Treatment for Memory Gaps and Identity Disruption

Virtual and in-person support for dissociation and dissociative identity disorder in Riverside and the Inland Empire

You might find yourself losing chunks of time, discovering items in your home you don't remember buying, or feeling like different versions of yourself show up depending on the situation. Many people in Riverside describe feeling detached from their body, as if they're watching their life from a distance, or experiencing intense shifts in mood and behavior that don't feel fully under their control. These experiences are often linked to trauma and chronic stress, and they can make daily life feel unpredictable and confusing.

Dissociation can range from mild zoning out to significant identity disruption and memory discontinuity, as seen in dissociative identity disorder. Mending Health Care offers virtual and in-person psychiatric evaluation and therapy support for individuals experiencing dissociative symptoms, with a focus on safety, stabilization, and building skills for emotional regulation. Treatment typically prioritizes grounding strategies, sensory orientation, journaling for continuity, and routine stabilization before moving toward integration or cooperation among different parts of the self.

If dissociation is affecting your ability to remember conversations, complete tasks, or maintain relationships in Riverside, contact Mending Health Care to discuss evaluation and treatment options.

How Treatment Approaches Dissociative Symptoms

Your evaluation with Mending Health Care in Riverside includes a detailed discussion of when dissociation occurs, what triggers it, and how it impacts memory, identity, and daily functioning. You'll talk through whether you experience time loss, feeling unreal, detachment from your body, or distinct shifts in how you think and behave. The assessment also looks at trauma history, current stressors, and whether sleep deprivation or substance use are worsening symptoms.

After starting treatment, you'll notice that grounding techniques help you feel more present in your body and connected to your surroundings. Memory gaps may reduce as you develop tools for continuity, and intense emotional shifts become easier to manage without completely disconnecting. You'll learn to recognize early signs of dissociation and use sensory strategies like cold water, texture, or movement to interrupt the process before it escalates.

Medication doesn't directly treat dissociation, but it can help manage associated symptoms like anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, or PTSD-related distress. A trauma-informed, non-judgmental therapeutic relationship is central to progress because shame and secrecy often intensify dissociative patterns. Mending Health Care provides virtual and in-person, confidential support grounded in empathy and evidence-based care planning, with ongoing follow-ups that adjust treatment as your needs change.

People often feel uncertain about whether their symptoms are dissociation, how it developed, and whether it's possible to feel more consistently present and safe in their own mind.

Understanding What You're Experiencing

Losing time can feel like suddenly finding yourself in a different place without remembering how you got there, realizing hours have passed with no memory of what you did, or being told about conversations or events you have no recollection of. It's different from ordinary forgetfulness because the gaps are significant and often unsettling.
What does losing time actually feel like?
Dissociation often develops as a protective response to overwhelming experiences, allowing the mind to detach from pain or fear that feels unbearable. Over time, this response can become automatic, triggered by stress or reminders of past trauma, even when the current situation isn't dangerous.
How does dissociation develop as a response to trauma?
Grounding strategies use sensory input to bring your attention back to the present moment and your physical body. Examples include holding ice, focusing on textures, naming objects you can see, or moving your body in deliberate ways. These techniques interrupt the dissociative process and help you feel more anchored in reality.
What are grounding strategies, and how do they help?
Sleep deprivation weakens your brain's ability to regulate emotions and maintain a consistent sense of self, which makes dissociation more likely. Chronic stress and lack of rest lower your threshold for feeling overwhelmed, and dissociation becomes the default coping mechanism when your system is already exhausted.
Why does dissociation get worse when I'm sleep deprived?
If dissociation includes self-harm, suicidal thoughts, or behavior that puts you or others in danger, seek immediate support by calling 988 or 911. Treatment in these situations prioritizes safety and stabilization before addressing the underlying dissociative patterns.
When is dissociation considered an emergency?

If memory gaps, detachment, or identity shifts are making it hard to manage work, relationships, or daily responsibilities, Mending Health Care offers virtual and in-person psychiatric evaluation and therapy support that prioritizes safety and long-term stabilization. Reach out to schedule an appointment and start building tools that help you stay present and grounded.