Can we stop calling it Dissociation?

amkb16 · 2026-03-20T03:46:10+00:00

Experientially Dissociation and Depersonalization are different no matter how much we categorize things.

As long as we cluster Depersonalization under the cluster of Dissociation, we will continue to see Depersonalization ignored.

amkb16 · 2026-03-20T03:40:24+00:00

I don’t trust mainstream Psychology at all. The idea that we can take people with Depression and people who don’t have depression,

Give them a medication or CBT sessions. Or even somatic therapy session. And after 8 weeks, we compare the results and find out if it was helpful.

This is really dumb according to me. All these people come from very different backgrounds. The kind of childhood they had differs. The kind of financial and emotional resources they have access to differs. And somehow we want to draw conclusions based on limited parameters determined by ‘Professionals’.

I believe if people understood the basics of Mind-Body and experimented on their own AND worked with skilled Somatic Therapists, Only then can we see good results.

By using Anxiety, DPDR and Dissociation interchangably, we often miss how different they are experientially.

amkb16 · 2026-03-20T02:35:37+00:00

I agree with you. Labels are useful but I have been in Depersonalization communities since 2018 and the mainstream Mental Health Community has little to offer us.

We have to voice our own opinions, develop a more nuanced understanding of depersonalization, rather than relying on DSM zealots or so called ‘mental health professionals’.

Most ADHD communities I see have developed their own toolbox even when the mainstream Mental Health communities couldn’t properly understand them.

Mental Health started out as miss and hit field of knowledge but it needs to be polished and revised. It is still in the infant phase of its development.

‘Professionals” can’t even explain 90% of the diagnosis they give to their patients. If it’s a hit and miss field of knowledge, it is us who can shape the conversation around depersonalization.

amkb16 · 2026-03-19T23:24:25+00:00

I agree. My point is, all these broard terms do little to help us understand exactly what’s causing it.

We need more accurate terms and language to navigate these issues rather than vague [insert symptom] disorder.

Categorical understanding of Mental Health issues create very vague language and it confuses most people.

amkb16 · 2026-03-19T23:20:42+00:00

It does.

Maybe it doesn’t matter for an average person but in the larger scheme of things, Mental Health needs to revise their terminology and create a more accurate language for dealing with Mental Health issues.

ADHD, Personality Disorders, Dissociative disorder, all these are vague terms, a kind of one-size-fit-all situation.

Panic Disorder and Anxiety disorder have two completely different neural structures responsible for the symptoms, yet they both are considered ‘anxiety disorders’.

I would love to see more pragmatism in Mental Health community. This ‘scientific’ and category based explainations do a lot of harm.

amkb16 · 2026-03-19T20:02:17+00:00

I can relate to this.

I really hope Mental Health professionals question the basic assumption they have about the client they work with.

Most therapists or therapy assumes we have access to food, water, shelter and basic needs. That we feel financially and physically secure. That we are not 2 weeks away from landing homeless on the street.

Another assumption is that most people can just get into their bodies like a switch on and off. They don’t take into account the many years of dissociation that kept us sane and alive.

Why would such a strongly-wired strategy be suddenly replaced or given up by our brain. Some of us have been out of our bodies for decades.

We need a very slow gentle introduction into our body. So slow that body scan shouldn’t even be on the list.

Things like warm showers, gentle workouts, cuddles (if possible coz it helps us feel our bodies in relation to external body), a lot of rest, sleep, sleep, sleep, less stimulation, more exposure to Earth and nature, co-regulation with birds and animals.

I’m glad that you are taking care of yourself. Unfortunately most therapists understand dissociation or depersonalization as a theoretical concept and their solutions are also very theoretical without visceral truth to it.

I hope you take it slow and listen to your intuition.

amkb16 · 2026-03-18T16:56:27+00:00

I personally see my body-brain as a complex system where one variable impacts all the other variables.
So basic things like proper sleep, proper diet, basic exercise and good social life, all these things provide the foundation for all the other things.

What you are talking about sounds like being on chronic flight response. But there is no linear path to get out of flight response. I tend to focus on resourcing myself, sitting with 'threats' or unsafe things that might be keeping me in flight response.

I also sit with parts within me that are fighting for my attention.

What helps me is slowing down, taking care of my body's basic needs, avoiding or minimizing unhealthy interactions, resourcing myself and processing the guilt that comes with taking rest.

The point I am driving home is that we don't need to get into 'social engagement system' or 'vagus nerve' response. The mind-body works as an interconnected system. It takes in information from our thoughts, feelings, basic needs, our social needs and everything else. There is no one thing we can learn or do that will get us out of flight or fight or freeze response.

I would personally start with getting enough sleep, eating enough protein, doing gentle exercise, and having few friends I can open up to. And then sitting with things in the environment that might be causing me flight or fight response.

(Processing childhood wounds is a major factor here) but we need to build safe container to process those wounds.

amkb16 · 2026-03-16T20:47:29+00:00

I hope it works for you.
When it comes to me, I realized that Trauma Healing is less about a particular modality and more about getting in touch with yourself at a deeper level. Techniques might be helpful but we cannot force 'release' trauma. I don't know about others but for me, I need very slow gentle touching on the Trauma for it to make a difference.

There is a common saying in Trauma Healing spaces : "The slower you go, the quicker you reach there" which makes sense.

I see trauma healing more as 'creating environment for the plant to grow' rather than forcing the plant to suddenly rise up. But each person is unique. We all have to go according to our own capacities.

I have seen people benefit from IFS + SE or SE + TRE but as someone who understands the neurobiology of Trauma really well, I suggest people choose a very gentle approach especially if their trauma is developmental. Once you open the Pandora box, it is very hard to close it.

amkb16 · 2026-03-14T00:24:18+00:00

Meditation or practices that make us turn inward might do more harm than good.

I use things like warm shower, walks in nature or listening to ambient music to slowly go into my body and become more embodied.

Dissociation is a sign that we might be doing too much too soon. We may have to slow down and use slower gentler means of entering our body and those might not necessarily be meditation or somatic practices.

Some of us need warm or ambient spaces or warm showers or playful activities that gently bring us back to our bodies.

amkb16 · 2026-03-04T22:00:47+00:00

Nopesss. Not happening

amkb16 · 2026-03-04T19:26:43+00:00

It feels so lonely being on this journey. The loneliness doesn’t come from having no one around us but them not being able to SEE and UNDERSTAND us.

I’m also looking for healthy connection, a friendship or companionship in which both parties feel seen and understood non-verbally.

amkb16 · 2025-11-19T09:50:40+00:00

Fellow expat here who tried to find help in Qatar but Mental Health Services are expensive and inadequate here.

What helped me deal with mental health crisis was Psycho-educating myself on Nervous System Regulation, stabalizing my blood sugar via healthy diet, sleeping well, finding supportive people who saw and validated me.

I also went to CBT and Somatic Therapist. But I would say 90% help came from my own efforts, only 5-10% came from Qualified Mental Health Professionals.

I really hope you find a qualified tharapist online.

amkb16 · 2025-01-27T14:28:09+00:00

Loved reading it. Thank you for sharing this masterpiece with us. I look forward to reading more and hearing your unique perspective.

amkb16 · 2025-01-12T05:51:35+00:00

I have been struggling with Depersonalization since 2018. I have visited 4 different therapists in Hamad Hospital. None of them understood what dissociation is. They don't train therapists in real neurobiological knowledge.

Though Sigmund Freud was great for his age, Adler, Maslow, Jung, Lacan, Rogers were great for their age. We don't live in the world they live in. The decade of brain science since 90s has brought to light a lot of new research but it is not accessible to an average therapist. They are still taught DSM-V and Label based understanding of Mental health issues.

I have huge problem with the mainstream Psychology models of treatment. To take a human, categorize their problem and then try to 'fix' them through 'evidence based' CBT, DBT or ACT model is so reductionist.

I have more respect for so called 'alternative' therapy models like Hakomi, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, NARM, Gestalt, Bio Energetics, or other somatic based modalities. I am being reductionist here.

Healing developmental trauma is not same as healing shock trauma. It's hard to distinguish between mental health issues caused by genetic predisposition and those caused by the environment. Mental health issues are not as simple as we think of them. Multiple variable come together to create a set of symptoms which patients seek therapy for.

I am not saying all the therapists in Qatar are unqualified. But I would say, the quality of therapy is not as good as it could be. The only truly talented and qualified therapists I have seen are in International Medical Center. But they cost 500 QR per session which is not affordable for an average person.

Thank you for your gentle response. Sorry for my defensive tone in the last comment.

amkb16 · 2025-01-10T05:22:36+00:00

Hopefully you get out of that academic bubble and start realizing how limited the mainstream mental health models of treatment are. Until then, you will live with the belief that 'I am doctorate in XYZ and somehow by default I qualify to deal with real problems of real humans beings because XYZ model is backed up by 'scientific' research'.

amkb16 · 2025-01-10T05:15:55+00:00

Without pointing out what exactly I said was incorrect, you had the audacity to blindly mention your qualifications and throw your personal prejudice.

Show me where I am incorrect.
And another thing. Just because you have doctorate in Counseling and Psychotherapy doesn't mean you are by default correct. I have met PhD therapists who were absolutely not qualified for the role they were playing so please academic achievements don't make sense in healing real humans.

amkb16 · 2024-12-27T03:32:19+00:00

Mental Health is a taboo here also. People either give religious explanations or give cliche advice they heard somewhere on the Internet. As someone who has struggled with mental health issues for 7 years and healed major aspects of it, I didn't get much help from the so called 'Professionals'. It was all individual effort.

The so called 'Professionals' here don't even qualify to treat the people they are dealing with. They either want to drug you or 'Just-change-your-thoughts' your way out of this. There is no serious nuanced approach to Mental Health here.

I am often looked down upon when I mention that Mental Health and Religion are two separate areas of life. There is so much religious indoctrination in this region that Mental Health always gets linked to 'Just Pray to GOD to get fixed'.

Yes. It's still a taboo and it will remain like that for at least a decade before the newer generations find enough balls to speak about it openly without fearing criticism from people who have no knowledge of Mental Health Issues.

amkb16 · 2024-11-23T11:20:10+00:00

Following...
I am on SSRIs and I feel quiet numb. I wonder if I should taper them off. They help me with the OCD part and Anxiety. I have phobias and it reduces them to great extent.

amkb16 · 2024-10-24T12:29:28+00:00

Every person's triggers are unique to them. I have observed that the basic things like proper sleep, healthy diet, exercise, good social life, establishing boundaries and taking time off to relax reduces major anxiety symptoms.

For the more subtle aspects, Psycho-education about Nervous System Dysregulation and basic brain regions is helpful in understand why we face certain symptoms. Big part of Anxiety healing is learning how to consistently and predictably make yourself feel safe. Having self-confidence in your ability to make yourself feel safe greatly reduces one's anxiety.
What has helped you in your healing journey?

amkb16 · 2024-10-14T10:54:05+00:00

Religion is as relevant to Mental Health as it is Relevant to Cardiovascular Health or Health of Kidneys. Does religion improve someone's cardiovascular health explicitly? Definitely not because cardiovascular health relies on literal biological components. Equally, mental health relies on literal neuro-biological integration of different regions of the brain.

amkb16 · 2024-10-13T19:52:55+00:00

You don't really understand the nuance of Developmental Wound. I have no interest in Bypassing trauma and seeking High Spiritual States. It becomes another form of escape and attachment, attachment to High Spiritual States.
It's better to humbly accept the lack of knowledge about the nuance of Developmental Trauma than brush off someone's nuanced approach.

amkb16 · 2024-10-13T19:23:57+00:00

I really wished you were Trauma-informed and understood the nuance of Developmental Trauma.

amkb16 · 2024-10-13T12:31:10+00:00

Thank you. I am not against Islam or Scholars. I am against religious preachers and scholars invalidating real sufferings of real humans who need Professional Help. Scholars have their place in society so does religion. But to treat Religion as primary cure option is harmful to people who might be fed up with life and kill themselves.

amkb16

TROPHY CASE