when your friend/loved one is dissociating

bansheesvoices:

rosemuses:

how to tell if they are dissociating

- non-focused, “zoned out”
- doesnt reply to comments, or replies very half-heartedly
- eyes arent focused
- doesnt seem to notice anything going on around them
- repeats doing or saying the same things over and over
- forgets what they said or did, whether in the last few minutes or the last few days

things you can do to help

- get them to a quiet, calm place
- ask them very basic questions: “are you okay?” “how are you feeling?” “is there anything you need from me right now?”
- help them recount the events theyve forgotten, whether in the last few minutes or last few weeks
- walk them through what is going on, tell them, if you can, that you think that theyre dissociating
- if you can, keep an eye on them and look out for things they might miss, ie: crossing the street, accidentally bumping into something, receiving important information
- sometimes showing them funny stuff or having them read an article or something after doing the previous steps helps

keep in mind that i am not a doctor or professionally qualified to help with mental illness. i just wrote down a list of what i like to have people do when i dissociate. hope this helps someone!

@moriartys-butterfly thought you might be interested in this, because I think it is extremely useful!