Exploring Your Dissociative Responses
It’s time to cultivate your safe emergence from your paralysis and immobility that was your protective defense. Although it makes sense; it doesn’t serve you anymore.You can let it go using your tools from your calming box.
Keep building your sustainable platform of calm and contentment.
It’s difficult to resolve your trauma when feeling disconnected from your body, feels ‘normal’. However, when you are prevented from reconnecting to your body, it’s overwhelming and the trauma is not resolved.
Your path to contentment is to make your beautiful body a safe place again so your conscience can fully return to it safely. You want to feel alive everyday, you want to feel full of hope, you want to be able to go through the tough things life throws at us. And, to be able to have sustainable relationships where you grow together and are able to regulate yourself.
It takes extra energy to keep you disconnected, whether that happened as a child, in your affirmative years, or as an adult. Whether that was one shock trauma, or trauma from neglect and abuse in your formative years, creating layers
The relentless pursuit to control unbearable feelings, sensations and emotions outside of your conscious awareness leaves you feeling drained. In healing from your trauma you can reconnect to your life again. Perhaps, even for the first time in your life to really feel.To feel safe to relax into your full vitality, your energy and your contentment.
Here are questions to consider when exploring your dissociative responses to reflect upon gently. Perhaps, using your journal to record and learn how your responses change or stay the same. Not being attached to any outcome. Getting to know yourself:
Exercise~Exploring Your Dissociative Responses:
I tend to dissociate when _______________________
Dissociation feels like __________________________
Do you withdraw rather than engaging with others in certain situations? For example, in intimate, conflicting, social or emotional situations, you may find yourself wanting to be alone or withdraw to your mini tv. Rather than socializing with friends or colleagues you isolate yourself even though you would like to feel connected and be more social.
Describe any similar scenarios you can recall.
__________________________________________
I revert to intellectual mode to avoid feeling when ______________
I find myself zoning out when __________________
Remember the paralysis and shut down response uses a large amount of your energy and unexpressed emotions, often anger and rage wil l leave you exhausted.
Reclaim your lifeline by continuing to explore your dissociative responses. Make friends with them and keep going. Your contentment is worth everything even if it doesn’t feel like it comes immediately, eventually you will shift. It always feels better to keep going and keep trying. Think of it as a hug for yourself. Self soothing and taking care of you on your own terms.You can do it!