Messed Up Chakras

[Jennell]

@Jennell, are you in therapy right now? If so, what are you working on in there?...

I'm working on coping techniques to help me

@Jennell what had you decide to work on your chakras in the first place? Do you min...

I decided to work on my chakras to get rid of my dissociation but it made it way worse

I say this with some hesitancy, because I'm far from an expert. But I've also spent some time doing...

Thank you so much for this advice

 

[The Albatross]

Seriously, find a reputable practitioner and nix the idea of apps?

 

[sun seeker]

I decided to work on my chakras to get rid of my dissociation but it made it way worse

This is a guess: There is a powerful reason why you need to dissociate. We learn to dissociate when what is happening in the present moment is too much to feel. Dissociation is a tool the brain uses for our survival. With PTSD, we haven't learned that the danger has passed and the brain still thinks it needs to protect us. Dissociation is one of its tools.

My guess is your brain is doing its best to keep you from feeling. Working on your chakras may have started to open you up more to intense emotions and memories, which felt like a danger signal to your brain. So it redoubled its efforts to keep you safe the best way it knew how: by dissociating so you couldn't connect to the present moment, because to your brain, present = danger.

This tells me your therapist is bang on about the coping skills. I'm guessing you may be frustrated because it feels like they aren't working fast enough, and you wanted to hurry things along? Sigh. These therapists, making us take our time. Sometimes they actually know what they're talking about. :)

Is this a trauma therapist you are working with? Is the intent to work on trauma release once you have learned more coping skills?

I may be off base with this, so take what works for you and leave the rest.

Edited to add: I may be making things confusing by saying that to your brain, present = danger... while also suggesting grounding, which is basically coming back to the present. What I mean to say is that working on your chakras may have flooded you so the present doesn't feel safe, even if it is. I suggest coming back to what feels familiar to ground yourself. Try connecting to something outside of yourself, it sounds like the energy "inside" may be too much right now. Hopefully I haven't muddled things still more, I feel kind of like I'm talking in circles.

 

[KwanYingirl]

@Jennell i have had success with meditation in its many forms. What I've learned from my wise guides in the energy fields and Shamanism, is that intention is key to success. For instance, when I begin a yoga session, my conscious intention is to be focused on my breath. It is natural for all humans, traumatized or not, to have racing thoughts and difficult inch grounding and settling in. For those of us struggling with dissociation, it can be unnerving to find yourself in an altered state. I don't try anything on my own. I am not aShaman or a Reiki master or a Yogi. I believe that it is critically important to have a guide when you do energy work. I wasn't able to ground until I was taught how by my guides. You can read all you want on websites and forums, but when it comes down to actually practicing skills, you should have a guide bearing witness to your journey. It's not a "do it yourself" project.

 

[Chava]

Sounds like you're quite ungrounded, but I think important to note this is probably very temporary and you didn't break anything (or perhaps just another bump in a stream of dissociative patterns that has little to do with chakras, though you might have simply found something that was unhelpful). I'm not much into chakras but would ditto stuff about regarding meditative stuff. I can focus on sound or very slow and mindful movement. I've found this by trial and error. If I'm floating further away from myself, it's no help. As for 3rd eye and crown area, I can see where that would be a problem for me because I am already too mental/spiritual and exist a bit outside of myself. I need grounding within my body.

Can you focus on "root" type activities like slow yoga, touching the ground, slow walking and feeling the ground and taking in your surroundings, nature, anything that feels grounding? Wrap yourself up in a blanket, soak your feet in warm water? Whatever might help you ground, center, or be a little more within your body...that will help you reconnect with others as well.