There are a number of factors that can make a person more like to experience dissociation. The use of recreational drugs may trigger feelings of depersonalisation.
Some kinds of disassociation may also occur from conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), phobic disorder, post traumatic disorder (PTSD) and migraines.
Most mental health professionals believe that the underlying cause of dissociative disorders is chronic trauma in childhood. Examples of trauma included repeated physical or sexual abuse, emotional abuse, or neglect. Unpredictable or frightening family environments may also cause the child to ‘disconnect’ from reality during times of stress.
It seems that the severity of the dissociative disorder in adulthood is directly related to the severity of the childhood trauma. Traumatic events that occur during adulthood may also cause dissociative disorders. Such events may include war, torture, or going through a natural disaster.
