[littlemiss1970]

This is all new to me...I've never been here before in a dissociative state of being. I've recently been suffering from ptsd which has brought out dissociation. It's been going on for two days now. How long does this typically last? I'm so out of sorts.please help me understand. My pdoc and therapist both know it's going on and they validated what I'm going thru. I appreciate any feedback. Thank you

[kaliope]

being dissociated can be scary. I used to focus on things. get in touch with the five senses. sitting on the couch-what does it look like, how does it feel beneath me, does it smell, what color is it, what is its texture, is it hot or cold, just get into every detail about it. then do it with all the other things in the room. it will make you more present with your surroundings, take care

[littlemiss1970]

Thank you kaliope...I feel like I'm constantly swimming and my body is floating on air. I'm numb and I feel like I'm watching a movie. I'm trying to focus on things around me so it eases up some. It's scarey driving while feeling like this too.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by littlemiss1970

Thank you kaliope...I feel like I'm constantly swimming and my body is floating on air. I'm numb and I feel like I'm watching a movie. I'm trying to focus on things around me so it eases up some. It's scarey driving while feeling like this too.

Sorry you are going through this. in the first posting of this thread you said your treatment providers know and have validated what you are going through. ok so what did they tell you to do in order to re ground yourself back out of your dissociative problems?

my suggestion is that if you want to feel better follow what ever your treatment providers told you when they validated what you are going through.

as for how long does it last...well that depends upon what the cause is for this to be happening....

Example when it is my anxiety that is causing my dissociative symptoms it only lasts as long as it takes for me to do what ever my treatment providers have told me to do...make sure I have taken my anti anxiety meds, and use my grounding tools like for me getting physical is my way of regrounding out of dissociative symptoms so I take a walk, row my canoe around the lake. bake an apple/cinnamon pie because the smell helps me to get back in touch with reality /out of my dissociation symptoms.....

each person is different on what works for grounding their self back out of their dissociative symptoms/helps them to not have their dissociation symptoms/helps them to stop their dissociation symptoms..

the one good thing about dissociation is that once a person uses what ever their grounding tools are (meds, sensory stimulation, physical activities what ever works for them) the dissociation symptoms stop.

my suggestion if this continues to bother you contact your treatment providers, they are the ones that are treating you so they will know how to best help you to ground yourself out of your dissociative symptoms and back into the present moment.

[NoChildSupport]

I don't know why but I've wanted this to happen. Maybe it's because I see it as a break from constant misery. I have times where I'm numb & I don't care about much of anything but nothing like what's been described...

[littlemiss1970]

Thank you...honestly my treatment providers didn't have much to say I'm regards to grounding myself which is why I turned to you guys. I appreciate yr feedback. This all stems from a ptsd outbreak.needless to say it's been a really tough week. It's definitely not a fun place to be. I've felt so awkward.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by littlemiss1970

Thank you...honestly my treatment providers didn't have much to say I'm regards to grounding myself which is why I turned to you guys. I appreciate yr feedback. This all stems from a ptsd outbreak.needless to say it's been a really tough week. It's definitely not a fun place to be. I've felt so awkward.

Ok I'll try and break it down into manageable steps for you...

grounding is a cover all term that treatment providers use. It means to do things that is calming to you, things that will get your mind and body focused on reality rather than staying stuck in your head or the past. grounding is used any time a person feels triggered. Some locations call this self nurturing / self parenting.

now for how to do it....lets take the simplest and easiest grounding tool there is.... breathing. when you feel out of control, or emotions or feeling spacy/numb/disconnected you take a few deep breaths to help calm you down and refocus your mind.

example...my wife is out of town for the night. i hate being alone and sometimes the traffic noises sound like a noise that reminds me of a traumatic event. the result is I start dissociating. I take notice that I am feeling spacy/numb. I find a place to sit down and take some deep breaths, regulating my breathing, concentrating on my breathing until I am feeling calm and no longer spacy/numb.

thats just one example of how people ground their self when they feel their dissociation symptoms. each person has their own ways that are calming to them and helps them to bring their self ot of their dissociation symptoms to where they are no longer feeling spacy and numb.

one way to find out what works for you is to sit down and write a list of all the things you like. if you like those things then they are good tools to use to ground yourself...

some people like the smell of a lemon so when they feel dissociated they go to their fridge and pull out a lemon to smell.
some people like holding a favorite stuffed animal or object,

I like to row my canoe around the lake..take a walk, read a book to my children, smell apples and cinnamon, right now my list of grounding tools is 251 things I can do to re ground myself back in reality when I am having a dissociation moment.

give it a try, see how many things you can write down that you like to do, that you can use to ground yourself during your dissociative moments.