Posted by Rzip on October 31, 2000, at 20:54:35
In reply to BPD, posted by coral on October 31, 2000, at 20:08:47
> Dear Judy,
I have experienced dissociative states as you described. Four techniques have TEMPORARILY helped:
(I call it shocking the whole system-- Body and Mind):
1) A very loud timer, set at 10 minute intervals (depend on the intensity of your state of mind) definitely helps me to bring me to reality for that split second to reset it. But every time you touch the timer, you have to consciously bring yourself back to reality. Try very very hard, focus.
* Also hide the timer in different places in your house so that when it goes off, you have to be annoyed enough to search for it. During that interim of searching, you want to focus on finding the timer in the real world. Focus on bring yourself back is the key.2) Coupled with the timer is to take a icy cold/boiling hot shower. When you find your personality slipping away, make an effort to head to the shower. Turn the icy COLD full blast (don't touch the hot handle). Step into the shower, you should physically feel a tremor descent from the top of your head, down the back of your spine. Absorb the coldness, stand under the shower until you feel your body adjust to it. Then, turn off the cold handle such that there is no water from the shower head. Let your body feel the uncomfortness for a couple of seconds (or step out of the shower). Then turn on the hot handle full blast (no cold water) and step back in. Again, let your body be physically "shocked". Tremor. Thirdly, step out of the shower for the 2nd time. Adjust the Hot/Cold handles to a warm-comfortable temperature and let your body get normalized.
* This technique works very well for me. However, I think it works because I usually take a warm temperatured shower. But the idea here is to physically shock your body and mind.
3) Physically mimic the anxiety and confusion going on in your mind. To do this, sit down at a NOT SO comfortable hard-back seat and physically tap your left or right knee (only one of the two) up and down in a nervous gesture.
* Here you want to act out the internal tumorial. This could be coupled with the next step...
4) While the muscles in your knee is going up and down...sent out a babbling dissociative e-mail to PB.
* The e-mail is a mechanism to act out your mind. Just babble over the net.
The above four steps has worked well for me in numerous times. The most recent one this morning. The key is that you always want to be CONSCIOUSLY PHYSICALLY OCCUPIED.
For me, the dissociative states occur at dawn (two or three consecutive mornings now), how about you?
Hope the above helps,
Rzip
poster:Rzip
thread:1887
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20001031/msgs/1903.html