Is "Coping with Trauma-related Dissociation" (by Suzette Boon) good for using by yourself?

[Muon Ningen]

Hello! I have the freeze type of cptsd, and my Dissociations are strong and disturbing. This is the problem that I must solve. But I don't have any possibility to go to therapy or in group. I had known about this book from Pete Walker's book, and he said it is good to Coping Dissociations. But in this book I've read that it's not recommended to using by yourself. And I had so high expectations of this book.

I dunno what to do. Is it usable for self-therapy. If anyone have read this book, could you give me your opinion please?

 

[Sideways]

I haven't read that particular book (Pete Walker's book is pretty amazing though!).

However, if it helps at all:

I have the freeze type of cptsd

So, to break this apart:

With PTSD, we have an overactive amygdala. That's the really prehistoric part of the human brain, right in the middle, that controls our fear response.

A typical amygdala will identify a massive imminent threat (OMG the lion is going to eat me!) and it will short circuit the rest of brain and intervene with an immediate response to save our life. Instead of our brain processing stimulus and problem solving the situation and 5 minutes later we decide how to deal with the lion, the amygdala kicks in with very basic, but very effective, survival techniques.

Those survival techniques are pre-wired, and once the amygdala hits the alarm, our entire body instantly responds with one of a few options: fight, flight, freeze, flop, fawn.

A person with PTSD has an over-active amygdala. So, our amygdala hijacks our brain and sends our whole body into one of these survival states all the time, even when it's patently not required (for us, it can be more like, "OMG, a yoga class, I'm going to die").

Each of us as individuals will be pre-disposed to use some of those survival programs more than others. For example, you may typically freeze when your amygdala is activated, whereas someone else with PTSD may more typically go into fight mode.

They're all the same disorder. The same thing is happening (super-charged amygdala), even though a freeze response looks completely different to a fight response.

The thing that's important? Is probably understanding that irrespective of whether you freeze, or fight - the same thing is happening. And more often than not? Treating it is the same. So, you don't send Freeze Sufferer to PTSD Treatment Room 1, and send Fight Response Sufferer to a different therapy group down the hall.

CPTSD is, in essence, all of the above, and all of the typical PTSD symptoms, and some additional symptoms. The different fear responses aren't hugely relevant to treatment here either.

So, there isn't really a treatment for the "freeze type of CPTSD". There's just 'treatment for PTSD'. And add a few more years if you have the complex version.

It sounds complicated, but actually, it will hopefully simplify what you're looking for in terms of treatment, or answers to your particular issue, which is:

my Dissociations are strong and disturbing

Dissociation is something else entirely, yeah? When you're dissociating, you may end up acting (even feeling) much like you do when you freeze. But they're very different.

Why did I just type all that out?

Freezing and dissociating - 2 things I do often! Addressing them is vastly different.

If I freeze all the time, that's deep PTSD funk territory. My amygdala is super-charging, and fundamentally changing brain chemistry and the way different parts of our brain are behaving? Is no easy task. And actually, it's almost completely irrelevant at this point that I have complex PTSD, because the amygdala issue? Is universal to both.

But, if my problem is that I dissociate all the time (may look the same, and often feel the same)? That can be waaaaay easier to address. Through Grounding techniques.

If I set my heart on practicing my grounding techniques throughout the day, every day, I can expect to make serious progress on my dissociation problem within a matter weeks. Not months or years (which is what trying to re-program our amygdala can look like). Weeks!!!

Teasing out whether I'm freezing or dissociating may be a slippery, tricky task in itself. But one worth taking the time to do. Because if the issue is dissociating? Grounding techniques and party on. But if the issue is more "Hello PTSD, welcome to my Freezing party", then definitely it's going to be a lot more work, and waaaaay more complicated.

 

[Renly]

This book is amazing!!! I have read it on my own, but I am also in therapy.

I am diagnosed with a dissociative disorder and this book is specifically targeted for those with DID/OSDD, although it may also be helpful if you don’t have a dissociative disorder but have PTSD and are doing parts work. But it is definitely targeted to a DID/OSDD audience.

It is broken up into learning units and includes homework assignments - it explains PTSD and dissociative disorders and breaks down practical ways to learn to work as a team with your parts/alters (including managing sleep, eating, relationships, free time, complex emotions like shame and anger, triggers, negative cognitions, etc.).

I would note it may be potentially triggering because it addresses a wide array of topics and I do believe the authors advise that it is best done in a group setting or with a therapist.

This book is one I go back to and re-read various sections regularly. It has been immensely practical and helpful for me as I’m learning to navigate life with a dissociative disorder.

 

[arfie]

hello muon. welcome to the forum.

in my strictly personal ptsd herstory, there is no such thing as a book that is safe for me to use alone. i often believe that trying to heal myself caused more damage than the child sex trafficking i am attempting to heal from. i deluded myself into believing i healed myself after reading the latest greatest self-help book only to find myself crushed anew by isolation, dissociation, etc. old habits die hard. these days i believe my head is not a safe neighborhood to travel alone. i benefit mightily by travelling with company whenever possible.

but that is me and every case is unique.
gentle support while you find what works for you.

 

[Wendell_R]

I like this book a lot. Right at the beginning in the Introduction, I recognized myself and didn't feel as alone in the world. The exercises are a mixed bag for me. I think that says more about the variety of CPTSD than the book!

I learned grounding methods for the first time, and that was transformative. Other exercises didn't work for me or were too frightening.

The book is absolutely better with therapy support, but if that's just not possible, I think it can work. I strongly recommend that you go slowly and don't push yourself through any exercises/sections that feel deeply uncomfortable. Just skip the sections that don't work. It's not the sort of book where you need to complete page 20 to do page 40.

 

[Muon Ningen]

I like this book a lot. Right at the beginning in the Introduction, I recognized myself and didn't feel as alone in the world. The exercises are a mixed bag for me. I think that says more about the variety of CPTSD than the book!

I learned grounding methods for the first time, and that was transformative. Other exercises didn't work for me or were too frightening.

The book is absolutely better with therapy support, but if that's just not possible, I think it can work. I strongly recommend that you go slowly and don't push yourself through any exercises/sections that feel deeply uncomfortable. Just skip the sections that don't work. It's not the sort of book where you need to complete page 20 to do page 40.

Thank you a lot! I'll listen to your opinion!

 

[shimmerz]

I have the 'drop' kind of dissociation and I had some pretty good challenges along the way reading anything. I think just having an awareness of your responses if you do get triggered will allow you to be able to read what you would like. Maybe build a safety plan for when reading. Something like - read while in the house. Don't read in coffee shop. That type of thing.

 

[Friday]

So, there isn't really a treatment for the "freeze type of CPTSD". There's just 'treatment for PTSD'. And add a few more years if you have the complex version.

So much this.

Ditto if you have regular PTSD, but complex trauma.