An abstract artwork that conveys strong, varied emotions through contrasting patches of color that are pushed up against, and bending around, each other. The different zones of color have simple patterns on top of them, many of which are thin lines that form shaky spirals and scribbles that emphasize areas of struggle and the borders between zones. This artwork is from a painting by Nika_Akin.
I’m working on an article on depicting dissociation for the Mythcreants blog, and I wanted to a place to put information on dissociation and disability down, because that is beyond the scope of the article. That’s what I’m doing here, starting with the information I had to remove from the article. Hopefully I will get a chance to expand this soon.
Many disabilities involve dissociation in big or small ways, making it important for respectfully portraying them. To start with, there are dissociative disabilities, such as dissociative amnesia and dissociative identity disorder. Dissociation is also important for disabilities that involve trauma, like PTSD and panic disorder. Hyperfocus, where a person becomes so absorbed in a task that they are oblivious to everything else, is another form of dissociation that is part of several common disabilities, like ADHD and autism. In addition, brain injuries can cause dissociation, as can a wide range of psychiatric disabilities, including borderline personality disorder, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
[…] Dissociation is a mental process where a person disconnects from their thoughts, feelings, memories, and/or sense of self. While dissociated, a person can have a dreamlike feeling of unreality, be mentally or physically numb, or feel detached from their body, mind, or identity. Overwhelming situations can cause dissociation, as can intense short-term states like extreme stress or tiredness, alcohol, a range of drugs, and many disabilities. […]