Page 378 - Total War on PTSD

378 of 1042
Dissociation plays a critical role in trauma survival. Veteran’s may demonstrate dissociative expressions through trance-like behavior, chronic daydreaming, and disconnectedness. Such dissociation can destroy swaths of memory. The Veteran may have a blotchy sense of history with missing chunks of significant memory within a narrative. The therapist always works to maintain solid eye contact in order to avoid issues with dissociation.
Reconnecting traumatic memories can be arduous for the Veteran. The extreme vulnerability and helplessness feels terrible yet there is relief in facing what has been driving the anxiety and depression. The Veteran may experience significant and vivid “flashbacks,” flash memories, sensations, smells, and sounds of a traumatic event that can blur present consciousness. They may become disoriented or enter an altered state, as there is a liminal state between the present and the past that can disorient a person. Some Veterans may experience unexplainable body pain as a clue to something buried from the past. Memories are stored in the body and in the cells as well and those become retrievable as the Orgonomist works with the body.