the stranger in the mirror dissociation the hidden epidemic

Dissociative disorders, such as dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality) develop in response to overwhelming (or traumatic) stress, such as childhood sexual abuse. Discover groundbreaking findings on a hidden epidemic - and why it so often is misdiagnosed.You peer into the mirror and have trouble recognizing yourself. One chapter even bears the title 'A Healthy Defense Gone Wrong.' Transient dissociation may occur in response to heightened stress. She stresses that dissociation may be mild, moderate or severe normal or abnormal adaptive (healthy, promoting adjustment) or maladaptive (unhealthy and interfering with adjustment, growth and stability) and that having one or more dissociative experiences does not automatically mean one has a dissociative disorder. The book also includes a screening instrument to help identify the presence and potential need for further assessment of what Steinberg considers the five core dissociative symptoms: amnesia, depersonalization, derealization, identity confusion, and identity alteration. She provides many self-help suggestions for communicating with and nurturing the dissociated parts of oneself. The Stranger in the Mirror: Dissociation-the Hidden Epidemic (Paperback) by Marlene Steinberg (shelved 7 times as dissociation) avg rating 3. She defines dissociation as 'a state of fragmented consciousness involving amnesia, a sense of unreality, and feelings of being disconnected from oneself and one's environment.' Aimed at the general reader, Steinberg's and co-author Schnall's prose is lucid, compassionate and contains much practical insight. Steinberg's book has significant flaws but is still an invaluable resource for therapists and their clients who wish to understand and recover from trauma-based dissociation.

The stranger in the mirror dissociation the hidden epidemic