Hey guys, one big reason I used to drink was to help with dissociation. I don’t necessarily feel depressed, just detached from everything and then I start to feel depressed because it’s hard to enjoy things and connect with people. It’s kind of hard to explain. Does anyone have any tips on how to deal with this?
Thanks in advance!
Are there any hobbies or interests that can be done alone that you enjoy?
I also have used dissociation to deal with my life but I have managed to turn that around in recovery. For me it started with simple mindfulness exercises, for example when I handwash dishes I pay attention to the sensations of the water on my hands, the slipperiness of the soap, the texture of the bubbles. The more you practice being in your body the easier it becomes and eventually you will be doing it automatically. I have done a lot of therapy to help with this as its one of the symptoms I walked away with after years of abuse. (From self and others)
I had to learn that it was safe to be in my body, and that took some time. I had to learn to trust myself and once I could trust myself whenever I would start to dissociate I could call myself back and stay. This journey we are on, it can take some time to get to the places we want to but the most important thing is that you keep putting the work in even when you arent seeing the change. Eventually one day I was like, " Omg, I feel safe in my body." and I cant quite describe what an impact that has had on my relationship with self, others and well with everything.
So first of all practice being present in your body. Have a dance party to some fun music and feel all the bones in your feet touching the floor as you dance. Chew some ice and listen to the crunching in your ears, feel the piercing cold against your tongue. Do some jumping jacks and then stop and listen to your heartbeat, feel it in your chest cavity. These are all easy ways to be present in our bodies. From there you can go for a walk and start to move your sensations from inside your body to outside your body. Feel the wind touching your skin, smell the rain. Mindfulness moves into meditation and that is when the major healing started for me.
There are a bunch of us that use an app called insight timer. There are mindfulness exercises on that app. I will link the meditation thread below so you can join us. It takes some work, but its very worth the effort to feel comfortable in your own skin.
Meditation for Serenity 2023! (tips, tricks & discussion/ 2 years running woot!)
This is really beautiful Stella and such a thoughtful reply. Good one to bookmark for myself. 
When I feel this way it’s hard for me to even engage in my hobbies. Like I’m almost on auto pilot when I do them.
Thank you! I will definitely look into this app. I struggle a lot with meditation. I have adhd so my mind wanders a lot and if it’s not that then I just fall asleep 
but I’ve been trying to get into it for years.
I recently started getting tattoos and I never thought of it but I think it might be part of this. It brings me back to my body and gives me a way to express myself. I think it’s just hard being comfortable in my body after years of people taking that comfort away from me.
Me too, severe infact, and I am here to give you some hope. We can learn. Meditation is a practice, it takes time, an openmind, willingness to try and an insatiable desire for peace of mind.
I can really relate to the tattoos, I am covered!!!
Thank you for your help! I hope I’m able to learn sooner rather than later but I know everything is a process and the process is just as important as the outcome. Just wish it didn’t feel like every time I get one step forward I get kicked back another few.