When the world doesn't feel real: understanding dissociation

"It feels like everything is a dream."

"I'm trapped in a bubble."

"I feel like I'm observing myself from afar."

If any of those experiences sound familiar, you're not alone.

Researchers at UoB have collaborated with charities Unreal and the McPin Foundation, alongside clinicians and young people with lived experience, to create Through the Fog: a new resource for anyone trying to understand and cope with dissociation.

What is dissociation?

Dissociation is a feeling of being disconnected from yourself, your surroundings, or your sense of identity. It can be difficult to describe, and for many people, frightening when it happens for the first time.

Some people feel detached from their thoughts, emotions or body. Others describe feeling as though they're living in a dream, watching their life from a distance, or moving through a fog.

While dissociation can feel alarming, it is often linked to stress, anxiety, trauma, or feeling overwhelmed, and support is available.

Betty’s experience of dissociation

For Betty Ewens, who helped co-produce the Through the Fog resource using her own lived experience, one of the worst parts was not knowing what was happening.

"When you're young it can be really isolating, especially as a young neurodivergent person as well. I didn't quite feel the same as my peers, and then suddenly developed this new anxiety disorder I'd never heard of and no one around me knew what it was. It was incredibly stressful."

Dissociation can affect people in different ways. Some describe feeling detached from their body, emotions or surroundings. Others notice physical sensations too.

"It can be such an all-encompassing physical feeling as well. I used to think I needed glasses when I was suffering with it the most. I couldn't get over this tunnel vision, blurred vision feeling," explains Betty.

Because dissociation can make it difficult to focus, read or take in information, making support accessible was a key priority for Betty and her co-producers when creating the resource:

"We really wanted to make this booklet and this piece of help for young people something that was easily digestible, as well as nice to look at."

Access the Through the Fog booklet

Through the Fog: Getting Help for Dissociation and Depersonalisation explains what dissociation is, why it happens, practical coping strategies, and how to access support.

The resource was developed by University of Birmingham researchers Dr Emma Cernis, Gwynnevere Suter and Eleanor Sinfield, in collaboration with charities Unreal and the McPin Foundation, clinicians and young people with lived experience.

Read Through the Fog.

Find someone to talk to at UoB

If this article has resonated with you, remember there’s always someone here for you at UoB.

Our Time to Talk campaign can help you find the right wellbeing services, including Talking Space drop-ins, 24/7 support through UBHeard, and our therapeutic practitioners.

Explore support options through Time to Talk.

You don't have to figure this out on your own.