Therapist said dissociation increases aggression

[Justmehere]

How do I even respond? She said “if you are dissociating, that increases aggression.” It was in the context of me stating I’m angry with my insurance for not covering a trauma specialist. (She is not a trauma specialist and she agrees I need one and is advocating with insurance for one.)

She says kooky stuff about PTSD, and I shrug it off. I’m not going to her for trauma work but help solving insurance issues and ADHD and working on better self talk. For the most part, as long as I shrug off the comments about trauma, it’s fine for the limited things she can do well. She does state she has all this extra training in anger management...

But this statement is getting to me. I am working on better options. It’s just hella confusing. Is there any point to discussing it with her further? It’s not her forte, it’s not my job to educate her, I don’t care much what she thinks about this...

Would you say anything?

 

[Teamwork]

Well I personally do not get more aggressive, quieter actually...

 

[Justmehere]

Same.

 

[Ronin]

I wouldn’t say anything honestly (you deserve a medal for all the medical quacks you put up with through years, JMH. Got a patience of a saint.)

She is just showing she does not understand either.

From someone who -gets- more violent with some types dissociation.

 

[grit]

I could be wrong but I think she is trying to groom you as a anger client. What give me that idea is her comment:

She does state she has all this extra training in anger management...

Weird!
She could be trying to put that idea in your head and then say well I can help you after all.
From my experience, dissociation made me scared like little mouse.
I would have said, thank you for doing this but please let us keep it on topic. (with straight face)

do not be her gunie pig!

 

[Ronin]

I could be wrong but I think she is trying to groom you as a anger client

Yeh, & this.

Even if not deliberate, it is still having a hammer & every issue being nails.

 

[Neverthesame]

I'd ask her to explain how she came to that conclusion.

 

[ladee]

I'm scared to think how aggressive I would become WITHOUT dissociation!!!
At least it gives me a break.

Nah. Don't talk to her. She has an agenda.
Follow your gut. It never lies to us

 

[Sideways]

Is she likely to take advice about what dissociation actually is from a patient? Probably not.

Pick your battles, because every battle takes a whole heap of emotional energy. Get the assistance you’re after and move on!

 

[EveHarrington]

....but anger and aggression aren’t the same thing. Someone can be 100% angry but 0% aggressive. Anger is an emotion, aggression is an action. Is she saying that your anger is a problem? I’m not sure she’s even good at helping people with anger issues!

 

[Friday]

That’s freaking bizarre.

In ADHD disassociation is foundational... it’s both what allows for hyper-focus, and is a necessary break for overactive senses ((and not to be confused with the mental hyperactivity present in ADHDi & ADHDc -daydreaming, etc.- that would ordinarily fall under disassociation, and is still sorta kinda Bridgy for lack of a better term)). ADHD peeps being prodded out of mental hyperactivity can sometimes become aggressive? But that’s more the “transitions badly” thing married to sudden sensory overload = meltdown. And it’s still fairly rare, outside of early childhood tantrums / meltdowns mistaken for aggression as they do the full body flail NO aieeeeee thing; IE lashing out at people when snapping back to reality is more tied to personality than symptom.

Even if not deliberate, it is still having a hammer & every issue being nails.

Cha. I’m thinking it’s this, if she teaches anger management.

IE it’s super common in people with anger management problems to blank out / see red / believe they aren’t actually in control.... IE dissociate when they get angry. But that’s totallh squares and rectangles. Just because it’s common for people with anger management issues to dissociate, doesn’t mean it’s common for people to have anger management issues if they disassociate. the reverse (I couldn’t read that, my eyes just started swirling ;))

PTSD - disassociation = 1 spectrum of things
ADHD - disassociation = 1 spectrum of things
Anger Management disassociation = 1 spectrum of things

Same symptom, different causes, different spectrums of expression, different best ways of dealing with it. >.< Helloooooooooo Hammer-Lady, this is undergrad psych stuff :banghead:

But this statement is getting to me. I am working on better options. It’s just hella confusing. Is there any point to discussing it with her further? It’s not her forte, it’s not my job to educate her, I don’t care much what she thinks about this...

Would you say anything?

Would I say anything? Probably before I could stop myself, but past that WTF :bored: moment? Unlikely. I’d be doing what you’re doing... looking for different options.

 

[Ronin]

& On second thoughts...

It also seems she tends to see anger -> lash out, in whichever way, as just one kind of anger.
Never even mind all those implications are unlikely / likely from something else if issues...
But what would she do with anger producing chill?
The kind of anger that is just utter calm & focusing on the thing, only everything else bringing the anger just ceased to exist / is only a variable to count with, nothing else, nothing beyond that, capital Done.

Wonder if she has quote management for these super managed kinds of anger & how dangerous they can be, & what they do with viewing of people if living in them a long time...?

Because the see red, blown out tantrum, is comparatively toddler easy to get in check & deal with.