Dissociation During Therapy Sessions

[lighteningdarkness]

I dissociate regularly, including during therapy. My T has to work really hard at keeping me 'there', I relax and let her manage the disassociation during therapy. It's a balance for me, not getting lost in the recall or zoning out. It has felt more comfortable since I've been able to trust her to keep me safe in the session, like I can concentrate on what I need to do.

The rest of the time I work hard at grounding myself. I use my 'safe place' when I feel my brain going like sherbet or when I feel overwhelmed, also breathing and recognising and acknowledging your physical surroundings helps for me.

 

[Jen93]

I suggest bringing this up with your T as soon as possible. I dissociated with my last T a lot too, and even though she knew, all we would say is "You're being mean to me right now and sending me mean emails because you're dissociating."

Talk to your T about what you do when you dissociate- do you get foggy, start looking around the room; panic? Do you get an urge to do anything weird- (for me, it's standing in corners....), do you say mean things? Warn him about this; and ask him to help ground you if he feels you're dissociating. Also: Tell him AS SOON AS YOU GET IN THE ROOM! Don't wait for him to start talking, or you might dissociate.

 

[Dissociated1]

I am surprised to hear your doctor's reaction. I have dissociated quite a few times in therapy with three different therapists and each one has accepted it as an important part of the healing process. It happened in couple's therapy this afternoon and our doctor helped bring me back by calming encouraging me to focus on my breathing, low breathing, fill the stomach, the lungs, the chest and finally the throat. It still took a few minutes but was one of the quickest recoveries I have ever made. I am hoping your therapist might be willing to see if it would help you?

 

[Deleted member 12723]

I have had 2 different therapists tell me that we are not supposed to dissociate. We do it when we feel unsafe. So I use this as a guide to help me not to do it.

In my last emdr session, I was feeling at complete peace. Someone walked past the office and it shook and caused me to dissociate. She said it was my bodys way to tell me to pay attention.

So it seems we cannot help involuntary dissociating. But we can help ourselves to feel safe. So this is what I focus on. I wish you the best.

 

[Smushroom]

I constantly dissociate. I am really getting sick of it. I go there to work on my issues, and instead spend half the time in a fog. She talks to me and I can barely hear her. 'Apparently' I was gone for about 5 minutes a few months ago. She said she was speaking to me, asking me questions, telling me she was taking me to the hospital and nothing. I don't remember a thing. That was the worst. After the session, I couldnt find my car until 10pm at night, and our session finished at 7pm.

We are about to start talking about the traumas. So far we have just been beating around the bush, so to speak. And I am scared I am going to dissociate and not be able to work through the traumas.

I am interested in looking at the medication to help. I am currently not taking anything, I stopped all medication a few months ago. I will speak to my GP and T and see what they think.

Dissociating used to make me feel safe and secure, but now it just makes me feel useless, weak and pathetic. I can feel myself slipping, but I can't do anything to stop it.

I think I will need to get some essential oils or something, because that is probably the only thing I have not tried.

 

[Shellbell]

I also dissociate in therapy, whenever we get close to the really bad stuff.

It happened again last night in T. Only this time I think she deliberately spoke of it more, knowing I would dissociate, and did the grounding and breathing this time I was able to ground quicker. I think maybe this is part of what I need to do. It's probably part of the exposure therapy, talking about it a little at a time until I am okay with it eventually.

My T is a trauma therapist and is really experienced in EMDR and we haven't started this yet. I don't really understand how I'm going to EMDR with dissociation happening. I think this will need to stop happening first.

 

[Violet03]

Shellbell, I literally just went through what talked about, which is why I'm here looking for comfort. I just got home from therapy. In session we talked about something that reminded me of my trauma. I had a flashback. My trauma therapist spend the rest of the session trying to ground me. Even when I came out of the flashback I was constantly disassociating.

I feel so stupid and weak that anytime I am exposed to my trauma I disassociate or experience a flashback. I made her late for her next clients. I feel like such a burden right now. I feel like a mess. I wish I could pull myself together.