Dizzy Dissociation

First post, I am new here.

I have been having a shift in how I feel when dissociating recently when in therapy. Almost like a dizzy feeling, it is kinda weird and almost feels scary unlike how in the past when I dissociate, it feels more calming and I am okay with it.

Was doing some EMDR during therapy. I normally use the heardphones, but the batteries needed to be replaced, so we did it the old fashioned way my therapist doing the fingers left to right and me following it with my eyes. I always have a hard time doing it this way because I seem to focus too much on following her fingers and forget to think about the memory or have a hard time doing so.

One of the times we stopped and she asked me how I was feeling, I said okay. (Think I was feeling numb.) She continued talking and all of a sudden I started to feel like I may be dissociating. It started feeling like this particular way after a few months when I started seeing this therapist. Like the world around me is drifting away and I feel like I am more in my core (like I am detached from my arms and legs, so I try to rub my hands on my arms, and then just those areas I will feel more attached to, but not my whole arms), sometimes more near my back looking out. Sometimes I feel dizzy, and I did that time. Then suddenly I felt like I was going to start crying and I didn't feel dizzy or as dissociated anymore. I told my therapist that I felt distracted just now because I felt dizzy and then felt like I was going to start crying. She told me to let myself feel it and had me cross my arms over my chest and tap on my shoulders and close my eyes. I tried to feel the feelings, but they drifted away again.

After that I felt exhausted and had pressure in my head, almost a headache.

Does anybody experience a dizziness like this?

It happens often during the EMDR, too, when we are using the headphones. I tell my therapist I think I am dissociating. So I open my eyes, but I try to start again and I get dizzy fairly quickly, like the world is trying to drift/spin away and I feel more light.




I also just remembered I had a dream a few nights ago where I didn't stop myself and let myself stay dizzy/dissociate to see what would happen, let myself fall into it, but what happened really scared me, even though I don't remember exactly what happened.

Welcome.

I sometimes have headaches after therapy. I find it hard to stay with my emotions. They like to stay hidden or runaway if they are unearthed.

in general dissociation doesnt include vertigo (feeling dizy) though I know some people who get dizzy as part of their anxiety fear reactions.

since this only seems to happen during therapy Im taking a guess that theres something going on in therapy that you are not comfortable with that is causing you anxiety.

that said I do get this reaction sometimes due to my medications if I make sudden movements ie standing up too fast, opening my eyes too fast, moving around any part of my body too fast. sometimes if there is a sudden change in my routine this will also happen due to my brain doesnt like sudden changes. sometimes depending upon other accompanying symptoms my treatment providers call getting dizzy in me by many names....ear infection, migraines, dietary problem, MS, sleep deprivation, psychosis, depression heck there are so many things in me that make me have dizzy spells like you posted...one narrowed out thing in me is the dizzy while sleeping/dreaming. I had a sleep study done and was told the body getting dizzy/feel like falling and other like symptoms is completely normal for me.

since only you and your own treatment providers can say whether this is dissociation in you and what to do about it, my suggestion is if it continues to bother you talk with your treatment providers, they can help you figure out what is causing this and treat you for it, which will help you to not feel dizzy any more.

I cannot generalize about DID experiences for others. I can only share my experience. I am not a professional, just a well-read person with DID. Sometimes, when I am aware of being on the brink of switching, I do feel a swirling dizzy feeling. It comes with what feels like a stretch in my ability to be aware of what is happening and the result of a part in front struggling to stay in front.

I refuse to allow EMDR to be used on me... I had very bad experiences with it... I hope it helps you... for me it was overwhelming and counter productive....
I have only had it tried with the finger.... maybe that is more triggering? I am not sure???? Maybe you feel safer with the headphones???
It is good you were able to tell your T how you felt

I have started dissociating during EMDR and when we try to work on memories about my trauma, I literally pass out. It feels like I am going into a really dark hole and things are swirling, but I don't hate it there. The few times I did this, it was hard to get me to come out of it- wet towels, shaking, calling, etc. Afterwards, I was really cold and had the symptoms of shock along with super headache and exhaustion. Felt rough for a few days afterward. It was very confusing for me. Now we are trying to stabilize me more and working on little stuff .

I think the finger is supposed to be more intense/process things a bit differently. She does it occasionally to see if it makes a difference, like when I feel stuck and nothing is happening. I honestly feel distracted by it though. One of the ways I distract myself from feeling if I am in a public place is to focus and stare at objects/surroundings and notice them so much my feelings and thoughts just fade away. I think that is what happens when I follow the finger, I start going into a daze and focus really hard on it which means it is almost impossible for me to think/feel and follow it with my eyes at the same time.

I am sorry you have had a bad experience with it. I definitely feel safer with headphones on, I like having my eyes closed.

That's interesting. I have not been told I have DID (although I have read it takes a long time to pinpoint), and my therapist mentioned I can have parts without being multiply when I mentioned I felt weird at one point when we were talking about my parts. She must have known I was feeling self-conscious or silly about it. I have read others on here saying they are afraid of thinking they are making it up, and I go through phases like that and feel silly.

I've just stopped doing EMDR due to lack of progress. I couldn't hold the image of my trauma for more than a couple of seconds at a time, but what it did reveal was that I do indeed have dissociated parts. I'm still trying to find a professional with the knowledge to properly assess and diagnose me as my EMDR therapist didn't seem to know much.
I also experienced dizziness from it, using headphones but I wasn't dissociating from it in a sense that I was losing consciousness, I just had the familiar sense of my emotions being locked down, accompanied with a tightness in my jaw. After every session I also had headaches for a few hours. They didn't feel like a usual tension headache, it was just an all over brain ache. Best way I can describe the sensation.

I started looking up the relationship between EMDR and it's use in dissociation prone people and the headaches, apparently sometimes if a part of you isn't happy with the EMDR or therapy in general then they'll block it (which I think could explain why I hit a wall with it) but the book I was reading also said that a part who wants to remain hidden in the subconscious can also cause a headache because it can't verbalise it's discomfort with the therapy. I never got the chance to try it but apparently you need to have agreement between all your parts that they don't all have to contribute but they need to not sabotage the process.
As I said this was just something I read and I'm no expert on the subject at all, but perhaps you could mention it to your therapist and see what they know on the matter

Thanks for sharing your experience. I can relate to not being able to hold the images of the trauma while doing EMDR. My jaw also tightens a lot, too. I have noticed, when my therapist will ask where I feel my feelings. Often I first note it in my throat, and then after noticing that, I realize how tense my jaw is.

That makes sense what you mentioned about the headaches. I can tell sometimes when there is a shift inside me, like one time my therapist mentioned something, and I felt a shift where part of me was upset about it, but didn't know why or how to explain, but I also felt a sudden headache. I have read a few books myself, and I know what you are talking about with having an agreement. I think that the conference room technique is useful for that.

In one of the books I read, to ask who/what is behind the headache. I thought it was an interesting concept and tried it once when I was at home doing left hand right hand dialoging when I suddenly got a headache. I was surprised to get an answer, too.

I have never tried EMDR therapy but I can relate to the dizzy type of dissociation you describe. That is how it happens for me quite often. Feeling a separation from my body and my limbs feel really far away, sometimes I go upside down even. For me it seems to happen most when I'm concentrating on something.
I can also relate to the frequent headaches.

I never made the connection till recent, but when I dissassociate, like from going over a high bridge or during confrontations, I feel like I'm withdrawing out of my body, my anxiety peaks and I start having panic attacks. This is no fun when driving on the freeway.