Author Helen Parker -Drabble Who Do I Think You Were?®
Dissociation in your Family Tree
Helen
CONTENT WARNING
This article discusses trauma, dissociation, war experiences, childhood abuse, and mental health conditions including PTSD and dissociative disorders. Content includes historical accounts of death, violence, and psychological distress.
If you’re currently experiencing acute trauma symptoms or dissociative episodes, you may wish to read this article when you have appropriate support available.
Crisis resources: – International: Search for local crisis helpline – UK: Samaritans 116 123 | SHOUT text 85258 – US: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Dissociation is an automatic, biologically driven mechanism that acts as ‘mental flight when physical flight is not possible’.[vii] Sometimes an event can be remembered, but we fail to notice it’s not a complete memory. What’s recalled can feel dreamlike, disjointed, or exist only as an image, taste or feeling. It keeps the person frozen in time, disconnected from the emotion, pain or powerlessness of an experience. How many times might an ancestor have said they were caned or whipped, genuinely believing ‘it didn’t do me any harm’? This is an effect of dissociation.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
– Dissociation is a healthy survival response to overwhelming trauma—ancestors may have dissociated during war, abuse, medical procedures, bereavement, or institutional care. Dissociation often develops when there’s disorganised attachment—created when caregivers are persistently frightened or frightening.
– Three main dissociative disorders: depersonalisation-derealisation (feeling detached from self/reality), dissociative amnesia (memory gaps), and dissociative identity disorder/DID (severe disconnection from identity)
– Disorganised attachment is the greatest risk factor for developing dissociative disorders—created when caregivers are persistently ‘frightened’ or ‘frightening’
– Identify dissociation in family records through: emotional detachment in letters, gaps in family narratives, unexplained behaviour changes, evidence of severe childhood trauma
– Dissociation passes through generations: chronic dissociation from repeated trauma can impair parenting, creating less resilient children who inherit vulnerability to psychiatric disorders
– Recovery is possible: proven trauma treatment models can reverse dissociative patterns, terminating cycles and healing intergenerational wounds
– Case study: Theophilus Parker’s 1900 letter from Anglo-Boer War shows depersonalisation—writing about daily burials with apparent emotional detachment typical of trauma response
What Is Dissociation?
Dissociation is a mental process that disconnects thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity as a protective response to overwhelming experiences. It’s the mind’s way of saying, ‘This is too much—I need to step away from this experience to survive it.’
Common dissociative experiences everyone has: – ‘Highway hypnosis’ (arriving home with no memory of driving) – Getting absorbed in a book or film and losing track of time – Daydreaming so intensely you don’t hear someone speaking to you
These normal experiences become disorders when: – They happen frequently and involuntarily – They interfere with daily functioning – They persist long after the traumatic event – They prevent processing and healing from trauma
Why ancestors dissociated: Imagine being a child in a Victorian workhouse, witnessing daily cruelty with no escape. Imagine being a soldier at the Battle of Spion Kop watching five comrades buried daily. Imagine enduring invasive medical procedures without anaesthetic.
Dissociation allowed survival by creating psychological distance from unbearable experiences.
The evolutionary purpose: In life-threatening situations, dissociation can be adaptive—it allows people to function under extreme stress, make critical decisions despite terror, and survive experiences that might otherwise be psychologically devastating.
The long-term cost: When dissociation becomes chronic—the brain’s default response to any stress—it interferes with emotional connection, memory formation, identity coherence, and the processing necessary for healing.
There are three main dissociative disorders: depersonalisation-derealisation, dissociative amnesia and dissociative identity disorder (DID, previously known as multiple personality disorder). All are healthy responses to surviving overwhelming trauma – although they can create new problems of their own.
Case Study: Theophilus Parker’s Letter from the Anglo-Boer War
The letter below, written by my grandfather’s cousin Theophilus Parker (aged 29) to his brother Joel (aged 23), provides textbook evidence of dissociative response to trauma:
Sailors Rest, Fort Knokks [sic], Capetown 2nd April 1900
My dear Bro,
Just a line to let you know I am still alive & well. I have not as yet left Capetown & chill on the docks…. I have a very good job.… Close to where I am living, there is a large hospital & nearby is a military cemetery, they are being buried at a rate of 5 per day but, we soldiers must not grieve, we only say so & so has snuffed it. I got the pouch & bacca and you can assume I prized it very much. I will send you something from here that you will like. Give my best love to father & mother & all at home with best love to you hoping to see you soon.
From your loving bro, Theo
Page 1 Letter to Joel from Theo 1900
Page 2 Theophilus Parker letter from Anglo-Boer War 1900
Page 3 Theophilus Parker letter from Anglo-Boer War 1900
Theophilus Parker letter from Anglo-Boer War 1900 showing dissociative response to trauma with emotional detachment about daily soldier deaths.
Evidence of depersonalisation in this letter:
1. Emotional detachment: Theophilus writes about daily mass burials—five soldiers dying every day near where he lives—with no emotional reaction. The matter-of-fact tone (‘they are being buried at a rate of 5 per day’) suggests psychological distance from the horror.
2. Minimisation: Using slang (‘snuffed it’) for death creates linguistic distance from the reality of young men dying. This vernacular normalises trauma, making unbearable loss seem routine.
3. Prescribed dissociation: ‘We soldiers must not grieve’—explicit instruction not to feel emotions. Military culture reinforced dissociation as coping strategy, preventing emotional processing necessary for healing.
4. Rapid topic changes: Letter jumps from daily deaths to tobacco gifts to family greetings with no transition—suggesting compartmentalisation typical of dissociative responses.
5. Superficial cheerfulness: Opening (‘alive & well’) and closing (‘hoping to see you soon’) maintain a cheerful tone despite describing traumatic circumstances—characteristic depersonalisation mask.
Historical context that may have primed Theophilus for dissociation:
Childhood trauma: – Mother died after a ‘premature confinement’ when Theophilus was 9 years old – Research shows 25% of children develop serious psychological issues following parental death – Potential attachment disruption, grief, possible disorganised attachment if his father was incapacitated by own grief
Stepmother relationship unknown: – Father remarried—quality of stepmother relationship determines whether Theo received secure attachment repair or further disruption – No records indicate whether stable environment helped build resilience
War exposure: – Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902): brutal conflict, 5 soldiers dying daily near his post – 1901 plague in Cape Town adding disease fear to war trauma – Later volunteered for WWI at age 46 (1917)—suggesting possible ongoing trauma responses or dissociative patterns
Medical discharge: Theophilus was discharged from WWI army service in December 1917, declared ‘unfit, cause unknown.’ This vague designation may indicate: – Physical injury from combat – Psychological injury (‘shell shock’—historical term for PTSD) – Chronic dissociative disorder impairing function – Combination of physical and psychological factors
The intergenerational impact: Did Theophilus’s dissociative patterns—developed to survive war trauma—lead to his late childless marriage?
Why this matters: Theophilus’s letter isn’t just family history—it’s evidence of how Victorian military culture normalised dissociation, preventing healing and potentially creating intergenerational trauma patterns in soldiers’ families. In the past, downplaying horrific situations may have been seen as an admirable masculine trait or even a life skill. Today, we recognise it as a way of dealing with trauma.
To find dissociation in our family tree, we need to look at the many kinds of trauma experienced in childhood. However, it’s important to remember childhood trauma does not automatically lead to a dissociative disorder.[i] Author, blogger and trainer Carolyn Spring helps people recover from trauma and reverse adversity. Carolyn comments that probably the greatest risk factor for developing a dissociative disorder in adulthood doesn’t come from the severity of the trauma, but from having a ‘disorganised attachment’ pattern.[ii],[iii],[iv]
We saw in a previous article that a disorganised attachment style affects our work, learning, social and romantic relationships, identity, and the ability to recognise feelings in oneself or others. For it to come about, the child would need to experience a caregiver who is persistently ‘frightened’ or ‘frightening’.[v],[vi]
So, what could have happened to my grandfather’s cousins to prepare them for such dissociation later on? As family historians, we cannot know our ancestors’ inner lives; but using current theories, we can examine the available records and speculate in an informed way.
What is depersonalisation-derealisation disorder?
Depersonalisation means feeling detached from yourself, observing yourself and your thoughts and feelings as if they belong to someone else. Some typical symptoms are:
out-of-body experiences
loss of feeling in parts of your body
distorted views of your body
an inability to recognise your image in a mirror
a sense of detachment from your emotions
feeling like you are watching a movie of yourself
feeling like you are unreal
Episodes of depersonalisation can last a few moments, come and go over many years, or may become an automatic response to severe mental or physical pain and distress.
Derealisation means seeing other people and the environment around you as dream-like and unreal. Objects may change in shape, size or colour. Typical symptoms are:
feeling like a normal environment is unfamiliar
a sense that what is happening is unreal
feeling detached from the world
a perception of objects changing shape, colour, size
In some cultures, people seek to attain depersonalisation through religious or meditative practices. This is not a disorder.[ix]
Depersonalisation-derealisation can also be induced as a side effect of some medications.
What is dissociative amnesia?
If someone has dissociative amnesia, there will be times when they can’t remember information about themselves or events from the past. They may forget how to do something. Some people find themselves in places they don’t recognise, with no memory of how they got there. These blank episodes can last a few minutes, hours or days. More rarely, they may continue for months or years.
What is Dissociative Identity Disorder?
DID is a severe form of dissociation that was once seen as rare. It is a mental process which produces a lack of connection in a person’s thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity. It’s thought to stem from early, often unrelenting, repeated abuse. The dissociative aspect is believed to be a coping mechanism – the person literally shuts her/himself off from a situation or experience that’s too violent, traumatic, or painful to assimilate with her/his conscious self.[x]
Dissociation could have become a primary defence mechanism if your ancestor grew up in a dysfunctional, abusive, addictive, or violent home. Children can easily become overwhelmed. They have fewer skills and little chance of avoiding or removing themselves from abusive or traumatic situations.
The strength of dissociation is that it narrows our focus so we can survive. Its disadvantage is that it can hamper healing. We need to find a way to weave our actions, memories, feelings, thoughts and sensations together, to support our wellbeing. This allows the experience to be absorbed and understood so it can become part of our identity.
Problematic dissociation
Chronic dissociation develops when there is repeated threat or trauma, especially when it starts at a young age and the child isn’t supported and soothed. In an ideal environment, parents buffer children from stress and help them regulate their behaviour, emotions and bodily functioning. If a parent did not have this experience, or is unable to give it, their child may be less resilient. As adults, these children show an increased risk for psychiatric disorders, addiction and serious medical illnesses. If uninterrupted, a repeated inheritance can be passed down subsequent generations.[xiv]
When our ancestors had overwhelming experiences, it may have been helpful to dissociate from debilitating fear, anxiety and arousal during a traumatic event. But while some dissociative responses last a short time and resolve on their own, others continue to play out over years and become a habitual response to abuse or are triggered by reminders of trauma in everyday life.[xv] This can then cause:
time confusion
loss of memory
blurred identity
difficulty managing feelings
emotional numbness
feeling as if one is outside one’s body
It also interferes with later cognitive and emotional processing of the event, ultimately disabling healing.[xvi]
Dissociation in the Parker family
So, what could have happened to my grandfather’s cousins to prepare them for such dissociation later on? As family historians we cannot know our ancestors’ inner lives; but using current theories, we can examine the available records and speculate in an informed way.
To give a personal example, dissociation may have robbed my great-grandmother Ann of her ability to be aware, feel joy, or nurture her children after the loss of her firstborn, Lily. [xvii] I suspect my grandfather Walter Parker’s inheritance left him with a tendency to detach himself from his emotions and his physical sensations. I wonder if he consequently found relationships stifling. It could explain why, according to his daughter, Walter physically shuddered when he heard Cole Porter’s song, I’ve got you under my skin in the 1960s.
Walter’s cousin Theophilus Parker likely experienced depersonalisation-derealisation during the Anglo-Boer War. These are common transitory experiences in the general population but could be present in 30% of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).[xviii] I like to think that Theophilus was a soldier whose resilience protected him ‘in the face of traumatic life-events’.[xix] However, Theo lost his mother when he was just nine years old. Modern research shows us that a quarter of children develop serious psychological issues following a parent’s death.[xx] Children can become socially withdrawal, suffer from anxiety and experience social problems, as well as low self-esteem.
We can hope Theo’s stepmother provided a stable environment and his resilience grew enough to protect him from developing serious dissociation during the Angl-Boer War or the 1901 plague in Cape Town. In January 1917 Theo was living in Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe) and he volunteered to serve in World War 1, aged 46. He was assigned to No 2 Section South African Railways, overseas dominion and was sent to France. Theo was discharged from the army as he was declared unfit, cause unknown, after Christmas 1917. Did Theo sustain a psychological injury, a physical injury, or both, leading to his discharge?
When we consider what our ancestors endured, we should be mindful that dissociation is a healthy response to inescapable trauma, which can result in lifelong dysfunction that is likely to affect parenting. Along with other psychological and environmental pressures, this can contribute to the ‘one in four of us [who] will experience a mental health problem’.
Practical Guide: Researching Dissociation in Your Ancestors
Step 1: Identify Potential Traumatic Events
Look for records documenting experiences likely to cause dissociation:
Childhood trauma: – Workhouse admissions (institutional trauma, family separation) – Orphaning or parental death before age 12 – Asylum records for parents (suggesting frightening/frightened caregiving) – Evidence of abuse, domestic violence, severe poverty – Multiple sibling deaths (repeated loss, traumatised parents) – Institutional placements (hospitals, reformatories, convalescent homes)
Adult trauma: – Military service records (especially combat roles, medical discharge) – Prison records – Natural disaster survivors (floods, fires, epidemics) – Emigration under duress (refugee status, fleeing persecution) – Industrial accidents, mine disasters – Serious illness, invasive medical procedures without anaesthetic
Step 2: Examine Primary Sources for Dissociative Indicators
In letters and diaries: – ✓ Emotional flatness when describing traumatic events – ✓ Lack of first-person emotional language (‘I felt terrified’) – ✓ Third-person descriptions (‘one must carry on’) – ✓ Minimising language (‘it wasn’t that bad’) – ✓ Memory gaps or confusion about timing – ✓ Rapid topic changes avoiding difficult subjects
In family stories: – ✓ Descriptions like: ’emotionally distant,’ ‘never talked about X,’ ‘went somewhere else in his mind’ – ✓ Unexplained behaviour changes after traumatic events – ✓ Stories about ancestor seeming ‘not there’ or ‘absent’ despite physical presence – ✓ Family confusion about major life events (‘no one knows what happened’)
In official records: – ✓ Medical discharges with vague causes – ✓ Institutional admissions for ‘nervous disorders’ or ‘melancholia’ – ✓ Patterns suggesting memory problems (inconsistent census data, legal issues from forgotten obligations)
Step 3: Look for Disorganised Attachment Patterns
Since disorganised attachment is the primary risk factor, research caregivers’ capacity to provide consistent, safe care:
Evidence suggesting disorganised attachment: – Caregiver with documented mental illness (asylum records, family stories) – Caregiver with addiction (alcohol abuse, opium use) – Caregiver with unresolved trauma (widow[er] struggling after spouse death) – Evidence of domestic violence (court records, newspaper reports) – Child placed with relatives or institutions (suggesting caregiver couldn’t manage) – Multiple caregiver changes in early childhood
Look for: – Does dissociation appear across multiple generations? – Do children of dissociative parents show similar patterns? – Where did cycles break? (What changed—secure relationship, therapy access, environmental stability?)
Step 5: Document with Appropriate Caution
Do: – Use tentative language (‘suggests possible dissociation,’ ‘consistent with’) – Cite research supporting your interpretations – Provide historical context (Victorian military culture, limited mental health understanding) – Note alternative explanations
Don’t: – Diagnose definitively (‘had DID,’ ‘was dissociative’) – Pathologise normal historical behaviour (stoicism was cultural norm) – Ignore other possibilities (physical illness, personality differences) – Share private family information publicly without careful consideration
Step 6: Connect to Present
Reflect on: – Do you recognise similar patterns in yourself or living family? – Have these patterns affected relationships, parenting, emotional regulation? – Would understanding ancestral dissociation help explain current family dynamics? – Could this research support your own or family members’ healing?
If you identify patterns in yourself: – This is valuable self-knowledge, not shameful – Dissociation was adaptive for ancestors—and for you – Recovery is possible with appropriate support – Your healing breaks intergenerational cycles
Frequently Asked Questions About Dissociation in Family Trees
How can I identify dissociation in ancestors when I can’t diagnose them?
You’re right—we can’t clinically diagnose historical figures. Instead, look for behavioural and emotional patterns consistent with dissociative responses:
In letters and diaries: – Emotional detachment when describing traumatic events (like Theophilus’s letter about daily burials) – Lack of emotional language or first-person perspective – Describing traumatic experiences as if they happened to someone else – Minimising or dismissing severe hardship (‘it didn’t do me any harm’)
In family stories: – Ancestors described as ’emotionally distant’, ‘cold’, ‘detached’ – Unexplained memory gaps about significant periods – Family members who ‘never talked about’ major traumatic events – Descriptions of seeming ‘not there’ or ‘going somewhere else’ mentally
In records: – Evidence of severe childhood trauma (workhouse admission, parental death, abuse, war exposure) – Disorganised attachment patterns (inconsistent caregiving, frightening caregivers) – Institutional placements creating attachment disruptions – Multiple traumatic events suggesting chronic rather than single-incident trauma
Use tentative language: ‘suggests possible dissociation,’ ‘consistent with dissociative responses,’ ‘may indicate depersonalisation.’
What’s the difference between the three dissociative disorders?
1. Depersonalisation-Derealisation Disorder
Depersonalisation = feeling detached from yourself: – Out-of-body experiences – Watching yourself like a movie – Feeling like emotions belong to someone else – Not recognising yourself in mirrors
Derealisation = the world feels unreal: – Environment seems dream-like or unfamiliar – Objects change shape, size, or colour – Known people seem like strangers – Everything feels distant or foggy
Historical example: Theophilus Parker’s letter shows possible depersonalisation—writing about 5 daily burials with emotional detachment, saying soldiers ‘must not grieve, we only say so & so has snuffed it.’
2. Dissociative Amnesia
Memory gaps about traumatic events or personal information: – Can’t remember significant life periods – Find yourself in unfamiliar places with no memory of travel – Forget skills or information you once knew – Gaps can last minutes to years
Historical clues: Family members who ‘couldn’t remember’ their childhood, significant gaps in personal narratives, or stories that change dramatically in different tellings.
3. Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
Severe disconnection creating distinct identity states: – Previously called ‘multiple personality disorder’ – Stems from severe, repeated childhood trauma – Different identity states (‘alters’) with distinct behaviours, memories, voices – Memory gaps between identity switches
Historical clues: Extremely rare in genealogical records, but might show as dramatic unexplained behaviour changes, family descriptions of ancestor being ‘like different people,’ or records suggesting severe, prolonged childhood abuse.
Important: DID was once considered rare but is now recognised in, at least, 1-1.5% of the general population—still uncommon, but not as rare as previously believed.
Why is disorganised attachment the biggest risk factor for dissociation?
Disorganised attachment develops when a child’s caregiver is both the source of comfort AND the source of fear—creating an impossible psychological bind.
The child’s dilemma: – Biological drive says: ‘Go to caregiver when scared’ – Reality says: ‘Caregiver is what I’m scared of’ – Result: No coherent strategy for seeking safety
This creates: – Chronic activation of threat response systems – Inability to regulate emotions (caregiver doesn’t help with regulation) – Fragmented sense of self (contradictory experiences can’t be integrated) – Foundation for dissociation as primary coping mechanism
In your family tree, look for: – Caregivers with severe mental illness, addiction, or their own unresolved trauma (making them ‘frightening’ or ‘frightened’) – Documented abuse in households – Parents described as unpredictable, explosive, or terrifying – Evidence suggesting children had no safe adult to turn to
The intergenerational pattern: A dissociative parent often can’t provide consistent, emotionally attuned caregiving—potentially creating disorganised attachment in their children, perpetuating the cycle.
Can dissociation be healed, or is it permanent?
Yes, dissociation can be healed—though recovery requires time, specialised treatment, and sustained effort.
Evidence for reversibility: – Past two decades have seen substantial growth in proven trauma treatment models – Research by Dr. Bethany Brand and others demonstrates successful DID treatment – Trauma therapies (EMDR, somatic experiencing, internal family systems) effectively reduce dissociative symptoms – Effects are now considered reversible throughout life
Treatment approaches that work: – Trauma-focused therapy: Processing traumatic memories safely – Attachment repair: Building secure therapeutic relationship – Somatic therapies: Reconnecting mind and body – Grounding techniques: Staying present rather than dissociating – Integration work: Helping fragmented parts communicate and unify
Success factors: – Early intervention (though healing possible at any age) – Skilled trauma-informed therapist – Safe, supportive environment – Time—healing from chronic dissociation isn’t quick
Hope: Carolyn Spring, featured in this article, is herself a survivor of severe trauma and dissociation who has achieved a remarkable recovery. Her work demonstrates that severe dissociative patterns can be healed.
How does parental dissociation affect children?
Dissociative parents often struggle with:
Emotional availability: – Dissociation creates distance from own emotions – Difficult to attune to child’s emotional needs – May ‘zone out’ during parenting moments – Can’t model healthy emotional regulation
Consistency: – Dissociative episodes create unpredictability – Children never know which ‘version’ of parent they’ll get – Can create disorganised attachment in next generation
Memory and presence: – May not remember important events or conversations – Seem ‘not there’ even when physically present – Miss crucial developmental moments due to dissociative gaps
Intergenerational transmission: According to research, chronic dissociation that develops from repeated childhood trauma increases risk that: – Parent’s children will experience less effective caregiving – Children may be less resilient to stress – Children show increased risk for psychiatric disorders, addiction, medical illness – Pattern continues to next generation unless interrupted
The good news: Awareness breaks cycles. Dissociative parents in treatment can learn to: – Recognise when they’re dissociating – Use grounding techniques to stay present – Repair ruptures with children (‘I wasn’t fully there yesterday; I’m sorry’) – Seek support during triggering parenting moments
What should I do if I recognise dissociation in my own responses?
First, validate yourself: Dissociation is a survival response, not a character flaw. Your brain developed this strategy to protect you from overwhelming experiences.
Immediate steps:
1. Educate yourself: – Read Carolyn Spring’s work (carolynspring.com) – Learn about trauma and dissociation – Understand your patterns without shame
2. Seek professional help: – Find trauma-informed therapist (not all therapists specialise in dissociation) – Look for therapists trained in: EMDR, somatic experiencing, internal family systems, or sensorimotor psychotherapy – If finances are barrier: training clinics, sliding scale therapists, online therapy platforms
3. Practice grounding: – 5-4-3-2-1 technique: Name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste – Physical grounding: Feel feet on floor, hold ice cube, splash cold water – Anchoring objects: Carry tactile item to help stay present
4. Build safe relationships: – Connect with people who help you feel present and safe – Be honest about your needs (‘I sometimes zone out—please gently bring me back’) – Consider support groups for trauma survivors
5. Be patient: – Healing dissociation takes time—brain pathways need rewiring – Progress isn’t linear—setbacks are normal – Celebrate small wins (noticing when you dissociate is progress!)
6. Break the cycle: – If you’re a parent, this work protects your children from inheriting dissociative patterns – Your healing reverberates through generations
Crisis resources: – International: search for local helplines – UK: Samaritans 116 123, SHOUT text 85258 – US: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
How does war trauma create dissociation?
War creates perfect conditions for dissociation:
Inescapable trauma: – Soldiers can’t leave battlefield – Constant threat to life – Witnessing death and suffering daily – Participating in violence
Overwhelming sensory input: – Sounds, sights, smells beyond normal processing capacity – Brain’s survival response: disconnect from unbearable sensory experience
Moral injury: – Actions in war may conflict with personal values – Dissociation helps compartmentalise morally injurious experiences – Creates ‘that wasn’t really me’ psychological distance
Theophilus Parker’s case: His 1900 letter from Cape Town shows textbook depersonalisation: – Writing about five daily burials with no emotional reaction – Saying soldiers ‘must not grieve’ – Using detached language (‘so & so has snuffed it’) – Apparent disconnect between horrific situation and emotional response
Modern understanding: – Approximately 30% of veterans with PTSD experience depersonalisation-derealisation – Combat dissociation can become chronic if not addressed – Untreated war trauma affects parenting, creating intergenerational patterns
Historical context: Victorian and Edwardian culture praised ‘masculine stoicism’—emotional detachment was seen as admirable, not recognised as trauma response. This prevented healing and normalised dissociation as coping strategy.
Genealogical clues for war trauma: – Service records showing medical discharge ’cause unknown’ – Family stories about veteran who ‘never talked about the war’ – Descriptions of emotional distance or withdrawal after military service – Evidence of substance abuse, relationship difficulties, or ‘shell shock’ (historical PTSD term)
The past two decades have seen substantial growth in proven models for treatment of the consequences of trauma, but they are not successful for all. Although the effects are now considered reversible throughout life more research is needed.[xxi],[xxii],[xxiii],[xxiv] The ground-breaking study Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression GLAD has been set up to help us learn more about ‘how genes and environment act together to bring about anxiety and depression, and to help develop new treatment options.’[xxv]By determining the traumas and patterns in your family history, you can unlock ways to help heal your family now and in the future.
Carolyn Spring is a living embodiment of hope. She shares her personal journey reducing suffering and reversing adversity through her blog, podcasts, videos, training and books. Carolyn shows us how recovery from trauma, attachment issues and dissociation is not only possible; it terminates abusive patterns and in this situation is ‘the best revenge’.[xxvi]
Recognising dissociation in your family tree is part of breaking free from psychological inheritance—transforming survival mechanisms that once protected ancestors into conscious healing for present and future generations.
Carolyn Spring’s work (already mentioned): Trauma specialist and survivor Carolyn Spring demonstrates that recovery from severe dissociation is possible.
Dr. Bethany Brand’s research: Research by Dr. Bethany Brand demonstrates successful treatment outcomes for dissociative identity disorder.
About the Author
Helen Parker-Drabble is an author and ‘geneatherapist’ who combines genealogical research with psychological insights to understand how historical trauma shaped family patterns across generations. A former counsellor with a Diploma in Counselling, Helen specialises in identifying trauma responses like dissociation in historical records, helping descendants understand possible inherited patterns and pathways to healing.
Her research into her own family revealed dissociative patterns across multiple generations—from her great-grandmother Ann’s possible dissociation following her firstborn’s death, to her grandfather Walter’s emotional detachment, to his cousin Theophilus’s depersonalisation during the Anglo-Boer War. This personal connection informs her professional work helping others recognise and heal intergenerational trauma patterns.
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[xi] Zerach, G., Greene, T., Ginzburg, K. and Solomon, Z. (2014). The relations between posttraumatic stress disorder and persistent dissociation among ex-prisoners of war: A longitudinal study. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, [online] 6(2), pp.99-108. Available at: http://file:///D:/OneDrive/Writing/website/Blog/Blog%206%20%20Dissociation/PTSDandDissociationex-POWs.pdf [Accessed 10 Nov. 2019].
[xii] Gušić, S., Malešević, A., Cardeña, E., Bengtsson, H. and Søndergaard, H. (2018). “I feel like I do not exist:” A study of dissociative experiences among war-traumatized refugee youth. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, [online] 10(5), pp.542-550. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29154598 [Accessed 10 Nov. 2019].
[xiii] Schapiro, J., Glynn, S., Foy, D. and Yavorsky, C. (2002). Participation in War-Zone Atrocities and Trait Dissociation Among Vietnam Veterans with Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 3(2), pp.107-114.
[xiv] Committee on Child Maltreatment Research, Policy, and Practice for the Next Decade: Phase II; Board on Children, Youth, and Families; Committee on Law and Justice; Institute of Medicine; National Research Council; Petersen AC, Joseph J, Feit M, editors.Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2014 Mar 25. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK195987/ [Accessed 21 Jul. 2019].
[xv] Mann, B. and Sanders, S. (1994). Child dissociation and the family context. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 22(3), pp.373-388.
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