S2E33
“Dissociation is a big way that we keep from feeling the pain of whatever we’re about to experience when we’re caught <by a predator>. Dissociation is a normal defense mechanism that helps us cope during a traumatic event. And so it’s really natural to experience it when you’re in a natural disaster, an invasive medical procedure, or in a traumatic event- abuse of some kind. But it becomes problematic when the environment is no longer life threatening, when it’s no longer traumatic but our body is reacting as if it still is.”
-Elisabeth Kristof, Founder of NeuroSomatic Intelligence Coaching and Brain Based Wellness
Have you ever driven somewhere on autopilot or lost track of a conversation that you’re in the middle of with someone?
Have you lost childhood memories?
Do you experience body dysmorphia, inner critic or perfectionism?
Have you experienced body violations?
Do you struggle to feel pain- physical or emotional?
Do you engage in avoidance behaviors like scrolling social media, anxiety, numbing out after work or overeating?
If so, then we have Dissociation in common and you’re in the right place! We’re so glad you’re here to listen to our intimate discussion about Dissociation.
Dissociation is a protective and reflexive response that our body and nervous system use to keep us safe. It has a wide spectrum of ways that it can show up in your life. As you listen, please remember to hold yourself with grace and love and keep in mind that there’s nothing wrong with you for experiencing Dissociation.
We’ll be sharing our personal experiences with Dissociation in this episode along with the following highlights to give you a clear and deep understanding:
- Elisabeth explains what’s happening in our brain- specifically the thalamus and amygdala- when we move into Dissociation and how it affects our memories
- How Dissociation blocks our interoceptive system and the long term physical and emotional consequences
- Elisabeth uses a bike riding example to explain how the interoceptive systems works
- The relationship between the Freeze trauma response and Dissociation
- Jennifer shares her experience with body dysmorphia and we discuss how it’s connected to Dissociation
- How body dysmorphia and being in survival mode can lead to an abusive relationship with our body
- How you can reconnect to your body and healing using NeuroSomatic Intelligence tools like vagus nerve decompression, upregulating the sympathetic nervous system and intentional movements
- The importance of using minimum effective dose with nervous system tools
- The hierarchical role that the Visual System plays in body dysmorphia and Dissociation
- The coping strategy of the avoidant behavior of Intellectual Dissociation
Thank you for being part of this community and for listening to Trauma Rewired. We hope that this episode about Dissociation encourages you to safely reconnect with your body and heal your nervous system. We’re here to support you 100%.
We invite you to join our online community on the Brain-Based Wellness site. Sign up for a free 2 weeks on the site where we teach live 3 times a week by going to www.rewiretrial.com
Listen to more episodes of Trauma Rewired HERE
