Coping with Dissociation
Since we’ve been talking so much about dissociation, what it is, and how we work with it, I also want to spend some time on talking about how to cope with dissociation.
These suggestions are not specific to coping with dissociation when it’s occurring. These suggestions are for how to reduce the things in life that make use of dissociation less likely to be needed.
Work on getting sufficient sleep. The more tired we are, the less mental energy we have to deal with daily stressors. You don’t need to do this perfectly; every little bit of improvement is a step in the right direction.
Things that help with better sleep include:
· Get to bed at a regular time
· Don’t mindlessly scroll
· Work on a nightly routine leading up to bed time
· Set a reminder to take sleep meds
· Set up your space so that you feel safe enough to sleep
· Make your space comfortable to fall asleep in
Do your best to eat regularly & healthfully, whatever that looks like for you. Depriving our bodies and brains of sufficient fuel can make everything more difficult.
Alcohol and other substance use can trigger dissociation, whether due to the direct effects or indirectly due to putting ourselves in vulnerable situations and/or lowering our psychological defenses. Work on learning and using other strategies for coping or managing life.
Get outside, connect with the natural environment and animals.
Get your body moving and engaging in activities that connect you to your body are great if that is doable – yoga, surfing, pickleball, dance, whatever works for you.
To whatever extent you can, reduce the stressors in your day-to-day life. It sometimes feels like the world is a dumpster fire, so to the extent that you can reduce how much you are exposed to the full dumpster fire. Often this might be limiting news and social media content if it’s triggering. Prioritize your peace in any small or big way you can.
Keep in mind that these self-care suggestions are very general & it’s okay if they don’t fit for you, or your situation and needs.
