Seems I did forget one thing I do sometimes, not just for dissociation but for other stressors that seem to threaten my equilibrium.
Call it a mantra or something like it. It's at least short and easy to remember when needed. Let's say I might sense some threat or imminent trigger arising, I repeat to myself (silently), on each intake of breath -- the word "Peace"; and on the outtake the word "Love" (or I switch the order, but get those two words going in my mind. That can settle me down, when I feel I might be on the edge of dissociating 'out of the zone', as it were.
Anyway, that's one thing that I've found lessens my overwhelm. I still might dissociate, but the mantra, said silently to myself, seems to lessen the entire plunge into anything truly hurtul to myself in the moment.
Call it a mantra or something like it. It's at least short and easy to remember when needed. Let's say I might sense some threat or imminent trigger arising, I repeat to myself (silently), on each intake of breath -- the word "Peace"; and on the outtake the word "Love" (or I switch the order, but get those two words going in my mind. That can settle me down, when I feel I might be on the edge of dissociating 'out of the zone', as it were.
Anyway, that's one thing that I've found lessens my overwhelm. I still might dissociate, but the mantra, said silently to myself, seems to lessen the entire plunge into anything truly hurtul to myself in the moment.