Dissociation: Five Grounding Techniques to Bring You Back Into the Present
Your body and brain are constantly fighting to keep you safe. Unfortunately, sometimes the tactics they use aren’t the best for long-term mental health. This is especially true for dissociation. Your brain might dissociate to protect you during a traumatic event or simply because you’ve never learned how to process your emotions. Whatever the cause may be, it can be hard to bring yourself back to the real world. Next time you recognize that you’re dissociating, try these grounding techniques to reconnect with yourself.
What is Dissociation?
Put simply, dissociation is one way for the mind to cope when it’s under too much stress. Instead of staying in the present moment, you disconnect from your feelings, thoughts, memories, and surroundings.
Everyone experiences dissociation differently, but people often report the following:
● Feeling like a different person
● Feeling detached or numb
● Having an out-of-body experience
● Feeling little or no pain
● Feeling light-headed
● Having a racing or pounding heart
● Struggling to remember certain parts of your life or personal information
● Seeing the world as foggy or unreal
Grounding Techniques for Dissociation
It’s important to note that, especially for more severe dissociation, it’s always best to seek the help of a therapist. They can help you work through trauma in a healthy, safe environment. With that said, grounding techniques can help you connect to the present by using your five senses. This can help you avoid intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, memories, and feelings that you’re not ready to cope with yet.
1. Breathing Exercises
Zero in on the breath. Try to slow your breath down, and think “in” and “out” with each inhalation and exhalation. Notice your chest and stomach expanding and contracting. Try breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. Next, try breathing in for a count of 5 seconds, holding for 1 second, then breathing out for a count of 5.
2. Movement
Get out of your head and literally feel your body with physical movement. Go for a walk and focus on each footstep. Notice how your legs feel. Notice your arms swinging. If you’re struggling to concentrate, count your steps. You can also put on some music and dance freely - again, notice how your arms, feet, legs, and hands feel as you move around.
3. Put Your Hands in Water
Put your hands in a sink full of water or run them under a tap. How does the water feel? What temperature is it? Does it feel different on your palms than your fingertips? Try changing the water temperature and noticing how it feels as the water goes from cold to warm and back again.
4. Listen to the Sounds Around You
Wherever you are, stop and really think about what you hear. Are there birds singing? Cars driving by? People talking? Is there any music? Even if it’s silent, can you hear the sound of air coming through the vent in the wall or the hum of an appliance in the kitchen? Take stock of every sound you hear.
5. Describe Your Surroundings
Make a detailed list of where you are using an anchoring phrase. This usually starts with your basic personal information. For example, “I’m Jane Doe. I was born on 12/12/1980. Today is Friday, May 5th.” And so on. You can also add details of where you are. “I’m sitting in my bed, which is in the corner of my room, in the back of my house. The house is on 5th Avenue. I can hear my neighbor’s dogs barking in the backyard to my left.” You can continue to add details until you feel calm and centered.
Grounding techniques are powerful tools that can help you stay present and avoid dissociating. While they’re great to use in the moment, they don’t address the underlying issue that’s causing your distress. If you’re ready to take the next step on your healing journey, don’t hesitate to schedule a session with me. I’m here for you.
Resources:
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/dissociation-overview
Dr. Zairys Feliz, Ph.D., LCSW is a clinical psychotherapist. Zairys provides individual, couples and sex therapy using evidence-based approaches. She specializes in treating individuals and couples who have relationship or sexual concerns. Read full bio