Why do children dissociate?
Dissociation is creative and helpful when a child is in the middle of a traumatic and/or overwhelming situation and cannot escape it or receive comfort. It is an effective way to manage intense overwhelming feelings of fear, betrayal, and threat to survival. Thus, dissociation is an adaptive response to an abnormal situation and allows a child to maintain a relationship with abusers on whom she is dependent. When, however, dissociation continues past the event itself, it can create numerous problems for a child (see item #3 below) if early and accurate intervention does not occur.
