Stress Management Class & Dissociation

[Laurie McLaughlin]

I believe that guided deep relaxation can trigger disassociation in someone with PTSD. From my side, I could see how it could because you are having to trust someone to guide you and you lose your ability to be in control.

I am not sure I have an immediate answer though I like what shell said to talk to you instructor.

If you simply just have to get through the course and are not able to it without triggering your PTSD, I would do the class with my walls up. So I would make it through class but I would not be able to get any of the benefit of the relaxation but at least I would not fail the class

For me a long term solution is to start doing mindfulness meditation in private. Doing this kind of meditation helps me begin to recognize my emotions most of the time before they manifest as PTSD symptoms. It took a while before I got good enough to be able to let my fears go before they overwhelmed me and sometimes if the trigger comes too quickly, I still get the symptoms but I can now pacify some of them before they arise.

Sending you positive thoughts and wishes -

Laurie

 

[EvenStrongerNow]

That's a really good idea. I think what I will do is just keep my eyes open (I know I have to keep my eyes open when I am grounding myself anyway with PTSD so maybe the same should apply in class.

If I feel unsafe, open my eyes) and don't do the poses I am uncomfortable with. Perhaps I can just say that it hurts because it technically does even if just in my brain.

Then, I will practice the exercises at home on my own so I can become aware of my own emotions during the process. I rarely ever do them at home so this is a new experience for me.

If all else fails, I will just try and get some benefit from just being in a calm and quiet room and do the stretching with my eyes open and do the journaling of feelings that she requires and just pass the class. Or maybe, I can just do that for a time until I start feeling more comfortable there.

Thanks for the validation and tips. You all are awesome :tup:

 

[Barconian]

I don't have a coping skill for this. I just froze.

Try again!

 

[EvenStrongerNow]

I don't know if what I am experiencing is really dissociation. It happened in another class tonight.

I was sitting there talking to the teacher and I became confused, like disoriented. My brain does this thing and I go somewhere. ...and I can't hear anyone and then I feel immense fear that it happened.

Also tonight, when people were talking to me, it didn't look like they were looking at me with their eyes. Oi.

I really don't know what's going on, but I am scared since my previous health history trauma.

 

[Barconian]

I was sitting there talking to the teacher and I became confused, like disoriented. My brain does this thing and I go somewhere. ...and I can't hear anyone and then I feel immense fear that it happened.

Keep practising Even keep practising... Your head will switch on, when your fears let it. You explained yourself very well all the same :)

 

[Hope4Now]

@EvenStrongerNow from what I have learned, this type of class can definitely trigger ptsd stuff. I was thinking of going to a yoga class and told my massage therapist (who is also a yoga therapist). Her eyes got wide and she said, "I would hold off on that right now. You need to do 1:1 or maybe find a trauma-sensitive yoga class." I actually did find one of these classes and attended, but even it was too much for me, so they gave me a dvd to use on my own. Look up "The Trauma Center at JRI" in Brookline, MA. On their site, at the bottom left, I think, there's a link to yoga and some information there.

The issue for people like us with yoga and meditation is exactly what you are describing. It is very hard for us to "relax" (understatement), and when we are feeling pressured to do certain things (like you were), it can trigger us and lead to self-destructive behavior. The guiding principle of trauma-sensitive yoga is to ensure that YOU are in charge, that you only do what feels comfortable--not what the teacher tells you to, not trying to do what everyone else is doing.

I think it would be a good idea to talk to the teacher, especially if this is a class you are taking for credit. You don't have to tell that you have ptsd if that makes you uncomfortable. You might consider just letting the teacher know that you have had a lot of trauma in your life, that you've taken this class because you want to learn methods for processing stress, but that you need to move really slowly and that means you may choose to do things differently from the others, at your own pace. In trauma-sensitive yoga, the instructor gives you several choices about poses (including not to do it at all), and there are no commands, only invitations. Keeping your eyes open is an excellent idea.

There's a guy named David Emerson who wrote a book called "Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga" that is very good. He is part of the Trauma Center in MA.