Hey, I went to therapy yesterday and I learned some things.

I know not everyone can afford therapy or find good therapists, so I like to share what I learn in case it helps you.

My therapist says he’s seen more people for dissociation since March than in all 6 of his previous years of practice combined.

Dissociation is one way that we cope with too much stress. You may feel disconnected from your body, your thoughts, your surroundings.

You make your world smaller, maybe you focus on just work and then watch TV/play on your phone until it’s time to go to bed, so you can wake up and do it all again.

Maybe you’re not sure how you feel about something. Maybe everything just feels a little fuzzy.

Maybe you haven’t cried in a while (if you’re a crier and that normally makes you feel better).

He noticed it in my voice first. He mentioned a few times that I sounded flat and not like myself. That changed once I started crying.

The prescription is more life-stuff. Don’t overwhelm yourself with decisions or a special fancy plan. Just more than what you’re doing now.

Go outside, pick a direction and walk.

Dance around for a few minutes.

Sing in the shower.

Read a book, or reread a book you love.

Maybe try to take stock of what the signs are that you’re dissociating. Not communicating/reaching out to friends, not laughing/not crying, not having anything to talk about except work - these are some of mine, yours might look different.

For me, at this point, we’re not exploring a diagnosis or anything. It’s a coping mechanism. I’ll be seeing my therapist more often and I’ll be doing “more life things” when I can.

But unchecked and untreated it can get worse and become more serious.

Do more life-things friends. If you can, when you can.

P.S. My ADHD brain also felt/feels like I was/am in some kind of months-long half-hyper-focus and maybe this is okay because I’m quite functional in this state?

So just a heads up to ADHD brain friends: work performance can’t be your only measuring stick.