Advice On Losing Less Time?

[Tolkienian]

So right now I'm alarmed. I hate losing time, and it usually happens when I'm triggered or stressed. Tonight I have two missing units of time (10 minutes and 20 minutes) on my internet browser history, and a long scratch on my trackpad that wasn't there this morning. (Although scratches on the computer are better than scratches on me! Progress...) I felt foggy and dull beforehand, and I have vague memories from about 5:00 to about 8:00. But for that half-hour, absolutely nothing.

I have a hard time realizing when I'm going to dissociate, unless I'm really well-grounded already. Living in a constant state of being dissociated from your body for 10 years will do that to you, apparently. Usually, I get scared, and then my vision goes wonky, and then I'm gone within a few minutes unless I work really really hard. I use grounding exercises--the counting game works well, and I also hold my own hand.

But do you guys have any advice on anything else I could do to dissociate less? Or is this a matter of actually practicing good self-care all the time, even finals week?

 

[The Albatross]

All I know is that if I set up an environment for myself that meets my physical and mental emotional needs consistently I have less lost time. Much less.

Rereading your post Tokeinian and with the awareness you have about it being difficult to get cues "before" and event, I think you hit on the "next best thing" in the last sentence of your post except my mind rewrote your sentence. It spit back "Because I have a difficult time realizing when I'm going to disassociate unless I'm really well grounded already, improvement and less lost time requires practicing good self care consistently." But if you reread your post... there were cues and a 3 to 3 1/2 hour window of perhaps opportunity that could have prevented an event as well.

I would think, especially during finals week, self care should be consistent because of our difficulties with increased stressers. If you bemoan "all the time"... pause to consider that there are many people successfully managing physical chronic illnesses or injuries. They are successful because their outcomes are dictated by their willingness to be compliant and consistent with what they need to do to be at their highest functioning level.

We have an injury too. If we learn how to and develop habits and new behaviors that improve our ability to manage ourselves physically and mentally - we increase our ability to keep unwanted events to a minimum.

I like to think that (when I bemoan all the little things I have to do to keep my symptoms managed)... the success I will have, even if at times I seem powerless by an unforeseen event, is in direct proportion to the personal responsibility I apply consistently and diligently If nothing else I get a faster rebound and some new awareness.

Even though it really does help me to compare PTSD with actual chronic illness or injury, my brain doesn't like "all the time"... so I pull the reins in on that thought to "today" or "this week". I find being a little shortsighted is actually an asset with respect to self care and PTSD management.

Perhaps you can examine the cue you did get before the event more, the feeling "foggy and dull". Were you rested, had you eaten a nutritious meal, were you hydrated with non-caffeinated and non-sugary fluids? What were your physical and mental/emotional conditions prior to 5 pm? What actions if any did you take to prevent an event in the 3 to 3 1/2 hour window if any. If you didn't take any, why not?

 

[The Albatross]

I had to edit that about 5 times... sorry. I'm still not sure I said it right. :O_o: