In plain words
Peritraumatic dissociation is a feeling of being detached during a frightening event. You might feel as though you are watching from outside your body, or that time is slowed or unreal. Some mothers feel this during a hard birth, an emergency, or a sudden surgery. It is a common response to fear and pain, and it is not a sign of weakness. Several birth studies find that it is linked to later symptoms of trauma, such as flashbacks or nightmares. Memories of the birth may feel fragmented. If you notice lasting trauma symptoms, tell your provider or a therapist, because support is available.
The deeper version
Peritraumatic dissociation refers to depersonalization, derealization, or altered awareness during a traumatic event, and the DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) includes dissociative symptoms as a specifier of posttraumatic stress disorder. In birth studies it has been identified as a strong predictor of later posttraumatic stress symptoms, with the proposed mechanism being impaired contextual encoding of the traumatic memory, which can make memory fragmented or intrusive. The construct is measured by retrospective self-report, and recall bias is a limitation. Prospective data on peritraumatic dissociation after childbirth are limited, and the relationship between intervention in the moment and later symptoms is an area of ongoing research.
Where it comes up
- Birth trauma and postpartum PTSDPostpartum: Mind
- When birth didn't go to planBirth and the First Days
- Telling your birth storyBirth and the First Days
What mothers here say about peritraumatic dissociation
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- American Psychiatric Association — Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), 2013