Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse Draw and Describe their Experiences of Dissociation
Lev-Wiesel, R.; Goldner, L.; Malishkevich Haas, R.; Hait, A.; Frid Gangersky, N.; Lahav, L.; Weinger, S.; Binson, B.
Violence Against Women 2023: 10778012231155172
2023
ISSN/ISBN: 1552-8448 PMID: 36794435 Document Number: 264618
The paper examined how dissociation is experienced and manifested in the drawings and narratives of female survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder. Fifteen Israeli women filled out a self-report questionnaire consisting of demographics, traumatic events, and dissociation severity. Then, they were asked to draw a dissociation experience and provide a narrative. The results indicated that experiencing CSA was highly correlated with indicators such as the level of fragmentation, the figurative style, as well as with the narrative. Two main themes emerged: a constant movement between internal and external worlds, and distorted perceptions of time and space.