[TrailRunner14]

What has been your experience?

I would do a poll, but I don’t know how.

If you dissociate during a session, and your t realizes that you have, does he stop the session?

Does your T focus on getting you grounded?

Does your T just let you proceed as things are going?

The reason I ask, is because my counselor has asked me what he should do for me, and I appreciate him for asking me.

There have been times during a session that I know that I’m not all there.

I’m listening as another part of me is talking about something that maybe “I” didn’t have the strength to reveal or talk about.

I’ve read that T will usually stop the session because they do not think it is beneficial to continue if the client is not grounded and present.

I wonder if it would be more beneficial to just let it happen and let what needs to be said, be said and brought out into the open.

Sometimes it takes me a few days to recover from it, but it has helped. “I” may remember the season in fragmented pieces, but another part of me feels validated and heard.

Somehow it works.

Just a curious question.

I have something that I want to talk about tomorrow, in session. It’s major to me and I’m not really sure what it’s going to do to me. I’m pretty sure it’s not going to be “me” bringing this out.

In a way, it’s kind of comforting to know that there is a part of me strong enough to do this for me, when I don’t know that I could.

When I woke up this morning it was the first thing on my mind and I’m kind of wrestling with it today.

It feels like this is the biggest thing that has wanted to be brought out. I’ve experienced an unburdening from the other things as they have been heard by someone else.

I guess what I’m wrestling with is the fear of the level of dissociation that could happen.

My counselor is pretty clued into me and can see it sometimes, but I’m an expert at hiding it.

I guess I’m just curious what other T do in this type of situation with dissociation.

Sorry so long.

I did ramble a bit.

Thank you for hearing me!

[Lemoncake]

I tend to do this in sessions sometimes. He doesn't stop completely, but if he notices he asks if I'm still with him. Grounding does help.

[zoiecat]

I have DID so if one of my other parts come out and start talking to him he will let them talk. Sometimes when he's done talking with them he'll ask to speak to me again.

If I just dissociate in general and not necessarily switch he sometimes will notice and ask me how present I am. If I'm pretty far out there he will take the time to ground me bring me back. If we are doing EMDR and I'm more than 20% not present he will definitely stop because he said EMDR processing does not work if I'm dissociated.

He also though suggested that I tape my sessions and I have been doing that for about the past 6 months. He knows I go in and out of dissociation and I don't really hear or remember a lot of things he says so sometimes if he's saying something really important he'll ask me to be sure I'm recording. Recording sessions really helps.

[Glittering]

My T is getting better at spotting when I'm starting to dissociate and will try to ground me before it goes too far. She asks me to tell her if I think I'm starting to slip away, but usually I can't manage it. If she notices she will ask me if I'm still here, try changing subjects to something lighthearted...sometimes switching topics quickly can pull me back, sometimes not. She lets me know it's ok to not talk, that we can just be there together, that I can lie down and sleep if I need to, is there anything I need from her etc. She would never stop the session, I think she's all about letting me know it's ok to be me, whatever state I'm currently in.

Would it help you to let your T know you're afraid of dissociating heavily before you bring the difficult subject up? So they can be prepared to help you in the way that you need? Hope your session goes well.

[nottrustin]

When I dissosiate I completely shut down. Both T's will work to bring me back. Then we discuss what was going on right before I dissosiated.

[growlycat]

This past session I was feeling dissociative even though that is rare for me. T asked me if I wanted to do a grounding exercise but in the moment I felt it was more important to keep talking. I didn’t have access to feelings until he hugged me and I burst into tears. The hug may have had the grounding I needed to get back access to emotions.

Maybe let things unfold in a way that feels right in the moment? I find grounding great when a session is ending but I don’t like interrupting the natural flow of things in the middle of session, personally.

When I dissociate t has really started to notice. I completely shut down and freeze. T has tried so many times to stop it before it happens. Sometimes this works, other times it doesn’t. She asks me what is going on for me and to try and describe it but most of the time it’s too late, I can’t talk. She has tried the can’t talk or won’t talk approach but that just annoys me and I will refuse to talk!
Lately she tries to change the subject to something lighter before I completely shut down which helps.

[junkDNA]

Yes he helps to bring me back . We used to go on walks a lot because in the beginning I spent the whole time dissociated in his office. I would sit there 85% of the time with my eyes closed . My t would say I was hypnotizing myself. So we started walking and discovered it prevents it. Well also stop and play a game or totally change the subject . I used to have a hard time "coming back", but I have gotten quicker on it

[DP_2017]

Originally Posted by junkDNA

Yes he helps to bring me back . We used to go on walks a lot because in the beginning I spent the whole time dissociated in his office. I would sit there 85% of the time with my eyes closed . My t would say I was hypnotizing myself. So we started walking and discovered it prevents it. Well also stop and play a game or totally change the subject . I used to have a hard time "coming back", but I have gotten quicker on it

Walks are a blessing for me as well... more so for me because I get incredibly anxious just sitting in there so walking is more relaxing for me. Sucks when winter weather makes it hard to walk for some lessons

We never played games, cool idea... we always laugh and change the subject though, sometimes I don't feel like I get much "Work" done

[nottrustin]

One of the things we found works for me is she hands me a pen and a piece of paper to scribble on.

[ruh roh]

Mine just lets it ride, unless it becomes a safety issue with breaking things/hitting or I get sick. If the later, then it's the standard calming down and grounding rigmarole. But usually, there's no need for that. Everyone needs their time, and as long as I'm in driving condition when I leave, it's fine. If I'm not, she just tells me to go for a walk or something as she sends me off.

I don't usually put it together when it's happening, and I would not have many sessions if we had to stop every time. Nothing would ever get done.

[fille_folle]

My T doesn't stop sessions when I dissociate. She talks to whatever part that's taken over or helps me ground myself by changing the subject.

[Amyjay]

My T doesn't intervene when I switch, she just carries on talking to whatever part is there. Sometimes she might ask why it happened. She does stop the conversation and focus on grounding skills if any part that is up front and present dissociates into flashback or a flag or freeze trauma response. As long as whatever part is up front is grounded and present its fine.

[TrailRunner14]

Thank you for replies to my post.

Forgive me for not replying to each one. I’m not in a good place right now.

Each post helped me and encouraged me.

I’m going to go forward with confidence tomorrow and I will trust that what needs to be said will have a voice and be heard by the one that wants it voiced.

I really wish I could walk outside and talk about it. I feel so much better outside in nature than in a chair. It will be dark so that wouldn’t even be an option for me.

I do think I’ll take my sketch book and just have it there. The paper and pen has been an outlet before.

Maybe I’ll email him and let him know that things are not really solid right now.

I don’t know why this is scaring me so bad.

Well.

I really do.

I don’t want to get on that train that I can’t get off of when I want to.

That’s the worst!!

It’s the rabbit hole that takes so very much to recover from.

There ya go.

I don’t want to go there.

Thank you again for hearing me! Your replies meant much to me!

[MoxieDoxie]

My ex-T would toss pillows at me that I had to toss back and forth. Then I had to answer questions like how many pictures were on the wall or how many lamps were in the room or read him the titles of books on the shelf.