Severance is a captivating TV show that explores (though not explicitly) the concept of dissociation, trauma, and dissociative identity disorder (DID) commonly referred to as “multiple personality disorder”, in a unique and thought-provoking way.

The show follows the story of Mark, an employee at Lumon Industries, who undergoes a procedure that implants a chip in his brain to separate his work self from his out of work self. This creates two distinct personalities with separate memories, allowing Mark to cope with the grief he feels after his wife’s death. Let’s explore the similarities between the coping mechanism of dissociation, trauma, and DID as portrayed on the show.

The Coping Mechanism of Dissociation:

Dissociation is a coping mechanism that allows people to disconnect from their thoughts, feelings, and memories. It is often used as a way to deal with trauma or overwhelming stress. When someone dissociates, they may feel like they are outside of their body or like they are watching themselves from a distance. They may also have gaps in their memory or feel like they are living in a dream-like state. Many people will experience dissociation in different intensities, that does not necessarily mean they have that disorder.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID):

Trauma can cause a person’s sense of self to fragment into different identities or personalities as a way of coping with overwhelming emotions.

Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is a complex and severe psychological condition characterized by the presence of multiple distinct personalities or identities within a single individual. These alternate identities, also known as “alters,” can have their own different behaviors, memories, and characteristics, causing the person to switch between them involuntarily or under stress.

A significant similarity between Severance and DID is the idea of memory fragmentation. In Severance, Mark’s different personalities have separate memories that do not always align with each other. This can lead to confusion and disorientation as he tries to piece his life together. Similarly, people with DID may experience gaps in their memory or have trouble remembering important details about their lives. This is why Disassociative Identity Disorder is often reffered to as “multiplw personality disorder”, the fragmentation creates something that appears to be an entirely separate persona.

In Severance, we see how Mark’s grief over his wife’s death leads him to seek out the severance procedure as a way of coping with his pain. Mark’s chip allows him to dissociate from his grief and trauma. By creating two separate personalities with different memories, Mark is able to compartmentalize his emotions and be at work without being overwhelmed by his personal life. This is similar to how people with dissociative disorders may create different identities or personas to cope.

Dissociation and Relationships:

One of the most interesting aspects of Severance is how it portrays the impact of dissociation on relationships. Mark undergoes the severance procedure, out-of-work Mark develops a drinking problem and begins to distance himself from his loved ones and struggles to maintain meaningful connections with them. But the dissociation isn’t perfect and Mark’s in-work identity doesn’t truly escape from the suffering, he has red eyes from crying, is tired, hungover. He puts on a smile, functions well and works, he has no memories of the greif, however he does feel partial and though he doesn’t know why – he does feel that his joy isn’t genuine and true. This is similar to how people with dissociative disorders may struggle to form close relationships because they feel disconnected from their emotions and memories.

Overall, Severance provides a fascinating exploration of dissociation, trauma, and DID through its portrayal of the severance procedure.
It explores the reasons people develop these conditions, and the circumstances that led the characters to chose to undergo the procedure. And by creating two distinct personalities with separate memories, the show highlights the challenges that people with these conditions may face.

If you’re interested in exploring this topic further, I highly recommend checking out this fascinating TV show!