When the Body Leaves the Room: Understanding Dissociation & VCUG Trauma
- Unsilenced
- Oct 27
- 4 min read
Updated: Oct 27
Dissociation is a common effect of VCUGs that can impact patients well into their adult years. In this blog, we break down what dissociation is, why it occurs, and how to move forward and heal after VCUG trauma.
What Is Dissociation?
Dissociation is a protective response from the brain and body when something feels too overwhelming to fully process. It’s the mind’s way of coping with events that feel unbearable. In that moment, the child’s nervous system helps them survive by creating distance from the fear, pain, or confusion that they cannot control or escape.
In the context of medical or childhood trauma, such as invasive procedures like VCUGs, children may instinctively “check out.” They might feel detached from their body, lose track of time, or later realize parts of the experience are missing.
Dissociation can take different forms, including (but not limited to):
Depersonalization: Feeling disconnected from yourself, like you’re witnessing the event or experiencing it from outside your body.
Derealization: Feeling detached from your surrounding environment, as if the world around you is unreal, dreamlike, or far away.
Dissociative Amnesia: Having memory gaps or fuzzy recall about what happened.
It’s important to remember that dissociation is not caused by weakness, a poor memory, or “being dramatic.” It’s a built-in survival mechanism that protects us when a traumatic experience feels intolerable.
Why Can a VCUG Cause Dissociation?
VCUGs have been linked to severe distress and long-lasting trauma in the pediatric population, including high rates of PTSD. While adults may paint VCUGs as routine, safe, and necessary, research shows that many young children experience the procedure as extremely painful and traumatic. More importantly, young patients feel as if they have no voice or choice in the matter.
This lack of agency and autonomy is reflected in the fact that VCUGs are not elective for children. Moreover, frequently used tactics like physical restraint, forcibly spreading the child’s legs, involuntary penetration, and ignoring the patient’s complaints of pain all contribute to a potentially traumatic event that leaves the child feeling powerless. When escape is not possible and submission is forced, dissociation can occur as a last resort.
It’s important to understand that the traumatic effects of VCUGs are not limited to childhood, but can lead to persistent feelings of powerlessness, voicelessness, and worthlessness in adulthood. Often, this leads patients to refuse or avoid medical care in the future because their voices and bodies were not respected as children.
Common Effects of Dissociation
Common effects of dissociation include:
Memory gaps. Not remembering all or some of the traumatic event.
Lack of safety. Being unable to feel safe in your body following the procedure.
Detachment. Feeling like you are “floating” or watching yourself during the event.
Emotional numbness. Knowing what happened, but feeling no emotion connected to it.
Disconnection from body. Feeling “cut off” from physical sensations, especially in the bladder and pelvic region.
Floating or dreamlike sensation. Feeling as though you were drifting, weightless, or not really “in” the room.
Loss of time. Feeling like the procedure happened in a blur, or that time moved unusually fast or slow.
Blanking out. Going mentally blank or “fading away” during parts of the test.
Feeling unreal or invisible. A lingering sense that you are “not quite here,” or that part of you never came back from that day.
Delayed emotions. Feeling fine at first, then later experiencing confusion, sadness, or fear without understanding why.
Why Can’t I Remember Parts of My VCUG Even Though I Was Awake?
During a traumatic or overwhelming experience like a VCUG, the brain sometimes protects you by “shutting down” parts of memory processing. Even though you were awake, your brain may have diverted energy away from forming full memories, allowing you to mentally escape the situation to survive it.
No matter how much you remember, your VCUG experience is still valid. Your emotions and feelings matter. The Unsilenced Movement is committed to empowering survivors like you to reclaim your voice and take back the narrative through advocacy, educational resources, and peer support in a healing community.
Can Dissociation Cause Bladder/Pelvic Issues Years Later?
Yes. Trauma and dissociation can affect how the nervous system handles bladder signals, pelvic floor tone, and internal physical awareness. Some former VCUG patients undergo pelvic floor therapy in adulthood to address these issues. Recognizing the link is an essential step toward healing.
To learn more about how trauma and somatic memories are stored in the body, we recommend reading The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk.
How Long Will Dissociation Last After a VCUG?
It depends. Every patient’s experience is unique. Some survivors can reconnect quickly with support and therapy, while others may experience dissociative responses for years. The important thing is not how fast you heal, but that you begin the process. At Unsilenced, we offer free resources, moderated digital platforms, patient testimonials, and support groups to empower fellow patients in healing and community.
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