Neurobiology and Treatment of Traumatic Dissociation
This is a research-focused book with an emphasis on the neurological and biological link to dissociation. Of particular note is the discussion of the use of opioid antagonists to treat dissociation, which I have not found elsewhere.
Although this book contains technical language and specialized terminology that may be difficult for those outside the field to understand, I found it invaluable in enhancing my understanding of dissociation. It approaches dissociation from a different perspective than other books on the topic, and provided unique insights that I hadn’t found elsewhere.
There are several sections in the book I found to be particularly insightful:
Table 7.1, pages 146-148 hilights experiences or behaviors that are associated with different defense responses which can underlie dissociated self-states, or “alters”. This table clearly lays out specific defense responses in detail that I have not seen elsewhere. These responses include ones such as “fight-obstructed”, “frozen flight”, “attach-obstructed”, “submit-active”, “submit-involuntary”, and “shutdown submissive freeze”, amongst many others. This was very useful in understanding defense responses attributed to my own parts, and helped me to see nuances greater than the standard “fight, flight, and freeze” responses can provide.
Chapters 5 and 22 discuss the role of endogenous opioids in dissociation and the use of opioid antagonists in dissociative disorders, respectively. This is information I have not found elsewhere and includes cutting-edge research in the field. If you’re considering medication for treating your dissociative symptoms, I highly suggest reading these chapters. For a more brief overview, a presentation from Ulrich Lanius about using low-dose naltrexone for treating dissociation can be found here.
Overall, if you’d like to get a deeper understanding of DID beyond what standard texts provide, I would highly recommend this book.