Please remind me why dissasociation is bad?

[WishfulThinking123]

Is it just me or does anyone else truly like disassociation? Feeling like I am floating, everything is funny- even when someone insults me...its great no one can touch me... Why should I stop?

 

[Friday]

If you only ever disassociate when you want to, how you want to, for as long as you want to? I don't see a problem with it. The old "When is something a problem? When it's a problem!" If any of those things aren't true? It's not something you're in control of? Or you're putting your life, or other people's lives in danger? (Like driving drunk, you might feel awesome, doesn't mean it's reasonable or responsible). Then it would be a problem.

Disassociation is a spectrum. Some parts of it are totally normal, healthy, fine. Other parts of it are problematic. Other parts of it are pathological.

 

[WishfulThinking123]

No its not something I really have control of for instance...don't know how long this "high" will last...

 

[EveHarrington]

Dissociation causes us to be unsafe.

Is there a reason why you'd want to put yourself in an unsafe situation?

 

[WishfulThinking123]

Well how does it cause me to be unsafe? I do not "lose" time. It helps protect me from unsafe emotions... When I feel emotions I often feel scared and depressed...

 

[anonymous]

Because life passes you by, like your no longer alive, you're frozen in numbness.

 

[BoN-bOn]

Because I don't allow myself to feel good things either....just numb for it all. Drifting through life...

 

[WishfulThinking123]

Oh...that :unsure:You sound like my T... now I remember why eventually I want to go back to feeling because, eventually it does feel like I am gasping for air and cant breathe due to the disconnectedness/numbness. Thank you...that was exactly what I needed to hear...It is a vicious cycle going between disassociation and feeling...I can't control when my mind will switch from one to the other. But...again cant control it? Sigh

 

[zoie33]

I can relate. I dissociate a lot and I do mean a lot especially during therapy sessions. I guess when I'm feeling a lot of emotional pain I like dissociating because it takes the pain away. But I've noticed that especially the last month or so in therapy I am dissociated half the time or half dissociated all the time if you understand what I'm saying. I have come to not like the me I've become when I'm in that half dissociative state. It's like I'm a scared rabbit just ready to jump in the hole or my head is always halfway in the hole. I feel very weak as a person and I'm starting to not like it but again that is just an everyday occurrence. When I'm feeling that strong emotional pain I still like the dissociation.

 

[WishfulThinking123]

I had hugely overcome the disassociation for like 3 weeks, it was really minimal but, then something scared me...I got too freaked out before T and disassociated almost immediately when session started and now I am disassociating a lot...going back and forth for like the past month. I told myself I couldn't do it anymore and my mind did what it knows how to do...in retrospect I wish I had just pushed through. Now it feels like I am back to square one but, on the other hand I am not in daily emotional pain and suffering... sigh

 

[EveHarrington]

Well how does it cause me to be unsafe? I do not "lose" time. It helps protect me from unsaf...

Because your defenses are down, you are not as alert, and thus you could put yourself in unsafe situations and making bad decisions. Deciding to walk alone at night in a not so safe area. Deciding to go out and drink too much. Deciding to get behind the wheel. All sorts of bad things could happen while your mind is checked out. It doesn't matter that you aren't full blown DID. It's still not a good thing.

Have you heard of the concept of how some people who are traumatized are prone to being traumatized repeatedly? Being dissociated in life can indeed lead to future traumatization, setbacks in healing, and if it happens enough, your prognosis won't be as good.

 

[WishfulThinking123]

@EveHarrington Wow..those are all really good thoughts. I had heard that people who are traumatized are prone to future traumatization but, I never really connected that to disassociation.