations, and these experiences can vary widely. Here are some common ways dissociation feels:
1. Out-of-Body Sensation: You might feel as though you’re detached from your body, watching your actions as though you’re an outsider looking in. During episodes of dissociation, your movements or thoughts might feel automatic, as if you’re on autopilot.
2. Memory Gaps: Dissociation can cause significant memory lapses. This could mean forgetting things you’ve done recently or being unable to recall important details about your day or experiences. This memory disruption can be especially disorienting for individuals with PTSD, as trauma-related memories may become fragmented or unclear.
3. Emotional Numbness: A hallmark of dissociation, especially in the context of depression, is emotional detachment. You might feel emotionally distant from people or situations, unable to connect with feelings of joy, sadness, or anger. This numbness can make it difficult to process emotions or even recognize them.
4. Distorted Reality: For some, dissociation can cause the world to feel unreal. Things around you might seem dreamlike or distorted. You might also experience time in an altered way, with events feeling slowed down or sped up. This sense of disconnection from reality can make the world feel like it’s not quite real, which is often distressing for those with PTSD.
5. Shifting Identities: Some individuals experience dissociation as feeling like they’ve become someone else, or like they’re switching between different “selves.” This can cause confusion about who you really are, especially if dissociation is chronic or severe in cases of PTSD or depression.
Why Does Dissociation Happen in PTSD and Depression?
Dissociation is most commonly seen in conditions like PTSD and depression, where the mind is overwhelmed by unprocessed trauma, emotional distress, or negative thought patterns. In these disorders, dissociation serves as a protective mechanism when an individual’s emotional or psychological capacity is overwhelmed by external stressors. It’s a way for the mind to disconnect from overwhelming stimuli — essentially giving the individual a break from the distressing emotions or memories they are experiencing.
Common triggers of dissociation in PTSD and depression include:
• Trauma: For those with PTSD, dissociation often follows exposure to life-threatening or traumatic events such as abuse, violence, accidents, or combat. The dissociation can occur as a protective response, helping the person avoid fully experiencing the painful emotions connected to trauma.
• Chronic Stress: Long-term exposure to stress or anxiety can contribute to dissociative episodes. When a person is in a constant state of hyper-alertness or fight-or-flight response (common in PTSD), dissociation helps the mind temporarily distance itself from the stress.
• Negative Thought Patterns: In depression, persistent negative thinking and emotional exhaustion can trigger dissociation. The mind may dissociate as a way to escape from overwhelming feelings of worthlessness or sadness.
How TMS Therapy Can Help with PTSD and Depression-Related Dissociation
If you’re struggling with dissociation as a symptom of PTSD, depression, or anxiety, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy may offer relief. TMS has been proven to help manage the symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety — conditions that often contribute to or exacerbate dissociative episodes.
TMS is a non-invasive treatment that uses magnetic fields to stimulate specific areas of the brain responsible for mood regulation and emotional processing. In the case of PTSD and depression, these conditions can often create an emotional numbness or disconnection from reality that fuels dissociative experiences. By targeting areas of the brain involved in these emotional responses, TMS Therapy can help restore normal brain activity, potentially reducing symptoms like emotional numbness, hyperarousal, and negative thought patterns that contribute to dissociation.
Research has shown that TMS is effective in treating depression and PTSD by improving mood, reducing anxiety, and increasing emotional connectivity. By improving neural communication in regions that regulate emotion and memory, TMS may help individuals feel more grounded, present, and engaged with their surroundings, alleviating some of the disorientation and emotional detachment often linked to dissociative episodes.
If you’re experiencing dissociation alongside these conditions, TMS Therapy could be a valuable part of your treatment plan to help you feel more in control and connected to your life.
Take the First Step Toward Healing
Dissociation, often linked to conditions like PTSD, depression, and anxiety, can make you feel disconnected from your own life, emotions, and reality. While coping with dissociative symptoms can be challenging, understanding their connection to underlying mental health conditions is the first step toward healing.
TMS Therapy offers a promising approach to addressing these conditions by targeting the brain regions that regulate mood, memory, and emotional processing. By treating the root causes of PTSD, depression, and anxiety, TMS can help alleviate the emotional numbness and disconnection that contribute to dissociation, helping you regain a sense of control and presence in your life.
If you or someone you know is struggling with symptoms of PTSD, depression, or anxiety, TMS Therapy may be the solution you’ve been searching for. Reach out to our clinic today to schedule a consultation and learn how TMS can help you reconnect with your life and your emotions.
You don’t have to navigate this journey alone — help is available. Take the first step toward a more grounded, connected you today.