Experience Of Disconnection Research Articles

Culture, Health and Wellbeing: Yarning with the Victorian Indigenous community

Indigenous young people around the world suffer poorer mental health outcomes than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Currently, how culture matters for health, what cultural practices are used in community to support health and wellbeing, and how culture is passed on in Aboriginal contemporary life in south east Australia – a region most affected by settler-colonisation – is not well understood. This paper presents findings from yarns with a representative sample of 45 Indigenous participants working in the field of health and wellbeing that explored how culture interleaves with health and wellbeing. It used Grounded Theory as the overarching methodology with community participation in all aspects of the project. Participants were nominated through snowballing and screened by a governing Board of Elders. They included men and women of varied ages, half residing in urban areas and half from rural Victoria, Australia. They had declared affiliations to 31 Traditional tribal groups. The yarns were held over zoom between a FN research assistant who was part of the community, and each participant. Each was recorded, transcribed, coded and analysed by a multi-perspectival team. Culture was viewed as central to individual and communal life, and passed on through relationships with people and Country itself. A wide variety of cultural practices were used by community members to aid and maintain health and wellbeing in profound ways. Myriad obstacles to health and wellbeing exist were also described, from experiences of disconnection through to barriers for accessing services. These findings have the potential to shape future holistic care and policy.

Psychedelic-assisted Psychotherapy in 3-D: Acceptance, Connectedness, and Defensiveness

ABSTRACT As psychiatry weighs a move from a categorical to a dimensionally-based classification system, clinical research and treatment paradigms may shift towards identifying which dimensions of mental health can improve treatment outcomes across a broad range of diagnostic categories. Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy, which is currently in clinical trials for a wide range of conditions from PTSD to tobacco dependency, holds promise for just such a dimensional approach to treatment. Anecdotal reports and qualitative studies have hinted at its potential for decreasing defensiveness and increasing feelings of acceptance and connectedness. In this theoretical paper, I draw upon ideas and research with psychedelics, infant observation, social psychology, and psychoanalysis to explain why psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is especially well-suited for addressing these dimensions of mental health. Because studies already support the use of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy in one dimensionally-based application – the treatment of existential anxiety in patients with cancer – I begin with a look at psychological models of defensiveness in relation to the fear of death. I then use the models of Winnicott, Stern, Carhart-Harris/Friston and others to discuss the experiences of awe, omnipotence, and creativity within ordinary and psychedelic states, and touch on a fourth dimension of mental health, authenticity. I suggest psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy may be viewed as a transitional space ideally suited for working through experiences of disconnection through the process of illusion-disillusionment, allowing gradual acceptance. I conclude with a summary of how acceptance, connectedness, and defensiveness are related to each other and to one’s sense of self.

Writing + boxing = Left / Write // Hook

This paper will focus on the (dis)embodied experiences of three rape and incest survivors who were part of the creative arts and sports intervention program, Left / Write // Hook. It suggests their understanding of self is a lived and (dis)embodied space in which they can creatively and reflexively re-tell, re-claim, and re-story their experiences of disconnection and shame associated with their trauma. Left / Write // Hook combines two acts; writing to a prompt, followed by non-contact boxing. The program ran in 2020 as part of a University of Melbourne creativity and wellbeing research initiative, targeting female survivors of childhood sexual abuse and trauma. About the program, founder Donna Lyon says: “The attempt to give expression to hidden and silenced thoughts and memories came through the act of writing, then boxing, to embody and release the emotion”. This paper observes the way that the process of writing informs trauma, trauma informs writing, and the embodied act of boxing informs the movement of stored trauma in the body. This article incorporates personal writing which recounts the experiences of these participants.

The Depths of Temporal Desynchronization in Grief

Introduction: The experience of disconnection is common in first-person accounts of grief. One way in which this feeling of estrangement can manifest is through the splintering apart of the time of the mourner and the time of the world. Supplementing and extending Thomas Fuchs’ influential idea of temporal desynchronization, my aim in this article is to give an account of the heterogeneous ways in which grief can disturb time. Method: I organize these manifold experiences of temporal disruption according to a method of “depth analysis”: a phenomenological interpretation of temporal desynchronization that tracks the increasing disconnect between the mourner and the world as it manifests in time. In so doing, I draw on a wide range of descriptive first-person responses to the question “Has your experience of time changed in any way?” – included as part of an online questionnaire on the emotional experience of grief conducted recently with colleagues at the University of York. I then stratify these according to a mild, moderate, and profound level of disruption. Results: Before setting out the results of this analysis, I give a background account of Fuchs’ interpretation of temporal desynchronization in phenomenological psychopathology more generally and in grief specifically. In my results, I then supplement and extend his interpretation by setting out my phenomenological depth analysis of the increasing disconnect between the time of the mourner and the time of the world, as demonstrated by the questionnaire data. As I argue, such a fine-grained account is an important step in understanding the way time can shape the meaning and significance of different grief experiences. Following this, in my discussion, I demonstrate how a depth approach might be helpful in differentiating between temporal disturbances in a range of affective disorders and give an illustrative comparison of grief and depression. Conclusion: In conclusion, I reflect briefly on what grief might reveal about the depth and complexity of temporal experience itself. In so doing, I consider how the radical disruptions to time in grief might transform the mourner’s experience of time irreversibly but in a way that enables a renewed connection to both their deceased loved one and the world from which they have become estranged.

Creative adolescent experiences of education and mental health during COVID-19: A qualitative study.

This qualitative study investigated creative adolescent perceptions of their educational and mental health experiences during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Participants were 25 English‐speaking adolescents from the Midwest in the United States. They were identified as creative by their teachers according to known creative profiles. Participants attended an all‐day creative career workshop in the Spring 2021 semester. The five focus groups guided by semi‐structured interviews conducted for this study occurred during the workshop. This study was phenomenological in nature with constructivist and transformative paradigms, and transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis by the first, second, and third authors. Creative adolescents' education during the pandemic was marked by classroom changes based on COVID‐19 policies, experiences of disconnection, disengagement, and disappointment, as well as feelings of empathy and appreciation for their educators. Creative adolescents experienced mental health challenges related to adjustment issues, powerlessness and hopelessness, and isolation. Implications of results are discussed.

Domestic mobility and experiences of disconnection from sexual health care among gay and bisexual men in Australia: insights from a qualitative study.

Background Previous research on mobility and HIV acquisition among gay and bisexual men (GBM) has focused on: (1) changed sexual practices in the context of travel; and (2) the association between migration and increased HIV risk. To date, little attention has been given to continuity of sexual health and HIV-prevention services in the context of relocating between different cities or regions within the same country. Methods Drawing on in-depth interviews with 17 GBM recently diagnosed with HIV, we explored these men's access to sexual health care in the period prior to diagnosis. Results At least five of these 17 men's accounts provided examples of becoming disconnected from sexual health care because of mobility within Australia. For some men, this disconnection from care also included loss of access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). In all these men's accounts, reconnection with services only came about at the time of seeking the HIV test associated with their diagnosis. The fact that men who had previously been well connected to sexual health services (as indicated by early uptake of PrEP, or regular HIV/STI testing) did not easily access similar services after relocating suggest that there are other factors - such as the social and physical environment - that have an important bearing on retention in sexual health care. Conclusions There is a need for more comprehensive data collection related to mobility in order to ascertain its relative importance. Regarding policy and practice, there are also opportunities for a more formalised process for interstate referral of clients of sexual health services.

An exploration of the journeying body and its intersecting experiences of dis/connection

ABSTRACTThis article offers an exploration of the experiences of the body as articulated in the literature. It centres on the shifts of the journeying body in its movements between, across, and through experiences of disconnection and connection, bringing to life the key constructs of disconnection and connection in the context of the lived body experience. Offering an expansive and empowering perspective of the body and its journeys, this inquiry shines light upon various perspectives of the body as located within the literature, and highlights integrated and nuanced understandings that may add curiosity, depth, and meaning to the intersecting and shifting experiences of body dis/connection. This is the first in a collection of articles to explore these constructs. Further articles will be grounded within personal research and will apply these broad understandings to the lived body realities of individuals navigating their own unique body journeys.

Disbelief about the time. Timelessness in the late works of Paul Celan

The poetry of Paul Celan has a reflected intention to ask about the temporal determination of human being and simultaneously questions the term and definition of time. In may of his works he reflects he the catastrophic transformation, the reflection also includes the revision of the conventional conception of time. He tries to show, that beside the usual forms of historical, causal und linear time, individuals also perceive timelessness. Paradoxically, the accomplishment of a historical event (Holocaust) evokes a consciousness of the historical caesura, and thus of the untold and the inhospitable. In his perception, for the poet, writing (after holocaust) means writing after apocalyptic break, where history does not exist, in other words surrounded by the timelessness. The task of preserving the memory of what happened in poetry goes hand in hand with the awareness of a disorder and often borders on the impossibility of verbalizing what has happened or even being able to express itself verbally. The experience of disconnection from the temporal sequence of events (through trauma) coincides with the moments of speechlessness, emptiness in consciousness, verbal utterance, and time experience overlap. This tendency is radicalized especially in his late work. In this article late works of Paul Celan, that deal with the questions of timelessness and manifestations of it are analysed (“Zeitlücke”, “Die Trombonestelle” “Largo” and others).

The Woven Self: An Auto-Ethnography of Cultural Disruption and Connectedness

This current auto-ethnographic study is set against the backdrop of colonial policies of urbanization and cultural assimilation that continue to impact the everyday lives of Māāori (indigenous people of New Zealand). Colonial actions have brought about a state of mass disruption to Māori traditions of forming and maintaining connections between people, ancestral homelands, and ways of being. Today, many Māori continue to grapple with the social, cultural, and economic consequences that these upheavals have brought about. My aim within this research is to engage with how Māori preserve and maintain their cultural selves while being stretched across a diverse landscape of being that is populated by new urban and heritage rural spaces. Grounded in Kaupapa Māori theory and working in the spirit of culturally patterned auto-ethnography, I offer a case study of my family’s experiences of disconnection and our efforts to strengthen connections with our ancestral homelands, communities, and ways of being. As my analysis illustrates, the enactment of culturally informed everyday social practices facilitates process of reconnection and the strengthening of connections, and allows the reproduction of Māori selves across space and time. Furthermore, I argue that cultural connectedness can be deepened and enriched by going beyond the extraordinary moments of big events (ritualized engagements), and by becoming part of the ordinary and everyday reproduction of cultural traditions and values. This article contributes to broader understandings of how indigenous peoples seek to work through and resist the ongoing impacts of colonial disruption.

Sense of Community and Migration Intentions among Rural Young Professionals

AbstractThis mixed‐methods study examines rural young professionals' migratory intentions in relation to sense of community. The most significant difference we found in migratory intentions was between two groups, which we call stayers and seekers. Both groups highly valued sense of community but they reported dramatically different experiences related to the dimensions of membership and emotional connection to the particular focal community of this study. We find that, in addition to commonly cited factors of age, importance of family, traditional cultural tastes, and achieved sense of community, the experience of disconnection between desired and experienced sense of community represents a distinct influence on respondents' intentions to leave within the next 5 years. The qualitative data suggest that the practices of granting greater access to local stocks of knowledge, offering direct invitations to participate in community life, and providing greater responsibilities in the service of the community cultivate emotional connection and sense of membership, and therefore may be critical to better retaining those people who feel the greatest sense of disconnection. This study examines the dynamics underlying these results and outlines practical implications for other communities hoping to combat local manifestations of brain drain.

“I would do it again”: Past and present experiences of older lesbians

ABSTRACTFew studies have asked older lesbians to reflect on the primary experiences of their life. The following provides the responses of a nationally representative sample of 221 lesbians over the age of 55 to an open-ended question on anything they wanted to share. Through triangulated data analysis, resulting themes include the importance of the Women’s Movement, coming out, as well as the role of discrimination. Underlying each of these were the importance of social connection and for some the increasing experience of disconnection. Implications for gerontology practice, policy, and future research are included.

Assisting the Courts in Understanding and Connecting with Experiences of Disconnection: Addressing Trauma-Related Dissociation as a Forensic Psychologist, Part I

Although trauma-related dissociation (TRD) is a common reaction to trauma often associated with significant impairment and prognoses that necessitate extended treatment, few assessors are knowledgeable about dissociation, its assessment, and methods for presenting information about it to courts in a way that is evidence-based yet understandable. This paper is the first part of a two-part series that aims to expand forensic assessors’ knowledge about TRD and enhance their ability to assess and present information about dissociation. This article provides overviews of research about dissociation and offers suggestions on how expert witnesses can assist counsel and courts in understanding dissociative reactions and their importance in personal injury cases. Specifically, we define dissociation; discuss the links between trauma, dissociation, and posttraumatic stress disorder; briefly review neurobiological findings related to dissociation; describe dissociative-related impairment and treatment; review challenges that can interfere with accepting and understanding dissociative symptoms; and suggest methods for helping counsel and courts accurately understand and consider TRD in assessing cases and deciding their outcomes.

Therapist momentary experiences of disconnection with clients

ABSTRACTTherapist in-session experiences of momentary disconnection from clients have not been previously studied. Four person-centered therapists participated in semi-structured in-depth one-to-one interviews to investigate the nature of these experiences. Using grounded theory analyses and drawing on concepts from emotion-focused therapy and pre-therapy, we identified four types of therapist disconnection process in reaction to difficult client process: becoming overwhelmed by a painful client memory; overidentifying with an embodied client feeling; frustration over the pursuit of a disengaged client; and taking on too much responsibility for a client’s stuckness. They thus involved therapist overinvolvement, which led to emotional dysregulation followed by preoccupying secondary reactive emotions such as grief, panic or guilt at their disconnection. Coping with the trigger by disconnecting and becoming incongruent evoked a conflict between participants’ professional role and their personal needs. By becoming congruent again, therapists were able to reengage with their clients and could reattend to clients’ frames of reference. Participants identified therapist self-insight and self-care as key factors for preventing future disconnection.

A Qualitative Study of a Maintenance Support Program for Women at Risk of Homelessness: Part 2: Situational Factors

ABSTRACTPeople who are homeless tend to have a number of complex needs. A housing maintenance support program (MSP) for women from the perspectives of clients, case managers and health professionals within the program was explored in this qualitative descriptive study. Interviews were conducted, and data were analysed using thematic analysis. The overarching theme that emerged from the data was “A life-changing event: I have the power to change.” This theme was supported by three sub-themes: personal, situational and societal dimensions. In this article, the sub-theme – situational factors, is presented and refers to poverty, resources and services, as well as social support systems. These aspects all impinged on the client's ability to face life changes with optimism towards a better future. Their experiences of disconnection with the community changed for the clients after being part of the MSP. The MSP enabled the clients to feel part of society again, and empowered them to participate in the world around them. Key aspects of inclusion in the world are relationships based on acceptance, connecting with others, being involved and creating a sense of home/community.

The Lived Experience of Pregnancy Among HIV-Positive Refugee Women: A Qualitative Study.

Increasingly HIV-positive refugee women are becoming pregnant. The objective of this qualitative study was to describe and explore the meaning and experience of pregnancy from the perspective of HIV-positive refugee women. The phenomenological analysis revealed 4 core themes. "Making up stories" for privacy and protection emerged as the first theme. The second theme illuminates 2 types of isolation: a double isolation based on refugee and HIV statuses, and isolation endured throughout the pregnancy. Being-in-Between describes the third theme. Finally, the fourth theme sheds light on the experience of disconnection: from baby, culture, body/self, and health care providers.

Community (Dis)connection Through Leisure for Women in Prison

This article examines incarcerated women's leisure and re-entry into community. Framed in creative analytic practice, two poems reflect two major themes: (1) women's experiences of disconnection from community prior to and deepened by experiences in prison and (2) leisure and community re-entry, which describes complex meanings of leisure for women in prison and implications for return to community. These poems elucidate six often incongruous facets of leisure experience. Structures embedded in leisure service provision stigmatize and limit rather than encourage opportunities for incarcerated women to make personal choices regarding leisure. Leisure also provides contexts of relationship and humanity for women as they re-enter community.

Insecure attachment, perfectionistic self-presentation, and social disconnection in adolescents

The purpose of the present study was to investigate several components of the Perfectionism Social Disconnection Model (PSDM) by assessing the relationships among perfectionism, insecure attachment, and social disconnection in adolescents. This study examined perfectionistic self-presentation, attachment style, and experience of disconnection from social environment in a sample of 178 adolescents. Results indicated that perfectionistic self-presentation facets were significantly correlated with social disconnection and fearful attachment was associated with the nondisclosure of imperfection. Moreover, nondisclosure of imperfection partially mediated the relationship between fearful attachment and social disconnection. The current study is the first to examine the link between insecure attachment and perfectionistic self-presentation and provides some evidence supporting the PSDM.

Luisa Seen Through the Lens of Tomkins's Decontamination Script: Commentary on Dr. Alvarez's Case Presentation

Luisa is seen as deeply disconnected from her own thoughts, feelings, and initiatives, as reflected in both the therapist's and patient's experience of disconnection from each other. Examples are given of Luisa's idealization of her family, her polarized thinking, and her repetitive patterns of interacting as evidence for the presence of a repetition compulsion. The author's understanding of the dynamics of this compulsion is presented by referring to Tomkins' decontamination script, in which the repetition of painful affects is not conceptualized as the goal, but rather as the unanticipated consequence of a failed strategy. The central features of a decontamination script are described, namely that it manages the affect of disgust, in which the core experience is that good scenes that have turned bad, and that it entails a maximizing–minimizing strategy in which an attempt to decontaminate an exaggerated sense of badness is made by seeking nothing less than perfection, and is thereby doomed to fail. The parental characteristics and family dynamics that generate this script are described and related to Luisa's family and to her own psychodynamics. It is further argued that she has not developed beyond the dyad and is struggling to develop an autonomous self. Finally, the three therapy sessions presented by Dr. Alvarez are explored to illustrate how this formulation would organize the data conceptually, and how it would guide one's interventions.

The Heterogenous Citizen: How Many of Us Care about Don Bradman’s Average?

The Heterogenous Citizen: How Many of Us Care about Don Bradman’s Average?

The Heterogenous Citizen

The Heterogenous Citizen