Emergency Plan for Dissociation
(This is my personal emergency plan that I made in therapy but I think you could adapt it for yourself!)
If I experience:
not feeling like i am real or my environment is real
sensory disturbances, mis-sensations, time slowing down or speeding up, visual distortions, not being able to register physical sensations
feeling physically separated from my body or my environment
Then I Will:
First level: by myself
breathing exercises, count my breath, change the lengths of my breaths
name 5 things i can see, 5 things i can hear, 5 things i can feel - then 4 things each, then 3, 2, 1
grounding exercise, stand on the ground and feel it connect to my feet, walk around, change speeds, jump, feel how this affects my body
Second level: using tools
use tactile stims like fidget toys
touch rough and uneven surfaces
pain stimuli that aren’t dangerous, such as pressing a ball with spikes
warmth or cold, like a heating pad or ice cube
strong taste/mouth sensations, like lemon juice (sour), angostura (bitter) or chili (hot)
pet and play with my cat!!
Third level: reaching out
if someone i trust is around, either talk to them or, if nonverbal, touch them/write a note
write a text or chat message to someone i trust
call someone i trust or ask for a call - this can also be my therapist
if no trusted person is available to call, i can 1) call a self help hotline and ask them “I don’t feel good, can I talk to you?”, or 2) call a local store/doctor’s office etc. and ask them for their service hours so i can get a human feedback and feel more real
Level four: emergency
if i am alone and scared and have nobody to reach out to and need psychological/medical attention, i call an emergency physician or ambulance
