There are different forms of this response.

There are five types of dissociation, which are listed below. Occasional, mild episodes are part of ordinary, everyday life. Sometimes – at the time of a one-off trauma or the prolonged identity confusion of adolescence, for instance – more severe episodes are quite natural.

Amnesia
This is when people can’t remember incidents or experiences that happened at a particular time, or when they can’t remember important personal information.

Depersonalisation
A feeling that your body is unreal, changing or dissolving. It also includes out-of-body experiences, such as seeing yourself as if watching a movie.

Derealisation
The world around you seems unreal. You may see objects changing in shape, size or colour, or you may feel that other people are robots.

Identity confusion
Feeling uncertain about who you are. You may feel as if there is a struggle within to define yourself.

Identity alteration
This is when there is a shift in your role or identity that changes your behaviour in ways that others could notice. For instance, you may be very different at work from when you are at home.