Election DEPRESSION or DISSOCIATION?

For many Americans, election season can make us feel like our world is put on pause and we are functioning on autopilot. Many of us may be in a panic about what the future holds, or reminiscing on the past when life seemed simpler and we were more connected, or dissociating to avoid the intensity of this historic time overall. The question is...how do you know if you are actually feeling depressed/anxious or if you are in a dissociative state of mind?

Both depression and dissociation have feelings of hopelessness, disconnection from self, others and life overall, nihilistic thinking, emotional numbness, and the loss of interest/pleasure in activities you typically love.

Depression is typically an intrinsic mental health condition. It can be in response to your environment but overall it is typically a chemical imbalance in your brain - AKA your "happy" chemicals are depleted (serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, etc.).

Dissociation is more extrinsic because you are functioning from a survival state of mind and your nervous system is responding to the stress or trauma by going in autopilot.

Examples of dissociation are:

• Daydreaming

• Feeling detached from your body

• Derealization: Feeling as though the world around you is unreal or a simulation

• Memory issues

• Depersonalization: Feeling like you're watching yourself from the outside, or feeling like you're on autopilot 

• Driving a familiar route and arriving at your destination without any memory of how you got there

If you have been diagnosed with depression or think you have depression and treatments aren't helping, it may be time to work on managing dissociation rather than depression. The first step with dissociation would be to engage in somatic exercises by regulating your nervous system and connecting to your body.

Examples of somatic exercises for dissociation are:

1. Body scan meditations

2. Daily check ins at least 3x a day - typically when you eat your meal ask yourself "How do I feel right now emotionally? How do I feel right now physically? Is there anything I want or need?"

3. Diaphragmatic breathing - Link here

4. Tapping - https://www.thetappingsolution.com/

5. Mindful stretching or yoga

6. Dance or any type of body flow movement

And while I know this is tough to do especially during election season please try to limit your news intake and political conversations with others that can induce more stress.

Please seek help if you are in need of help during this time by completing the contact form on my website.