[bitten]

All I have been doing in therapy when the sexual assault is brought up, I disassociate. I did it during the assault, I do it now. i can just "zone out" and at times, it turns into a conversion reaction that is actually like a seizure. I feel like I am freaking my therapist out and we have gone over the safety plan,etc but I still feel some uneasiness about her dealing with this. I understand i am not the first client with this problem, but it scares me also. If anyone has any good coping skills to try during those times, I am all ears!

[Open Eyes]

(((bitten)),

I can have that happen myself, what helped me was listening to my T talk about sexual abuse overall, then I was able to say "me too" without having to come forward myself and talk about it. When I joined PC I would visit the abuse forum and just read sometimes, I could not put myself there at all really for a while.

I seem to be able to work things out by defending others, helping others, I did that alot and would slowly try to add myself in here and there. Sometimes when we hear the cry of others it can touch that hurt spot in ourselves and we can empathize reach out and in the process also tell ourselves these caring messages at the same time.

Therapy is not about forcing yourself to remember or even having to verbalize the graffics of a sexual abuse situation. It is more about how that hurt you and how you can work on healing the hurt itself.

Disassociation is not always a bad thing, it is our brain's way of protecting itself in a tramatic situation.

If you experience flashbacks, then just address whatever it is you experience. You don't have to verbalize every detail either. Some trama doesn't actually get stored in areas of our brain that contains language.

((Caring Hugs))

Be patient with self

OE

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by bitten

All I have been doing in therapy when the sexual assault is brought up, I disassociate. I did it during the assault, I do it now. i can just "zone out" and at times, it turns into a conversion reaction that is actually like a seizure. I feel like I am freaking my therapist out and we have gone over the safety plan,etc but I still feel some uneasiness about her dealing with this. I understand i am not the first client with this problem, but it scares me also. If anyone has any good coping skills to try during those times, I am all ears!

I know many people who dis associate (here in america this word means purposely stop doing something example I dis associated myself from the cats litter pan due to pregnancy)

I also know people who dissociate (here in america this word means space out, zone out, feel numb...) during therapy discussions about abuse issues..

I have done both. I told my therapist and we came up with a plan that would help me feel more comfortable and not need to disassociate nor dissociate.. we do things like grounding, breathing exercises, I bring a soft blanket with me...

maybe you can talk with your therapist and let them know you are dis associating or dissociating (which ever term fits your location for whats happening) and why, then make a plan that will fit you and your needs so that you no longer need to do that.