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1. Dissociation received the most votes for the first deeper dive on a trauma symptom. This is going to be bit of a long thread b/c dissociation can look a number of ways. This thread breaks down what it is. #seattleprotests #SeattleProtest
2. First, there is dissociation and there is Dissociative Identity Disorder. I will be focusing on dissociation as a spectrum of symptoms that can be experienced outside of a DID diagnosis. Anyone w/ DID experiences dissociation, few people w/ dissociation have DID.
3. Who is likely to experience high levels of dissociation? If we’ve had numerous traumatic events in our lives, intergenerational trauma, current trauma outside of protests, or experiencing recurrent traumatic events at protests puts us at higher risk.
4. You can still experience dissociation after one traumatic event but those with complex trauma histories are more likely to notice it. Why? Our brains need a fucking break and try to protect us from the intensity.
5. Dissociation is basically the brain’s way of saying “I’ve have enough of this shit” and checking out. Kind thing for our brain to want to help, but it usually isn’t occurring on our terms. Meaning it starts happening when we don’t want it to.
6. Dissociation is on a spectrum, meaning it can vary in intensity & frequency quite a bit in one person. Sometimes it happens a lot, sometimes a little, sometimes it’s really intense, others it can be minor and doesn’t interfere w/ your daily life.
7. Dissociation can cause a number of symptoms so let’s get into it: Memory loss- sometimes significant periods of time are just gone. You may notice you can only recall parts of a traumatic event or the time leading up to or after that.
8. You may temporarily forget important information. Parts of your experiences may feel very disorganized or you can’t recall the order of events. This is part of how our brain tries to protect us by straight up erasing info.
9. Feeling like things aren’t real. Yep, this can make you feel like you’re really losing it. You’re not. When we undergo extreme stress or trauma it’s easier for the brain to feel like things aren’t real in order to navigate daily life. It’s like extreme compartmentalizing.
10. Feeling detached from your body or like you’re floating above it watching yourself or your life go by. This one can feel really scary. When our body experiences trauma our brains find a way to feel distant from it then the intense emotions tend to lessen.
11. If our mind feels detached from our body it provides some distance from the traumatic experience. If we feel far away from our body we won’t suffer as much. It can help us feel like it happened to our body but not to us. Hope that makes sense.
12. I know this is a lot. Remember having trauma symptoms after experiencing trauma is normal. You’re not broken. Feel free to DM me with questions about this topic or other protest related trauma questions. I will have a follow up thread on how to cope with dissociation.
Coping with dissociation a sub-thread: goal of these skills is to get you back into the present moment. Dissociation distances us from ourselves & reality. Sometimes we need that but we want to feel in control of when it happens. #seattleprotest #seattleprotests #pdxprotest
Name what’s around you quickly. For example: I’m outside, I see a big tree, I notice the grass, I see a person in a blue shirt, silver car, paper cup, etc. Go fast. This rapidly orients you to your surroundings. Use this in flashbacks or panic attacks too.
Use scent. Buy essential oils or carry a tea bag, cinnamon stick, or your fav perfume and smell it. Scent can be very grounding quickly. It activates a different part of your brain. Soothing the body is more effective than using logic to try and calm ourselves down.
Do a quick midnfulness practice. This is slower & more detailed than naming everything. Can be used during any activity. If I’m doing dishes: “I’m picking up the sponge, I feel the rough surface, I’m turning on the water, I notice the warmth of the water, I can smell the soap.”
If your mind wanders when you practice mindfulness, and it will, all you do is note that. I usually try saying something like “I notice I’m worrying” or “I see my mind wandering to what I have to do later” and then you gently bring your attention back to what you’re doing.
Find grounding in your breath. Use the midnfulness skill to talk through your breathing. Say “inhaling” over & over then “exhaling”. Count as you inhale and exhale. You can place a hand on your chest or belly and say “rising” and “falling” as you feel it.
If you need more feel free to DM me.