[Kiya]

TIred of starting over. But this one is listed as a "dissociative disorder specialist". She says that she has learned a new technique that works far better than "talk therapy" and that we're actually not going to re-traumatize me over all the details again and again. She is following the work of Dr. Peter A. Levine and it is all about bringing the nervous system back to calm, and just giving permission to self to notice what is happening in the body at any given time. Pretty interesting really. Pretty low key for the most part. When something comes up and she can see a change on my face, she'll just ask me to notice the sensations (being out of body for 32 years makes that challenging in itself). "That's therapy", she said to me last time. Whole new approach, she says. So, we'll see. And after 4 sessions, I've started walking myself through my own panic attacks. "I feel a fluttering in my chest. I notice my leg and arm muscles are tight. So are my neck and trunk of body muscles. I notice my eye tearing up." The symptoms then relieve themselves. Taking time to notice what is going on in my body gives me time to see I'm not really in danger (no reason for fight, flight, freeze).

[likewater]

Good luck. Sounds like a good start so far. W

[WePow]

Kiya, that sounds great! My T is doing that with our EMDR work. To just notice the sensations. It is strange with DID to have that type of internal watching going on without the details of words. But so far I do feel a whole lot better by doing things this way! I think it is helping me focus on healing the damage rather than looking at photos of the darn wreck.

[Butterflies Are Free]

I wish you the best of luck and hope you post again and tell us how it is going!

[eskielover]

Sounds like a much more logical way of handling DID to me than emotional.......

Hope it works as good as it sounds like it should....wising you much success....it sounds like the approach used by the leader of our DBT group is dealing with DID.

[skeksi]

I'm glad the new I is working out well for you, Kiya!

My T has me notice the physical stuff too, and it helps a lot--it takes me out of memories and into the present. It's still super-hard, but it's nice to be able to get through things and feel a little more in control.

I hope you continue to find her approach helpful!

[Kiya]

Yes - like you're all stating, it really is easier to notice "my heart is fluttery, my legs are tense, my breathing is shallow..." and then once i notice them, often they subside. It is a LOT easier. And any time i get "overstimulated" by something she said, she'll go back to "and now what are you noticing?" and if i can't notice anything she asks questions - "do you really notice nothing? you might - what is it like to have a nothing sensation? or do you notice...." and fill in blanks with her observations which brings my awareness to them and teaches me how to do it myself.
One blip is that my ins didn't process right - so i am kinda hanging in mid-air waiting to see what will happen. If it doesn't process right, i will have to stop seeing her since I can't afford the co-pay. Technically, it should be covered. But even if i can't continue, at least I did learn a few things that I will continue using.

[sittingatwatersedge]

Kiya I hope your insurance straightens out. this relationship sounds like a good one already!

[Kiya]

Me too I did see her last week, and this Monday. She said if the ins doesn't go through she won't make me pay since i came in "good faith that it would". But we still don't know about the future... *hope hope hope*.