I am just realizing that I dissociate automatically sometimes when things get very stressful (at least that is what I think it is now. I feel like I am in sort of like a trance and the world seems to be just going by at a slow rate and nothing matters) but I also noticed that when I become extremely emotional I can shut the emotional pain off by taking a few deep breaths and I notice the emotions go away and I start to zone out again feeling similar to what happens automatically sometimes.

Do others do this to themselves and do you think this is part of dissociation or just a learned method of self calming?