Posted by Craig on April 4, 1999, at 3:26:49
In reply to Anxiety vs Dissociation, posted by Elaine on April 3, 1999, at 20:58:44
I was treated for a dissociative disorder for many
years and have had some frightening experiences
while driving. These were not panic attacks and I
wasn't even anxious before these episodes occurred.
Basically I would begin to float out of my body,
which is quite terrifying while you're driving on
I-94 at 60 MPH. (Fortunately, this happened most
often at 4 AM while few cars are on the road.) In
my attempts to "stay here" I would shout, "STOP IT"
over and over while pulling off to the shoulder of
the road. If you're into analyzing these kinds of
things, I could probably list a few reasons why it
might happen.... but I never found an answer that
made me feel would prevent these episodes. For me,
not driving on the freeway seemed like the simplest
and safest solution for everybody.While there are times when anxiety provokes
dissociation, it also happens to me in "happy"
situations such as when I'm playing with my nephew.
If this also happens to you, maybe you could
compare and contrast it to how you feel when
anxious. Unless you have evidence to the contrary,
don't be afraid of yourself just because you have
the ability to dissociate. Trust your own instincts
and you'll be further ahead than if you trust the
psychobabble of therapists about DID. I've been
there and it just wasn't worth the agony. Ask
the former patients of Chicago's dissociation guru
Dr. Bennett Braun (and yes, I was one of them)if
they thought their treatment for DID was worth it.
In my opinion, the way to watch your life unravel
is to listen to someone say they know how to
"integrate" you.Sorry for going off on a tangent. Maybe your
circumstances are much different and nothing I've
said is applicable. If there's something else
you'd like me to elaborate on, feel free to ask.
poster:Craig
thread:4377
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990401/msgs/4381.html