Sister,

Yes, scheduled dissociation and planning it in a therapy session were hard for me to grasp as well. This was something I had no control over and couldn't imagine controlling...I simply could not comprehend the possibility or what it might look like.

Planned dissociation in therapy was KEY to my healing and working through trauma there. I literally had to trigger myself there to do it. Tough stuff but so worth it.

Scheduled dissociation at home is KEY to maintaining my unplanned checking out and allowing the parts of my mind to rest and interact with the world. Of course, nothing could've, or could, prevent the checking out that occurs with traumatic (perceived or real) events now, but it WAY cut back on the amount of checking out as well as the length I was gone.

I do this by finding a "mindless" game online and zoning into it....totally resting and going away. I also do paint by number, puzzles, etc. All the parts of this mind find a peace in these things and it feels like all of me is present to participate and rest. It's a very cool feeling. It breaks down the dissociative barriers for a while. From this place I can feel all of me and be in touch with all of me...at a time where the world is "safe" if just for a moment.

Again, these things were key to the healing that's taken place here.

KD