Disconnection
There are two recognized forms of disconnection. The first happens to pups before or during the shifting process, which is their first time learning to "unhook" from the Collective Knowledge (unless the pup in question has had a prior religious experience, which is possible, and the nature of the phenomenon prevents the two states of the mind from existing simultaneously). (This form has a corollary condition, a failure to disconnect, which studies imply might have once existed in some Stenza or Proto-Stenza but killed them very early on. The mechanism for that is unknown, but the theory holds that the ability to disconnect, and therefore individuate, is more crucial to Stenza development than it seems on the surface.)
The second is an involuntary phenomenon in older Stenza which is symptomatic of certain forms of Isolation Sickness.
Causes
The trigger of disconnection in pups is thought to be genetic, as part of the suite of changes that accompany shifting. (This is backed up by the fact that failure to disconnect is marked by now-extinct genetic markers.)
In older individuals the cause is less certain, but suspected to be rooted in misfiring neurons, chemical imbalances, or other small accidents of neurobiology.
Symptoms
Disconnection is often physically painful, causing headaches or migraines at the onset. Stenza who can reflect back on the experience often cite it as one of the most painful things they have ever experienced (and this is one of the reasons a doctor is summoned when pups have religious experiences). When it happens involuntarily in older individuals, often the first thing said to a doctor is along the lines of "all of a sudden my head was killing me".
(It should be noted here that voluntary disconnection, or more accurately "reduced connection", is drastically less painful and is considered a sign of optimal functioning. Almost all adolescents and adults operate at this level.)
Disconnection also brings a profound sense of loneliness that many have described as "crushing" and "prison-like." This can come with other symptoms such as lethargy or confusion, the latter sometimes expressed as wandering aimlessly or forgetting how to do common tasks.
Treatment
On the whole, disconnection corrects itself within days or weeks of initial presentation. Young children (no longer pups) seem to instinctively begin training their brains to reconnect again almost as soon as they recover from the shifting process.
Adults can benefit from the company of pups should they suffer disconnection, but this is a less viable solution in children and adolescents.
Depending on the cause (as it is suspected there are many), an introduction of certain neurotransmitters to the system has been shown to improve the condition.
Prognosis
Excepting in severe cases of Isolation Sickness of which disconnection is only a symptom, disconnection is a temporary condition and corrects itself or can be effectively medicated. It is very rare for disconnection to last longer than a few weeks, and a full recovery is the usual course of the condition.
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