Why do we dissociate and how do we learn to unfreeze https://www.thebreatheffect.com/learn-to-unfreeze/ We’ve all felt overwhelmed at times, and in the face of overwhelming emotions, it can feel like the only way to cope is to dissociate. Dissociation is a mental health defence mechanism that allows us to freeze our reaction to painful or traumatic events and, in some cases, even detach from reality entirely.