Kudos to you for discovering this tendency that you have to misuse the distress tolerance techniques! That's a big part of the battle in itself. really!

A big favorite distress tolerance skill that I now use daily is to Improve the Moment through Imagery. I use it in stressful and non-stressful times, just to get myself into a better state of mind. Specifically, I imagine myself in the mountains ~ totally alone, other than animals, and completely safe. I imagine every sense being stimulated: vision, hearing, scent, taste, and touch by all of nature surrounding me. It is a very comforting, relaxing and stimulating experience, all rolled up into one. It takes about 15 minutes or so, to really get into the Imagery. But, as I come back into the present moment, I feel SO much better! Significantly more relaxed and closer to "wise mind".

Perhaps you may want to try using that technique more often, to ease yourself away from depending upon dissociation too much? I do still dissociate from time to time, but those are moments in which I don't actively make that decision. Rather, it's an instinctive response to major stress that overwhelms me.

Gentle hugs to you!