Dissociative

Dissociative (/dɪˈsoʊʃiːˌeɪtɪv/ or /dɪˈsoʊsiːˌeɪtɪv/) is a term in psychology and psychiatry that refers to a wide range of experiences from mild detachment from immediate surroundings to more severe detachment from physical and emotional experiences. The major characteristic of all dissociative phenomena involves a detachment from reality, rather than a loss of reality as in psychosis.

Etymology

The term "dissociative" comes from the Latin dissociare, which means "to separate". In the context of mental health, it refers to the separation of normally related mental processes, resulting in one group functioning independently from the rest, leading to disturbances in identity, consciousness, or memory.

Related Terms

Dissociative Identity Disorder: A severe form of dissociation, a mental process which produces a lack of connection in a person's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity.
Dissociative Amnesia: A condition where a person cannot remember important information about their life.
Dissociative Fugue: A rare condition in which a person suddenly, without planning or warning, travels far from home or work and leaves behind a past life.
Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder: A type of dissociative disorder that consists of persistent or recurrent feelings of being detached (dissociated) from one’s body or mental processes.