Learned Dissociation

[Blackbird89]

For several years now, I've found ways to intentionally distance myself from my feelings, thoughts and emotions. Most of that was through medication.

Anyone know of any alternatives that can be used to distance and deal? I'm having a really bad weekend and I need a way to function. Meditation has never worked for me at all but I am walking and running during the day.

 

[Justmehere]

Are you trying to learn how to dissociate on purpose?

I would highly recommend against it. There is something called the numb-flood cycle that will kick in. Once someone numbs out feelings, they do eventually come back, and very often they flood the person. It's miserable. Dissociation can also leave someone open to re-victimization - people are not as in tune to know when they need to protect themselves and how.

Something that might help a lot more effectively is mindfulness. That is a way to learn to observe feelings, emotions, and thoughts mindfully, and let them go. Check out DBT self help dot com or other DBT websites for info on mindfulness. There are a lot of good books and websites on mindfulness alone as well. Mindfulness is different than mediation. Someone can learn to do any task mindfully. One of my favorite things to do is to swim, but mindfully. It can really shift my whole state of being. Mindfulness takes a little time to learn, but when it works, it's AMAZING.

 

[Blackbird89]

Are you trying to learn how to dissociate on purpose?

I would highly recommend against it. There is...

I will most definitely start reading now. Thank you!

 

[Ronin]

Eventually I'd look into different meditation styles; something you can use movement in, or just find the sort of movement that helps you shift focus naturally, without specifically going for it.

Have you thought of what area of feelings / thoughts etc, you need most distance from? What the connecting thread / theme is? Maybe there's a way of working with that underlying thing linking a couple of issues together, without suppressing everything else, which as was already pointed, can come back to bite.