Understanding Dissociation and the Freeze Response

Dissociation is a phenomenon—a defence mechanism designed to protect us from threat. It is a state one can enter when sensing danger.

Sometimes, when a person is in a threatening situation, they may freeze—like a deer in headlights. Once the threat passes, so does the freeze response.

What Dissociation Feels Like

Dissociation can feel like:

• Zoning out
• Entering a trance state
• Feeling lost, foggy, numb, or confused
• A warm, floating sensation from opioids flooding the nervous system

While this can feel pleasant in the moment, problems arise when an adult has no control over the state, especially during conflict with a loved one or when a trigger makes a past event feel like it’s happening in the present.

For some, dissociation may last hours, and in severe cases, even days.

The Science Behind Dissociation

Dr. Stephen Porges, founder of Polyvagal Theory, has informed the trauma community about the immobilization response—a hardwired survival instinct in all humans.

• This response is nature’s way of protecting us from extreme threats, even the horror of sudden death.
• The freeze response is as important as the fight-flight response—it is simply another pathway of survival.

However, individuals who have experienced multiple adverse childhood events (ACEs) may develop dissociation as a hardwired defense. For these adults, dissociation can become a frequent, automatic state, making them feel out of control—especially in therapy.

First Step in Healing: Awareness

The first step to healing from dissociation is to track when it happens.

• Log daily episodes of dissociation.
• Break your day into hours and note when you feel disconnected or “not present.”

By noticing patterns, you can begin to understand triggers and learn how to bring yourself back to the present.

Grounding and Re-Regulation Skills

Once you are aware of dissociation, you can practice grounding techniques that retrain the brain toward presence:

Cold Temperature

• Run cold water over your hands
• Splash cold water on your face
• Place something frozen on your neck or body
• Take a cold shower
• Drink cold water slowly

Grounding Exercises

• Identify five things you see in the room
• Identify five things you hear
• Use the 5-4-3-2-1 method: notice 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, 1 thing you taste

These techniques help redirect the nervous system, teaching it to stay grounded in the present rather than slipping into dissociation.

Final Thoughts

Dissociation is not weakness—it is a protective response hardwired into all of us. But when it becomes automatic and frequent, it can interfere with daily life and relationships.

By building awareness and practicing grounding skills, survivors can slowly retrain the brain, developing new neural pathways for presence, safety, and resilience.

References

• Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
• Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. New York: Viking.
• Steele, K., Boon, S., & van der Hart, O. (2017). Coping with trauma-related dissociation: Skills training for patients and therapists. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
• Schauer, M., Neuner, F., & Elbert, T. (2011). Narrative exposure therapy: A short-term treatment for traumatic stress disorders (2nd ed.). Cambridge, MA: Hogrefe.

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