Dissociation eases immediate trauma but predicts later development of PTSD

Evidence

Dissociation makes the unbearable less unbearable, at least in the short run. But it also prevents people from coming to terms with their traumatic experiences. People who dissociate during a traumatic event are more prone to subsequently develop PTSD. Thereafter, they feel perpetually endangered and are always anxious and on the lookout for hazards. — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core, 718

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Anatomical ‘castration’ trauma requires prior dissatisfaction, not mere discovery — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 687