New here, questions

Hello, I've mostly been over to the CPTSD side of this forum. All this is new to me, pretty much and I have learned so many new terms which is somewhat comforting to have a word to describe what I'm going through. But it seems so over whelming how things overlap and there's no clear cut way to find out what the real issue is and how I can fix it. I have a new T and we and she seems pretty in tune with trauma, she's even reading the Pete Walker book on CPTSD I loaned her. I see that as an effort on her part to really get to know what I'm going through and how to better serve my needs.
But why I'm here is that the dissociative events are becoming more frequent and troubling to me. I've always been an active person that enjoyed doing things and this dissociation seems to be consuming my time and life. I've tried the grounding exercises and they work well afterwards but how do you stop them in the first place. Am I going to have to walk around doing grounding exercises all the time? Or will they just stop on their own?

Hi trace! I'm no expert, but I'm learning too!

The Dissociative spectrum ranges from PTSD to poly fragmented dissociation (which includes C-PTSD), so there is a variety of symptoms associated with it.

There is Depersonalization Disorder where the mind feels seperated from the body or your not real, and it's like you can watch yourself from the outside.

Derealization Disorder is where the perception of reality is altered and it comes across as unreal.

These 2 disorders require grounding techniques. These two I hear are the least studied about disorders as of yet, and grounding techniques are required to keep them in check. I occasionally experience DP/DR and I just start focusing in on text and labels and shapes.

I also go into a dissociative trance at times that I mentally physically fight with all my might to get out of.

Of course I'm also dealing with DID/OSDD.

So, which symptoms are you feeling?

I went through that C-PTSD years ago, but it has faded away after 20 years.

Yes, it's the ones where you fight to get out of that are the most frustrating for me. You don't even know you are "out there" until well into it and then it's exhausting to get out of it. Then afterwards it's like you are still in a light daze. Ya know, it kind of reminds me of a light seizure. I had seizures when I was young, fever induced. Don't remember anything about them personally but from working in the hospital I did noticed there was a time period after the seizure that the patient was still very fuzzy. May have to research that. I haven't had a seizure since I was 10 years old.

Oh my gosh there are seizures related to dissociation. Can't read it right now, too much.

I've never has a seizure, and the dissocative seizures that you are taking about are different kinds all together, I think.

Dissociative disorders are just non-epileptic seizures, totally different then all this.

What? This doesn't make sense.

There are epileptic seizures which has an actual biological cause, and there are other seizures that aren't epileptic that's called dissociative seizures by coincidence, I guess. As far as I know, nobody with a dissocative condition has seizures, unless they are epileptic or have non-epileptic seizures. Two absolutely different things.

just a bit of info for Trace, dont panic about the seizures, here in America seizure problems knock out the dissociative diagnosis. other locations may have other standards. you can read what america goes by for american recognized dissociative disorders in my link at the bottom of my post. what that means is if NC in your profile stands for one of the USA states then the past history of seizures will not add up to a dissociative disorder here. they will continue to see it as you had a fever and the high fever caused your body to have a seizure.

Also here in america we do not have the poly fragmented dissociative disorders, here its all either DID, OSDD, or the other dissociative disorders in my link at the bottom of my post. I love the poly fragmented info but because I live and work in the USA that standard doesnt apply.

your treatment providers can show you their diagnostic manual and how they go about diagnosing and whats considered dissociative disorders in your location.

i have never had luck with grounding techniques. i am not sure why. things just happen how they do and i have to just let it pass it seems.

I agree Finding_my_way, it's so hard to stay on task with them.

Actually, here in America, like anywhere else, parts can have parts and that is polyfragmented.

I think we have a mis understanding here. Im not saying it doesnt happen, my point is here in america there is no dissociative disorder called polyfragmented DID.

here in america the dissociative disorders are......

DID
OSDD (Other Specified Dissocciative Disorder)
Depersonalization Dearealization disorder
Dissociative Amnesia
Unspecified Dissociative Disorder

we do not have a separate dissociative disorder called poly fragmented DID or polyfragmented dissociative disorder.

thats not saying it doesnt happen here in america when someone has alters that split into alters its still called DID. the term poly fragmented refers to the severity not a disorder label here. kind of like the term fragmented refers to the severity but is not a diagnostic dissociative disorder.

another way to look at it we say someone is feeling slightly foggy minded . we dont say someone has foggy minded disorder.

thats what I mean by here in america we do not have a diagnostic label called Polyfragmented DID Disorder. all people with DID are labeled DID regardless of their severity or make up of their internal system.. as long as they meet the DID criteria. doesnt matter if their internal system is fragmented, poly fragmented, protectors, self injurers, suicidal's and other descriptive words for how someones internal system is made up of various degrees\types of alters.

other locations outside the USA may have a mental disorder called Polyfragmented DID but here in america Im sorry but we do not have that diagnostic label.

to read about all the dissociative disorders america has you can contact your treatment provider who will most likely by now have their copy of the present diagnostic manual (DSM 5) that lists all of america's mental disorders in it. or you can go to your local library reference department and ask the librarian where to find the DSM 5 or you can click on the link at the bottom of my post. the link shows word for word from the DSM 5 including the american diagnostic code used and its corresponding IDC code for those that use the IDC in other countries. though I did not list all the mental disorders in the IDC. if you live outside America and your treatment provider uses the IDC they can show you what dissociative disorders your location has.

again Im not saying alters coming from alters(polyfragmented) cant happen, Im saying we do not have a separate mental disorder called Poly fragmented DID.

Yes, that is what I was saying. Parts can have parts. That can and does describe people's experience. No the DSM doesn't have a separate diagnosis for that, but it does happen.

If you have C-PTSD and you dissociate, that doesn't mean you have a dissociative disorder, right? It's just a coping mechanism, right? This stuff is so confusing.

Im sorry we can not answer this directly related to you and your problems...

what I can say is that PTSD type diagnosis's here in america now include dissociative symptoms that do not enter the severity of dissociative disorders.

Also here in america people can have more than one diagnosis at the same time.

to find out if your dissociative symptoms are part of your C-PTSD diagnosis or a dissociative disorder, or both you will need to contact your own treatment providers.

also if you are in the USA you might want to talk with your treatment providers about updating your C-PTSD diagnosis. complex PTSD label is not in the DSM 5 though its symptoms are with in more than one newer PTSD label... this way should you need help and your regular treatment provider isnt available the treatment providers who are available will understand what your diagnosis is and how to help you.

for example my complex PTSD diagnosis was changed to the newer diagnostic label of Acute Stress Disorder because i needed help and when I told the treatment providers I had a diagnosis of complex ptsd they had no idea what that was, they tried looking it up in the DSM 5 and could not find it, then they contacted my treatment provider who told them what the new diagnostic label for me was. It would have saved a lot of hassle, stress and time if I thought about updating this diagnosis of mine back in 2013 when the new diagnostics came into use.

the newer diagnostic labels for this are...Acute Stress Disorder, Other Specified Trauma and Stress related Disorder, Unspecified Trauma and Stress related Disorder.

your treatment provider will be able to tell you which one you fit into based on what your Complex PTSD symptoms and criteria are.

Hey hun, the dissociative spectrum includes all of PTSD, OSDD, and DID.

It would depend to the degree one experiences dissociation. Everyone dissociates at one time or another, but no one has it as a normal reaction to normal everyday events except those affected in the spectrum. I hope that makes sense...

Some people have the experience of their diagnosis changing. So even though the DSM is the approved and accepted taxonomy for these conditions, your treatment provider over time might find a better fitting diagnosis for your symptoms and experience. Frequently with dissociative conditions it takes time for things to emerge.

As amandalouise said, the diagnostic labels change also.

To be pragmatic, regardless of label, what are things you can do to feel better and enjoy your life? How can you improve your experiences and be freer of the residue of trauma?

It all takes time. Fortunately, human beings have an innate imperative to heal. That's a fact. We really want to be whole and happy.