Training Coping Skills So They Work Under Stress
The problem: when you know your skills but can’t use them Many trauma survivors have experienced knowing coping skills but not being able to access or remember them when needed.…
Contents of Why Slowing Down Can Help Trauma Healing Move Forward
Why Slowing Down Can Help Trauma Healing Move Forward How to respond to overwhelm and internal conflict in ways that prioritize safety, stability, and capacity. Core Concepts: Monitoring for Safety…
Why Are Skills Easier to Use Under Stress When Practiced?
Skills often become more effective with practice. That’s why it helps to practice a skill over time before deciding it doesn’t work for you. Practice has a second benefit. When…
When Is the Best Time to Use Skills in DID?
The earlier in a situation you’re able to use skills or strategies, the more likely they are to help. As distress increases, the nervous system has less ability to use…
Why Do Gentle Routines Help Improve Functioning in DID?
Routines can improve how your system functions because they reduce uncertainty. Predictable patterns help parts of the system know what to expect, which can make situations feel more manageable. When…
What Should I Avoid to Improve System Functioning?
Sometimes, it’s what you don’t do that has the greatest impact on how your system functions. Certain patterns can increase stress, internal conflict, or dysregulation, even when they are intended…
How Do I Make Decisions When I Feel Dysregulated?
When you are dysregulated, decision-making is often not the most helpful place to focus. Dysregulation can affect your ability to think clearly, weigh options, and access your usual skills. Decisions…
Why Is It Okay to Pause Instead of Pushing Through?
You may have been taught to push through problems: “Try harder.” When you feel overwhelmed, your instinct may be to do the same. But in the case of overwhelm, pushing…
What Should I Do When Part of Me Wants to Push Forward and Part Of Me Wants to Slow Down?
Being caught between two different desires about how to proceed can be difficult. In dissociative systems, this often means that more than one part has a different goal. It can…
Why Is “Doing Less” Sometimes the Safer Choice?
There are two situations when “doing less” can help you move forward more effectively. The first is when parts of your system are opposing an action. Often, it is the…