Intentional dissociation

Does anyone else dissociate intentionally? We are having an extremely stressful time now. Since I just had minor surgery, I have a real world excuse for crawling into bed for awhile & cancelling prior plans. So I've been 'napping' most afternoons. I was surprised how long. Then I realized it was our way of everyone getting a time out from the stress. & we have done it for years when we feel we can't handle what is going on. Alters actually do de-stress & the strongest one comes out to take over afterwards. We just need to keep a guard on duty....in case of fire!!!! Don't really want to change as this obviously works for us. But with our current stress load we could sleep all day. Just wondering if others take such a time out???

Yes, extreme stress does wear a body out. Even just being consumed of the DID condition is stressful, too. We are geared high, so it's nonstop going, then when the wheels seize, we sleep in sometimes. Well take a power nap mid-day to recharge from time to time, especially when we only get 6 hours of sleep at night.

Going out for a brisk/walk/run and some exercise helps relieve stress here. Sometimes sleeping too much creates more stress for me because now we aren't doing the things that we need to do.

here in my location intentionally dissociating isnt considered part of mental disorders. you see even normal non dissociative people can choose to space off, and go into different mind sets to alleviate their pain and boredom, depression. Its even taught in yoga, self hypnosis, relaxation, guided meditations and other self help tools how to do this.

here where I am what does fall into the abnormal (disordered type dissociation) is when a person does not have control over dissociating, when their alters take control with out the person or alters purposely causing it to happen.

sometimes some people who just happen to have DID will use this technique of deep relaxation and alters will step forward, but my own location still does not call this a dissociative problem because its one of choice, not out of the others control type situations. Some treatment providers have learned how to use this technique to call forward the alters during therapy, but here in the USA this is now illegal due to it can cause things like false memory syndrome and false alters.

Before my alters were integrated, I have had this happen when I have fallen asleep and alters take control due to it was their job, purpose reason for being was to be awake, on watch, guard. I have also had times when I have relaxed during a stressful time and alters have taken control to deal with those stressful times. but again my treatment providers did not call this intentional dissociation. they called it getting triggered (the triggers were needing to sleep and what ever stress I was going through) and because of those triggers alters took control and dealt with that. I was told this happening was just a normal part of being DID. Every DID system is comprised in such a way to ensure that physical body and systems survival which includes protector alters who's job it is to do things like protect and guard. they take control when ever they are needed in order to protect and guard everyone. but its not intentional.its just their job purpose reason for being.

anyway thats what my location believes. other locations may believe differently.

for me, i don't intentionally dissociate. i do, however, take time to relax, de-stress, etc. and keep things light to try to keep things calm.

my dissociation has never been intentional and more caused by stress, triggers, and happens randomly.

I do. When the kids go crazy. When my husband is grumpy and I want to fix it, but realize I can't but I can't let go of the idea it's my fault and I need to do something, I feel like I try dissociate. It doesn't always work, so maybe it's not because of my intention but my "normal" reaction to the stress.

Self-care is probably a better option, but I have to keep funcitioning for the rest of the people around me, so this is the easiest way to deal with the stress and overwhelming emotions.

I've recently become aware of how much I've utilized dissociation to instantly deal with the unpleasant and sometimes horrifying triggers, memories, flashbacks, emotions, etc., and for me to be able to intentionally dissociate at will seems like another type of unhealthy addictive behavior.

Therefore, I've been working extra diligently to NOT do this since becoming aware of it. I'm trying to learn how to allow myself to work through it in a healthier way, which includes standing firm, speaking up and/or even walking away until I feel better able to deal with - instead of dissociating from - whatever it is that's causing me distress at the time.

I'm not saying I'm anywhere near the mastering of all that yet, either ... Just that I'm cognizant and aware of what I've been doing and am looking for better ways to remain present while I cope and deal with it all no matter how painful and overwhelming it can be sometimes!

I'm curious how the ability to intentionally dissociate would disclude the possibility of also experiencing unintentional dissociation and having a dissociative disorder? That seems counter-intuitive to me. People with dissociative disorders tend to have a higher degree of hypnotic susceptibility, and it stands to reason that styles of self-hypnosis would be that much easier for someone with the condition.

Myself, I can hardly ever stop myself from dissociating, when it starts to happen. I'm conscious of the process, and it feels like I should be able to stop it, but I can't think of a time when I have been able to, and in truth it happens so often that it wouldn't occur to me to push myself towards it. I'm always trying to work towards becoming less susceptible to dissociation.

i believe a disorder is something that is out of the persons control where as intentional\on purpose is something that a person can control.

i believe intentional dissociation (purposely dissociating, dissociating with in your own control) is treated like a habit not a disorder...

think of it like smoking. a person purposely picks up a cigarette every time they are stressed out. it becomes a habit. they can choose to pick up that cigarette or not. even an addicted person can choose not to light up in places they are not supposed to light up (its with in their control) its a habit that they can if they choose to stop doing.

i believe disorders are things out of a persons control. example before I learned how to use grounding I didnt have a choice. I would one second be at my desk and the next feeling dissociated. I do not purposely set out to cause myself to feel dissociated (numb, spaced out, disconnected.) it was out of my control, it just happened to me.)

as for intentional discluding unintentional yes I know some people who have intentionally caused their problems and then got the unintended result that scared the crap of of them, but because of the unintentional result happening they have ....chosen ....not to intentionally cause their self problems again in that way.

America now has a mental disorder called fictitous disorder imposed on self for those that do choose for what ever reasons cause their self to have mental disorder symptoms. this is another new diagnosis put in place in 2013 which my location also uses when someone is intentionally causing their self to have mental disorder symptoms.

its just the way my location defines things, and the new diagnostics for mental disorders in american since 2013.

your own treatment provider can go more into detail about the new definitions\diagnostics and categories.

Can you intentionally dissociate? That sounds a bit far fetched considering dissociating is a triggered response, as far as I know. Normal dissociation like day dreaming and hiway hypno aren't intentional.

I had to look that up and I came across 'emotional detachment' versus 'dissociation' as an action term based on intent. An unpro explaino:

Point taken, although I wasn't talking about malingering, or fictitious disorder, or even of potential for a disorder to be invoked through voluntary actions, but simply that an ability to intentionally dissociate and a dissociation disorder wouldn't necessarily be mutually exclusive, although I certainly understand why the combination could be a hot button issue as far as the industry is concerned. It must be an "unwritten" distinction, because I haven't seen anything about it in the DSM specifications.

I can't. At least I don't think that I can and I certainly don't try. But I came to my variety of the disorder through an unfortunate experience with coercive persuasion, rendered by people with decades of knowledge on how to progressively manipulate a person's susceptibility and willfully invoke dissociative states. Conditions can create an environment in which dissociation can be triggered, and conditions can be created intentionally, and as such I don't personally happen to doubt that a person could invoke their own given a certain combination of knowledge and inclination.