The level of
dissociation this child experiences helps him psychologically survive. However,
if he has many more experiences like this and he continues to dissociate like
this, he is learning to use this as a coping mechanism. He may find that it is
also useful in other experiences of life, not just for trauma, but for many other
kinds of stressful experiences. It begins to be an automatic response to any
difficulties in life. While it helps him cope and survive it may become quite a
disadvantage.
People who like
to abuse others can often recognize those who are most vulnerable and
compliant. They can then take advantage of the more submissive person and abuse
them further.
Some of the
personalities the person creates for survival can take their abilities out into
the world and use them. For example, say the person creates a personality who
can handle being prostituted by their abusers. Then when this personality is
old enough she continues to prostitute herself because that’s what she knows.
Or the person
is taught to steal at a young age by an adult abuser. A personality is created
just for this purpose then when old enough that personality continues to steal
because that’s what he knows.
Or a
personality is created to contain all the rage of being betrayed and so hurt.
This rage continues to grow over time as the person is abused and when older,
this rage may feel uncontrollable and too much to hold in. The personality may
then act out that rage in some way – either violently towards others, putting
him in jail, or turning it in on himself.
There are many
more ways this level of dissociation can “backfire” on a person and cause them
even more harm on top of all the abuse they suffered as a child.
