Why do people disassociate at work?

People may dissociate at work due to experiencing a high degree of disconnection from the actual work environment or the consumers they serve. This dissociation can arise when there's a lack of direct feedback or tangible results linked to one’s efforts, leading to a sense of performing in a vacuum where results are optional, and the actual impact is obscured. This scenario is particularly common in environments characterized by central planning or bureaucratic structures where outputs are not directly tied to customer satisfaction or immediate environmental feedback 1.

Additionally, the practice of dissociation can sometimes be seen as a part of more profound psychological issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), where it serves as a coping mechanism for dealing with unresolved trauma or stress. In these instances, dissociative states can range from feeling detached from reality (depersonalization) to experiencing sensory distortions or flashbacks, which profoundly affect one’s sensory and emotional engagement with the world around them 2.

In the workplace, this psychological state might manifest when employees feel overwhelmed, unsupported, or disconnected from the outcomes of their work, hence retreating into dissociation as a protective or involuntary response.