Home Conditions 10 Tips for Living With Dissociative Disorders

10 Tips for Living With Dissociative Disorders

Modified date: October 3, 2024

Living with a Dissociative Disorder can be very challenging, not only for the person with the condition, but also for those around them.

However, there are certain things that you can do when living with a dissociative disorder, which can hopefully help you to cope with the condition.

There are three different types of dissociative disorders. However, these conditions can be managed in similar ways, as discussed below.

Dissociative Disorders can be challenging to live with

1. Keep a diary

One useful thing that helps – especially with Dissociative Identity Disorder – is to keep a diary. By keeping a diary, this can help you with any future episodes of dissociation.

Moreover, if in the future you have gaps in your memory, a diary can help to fill those gaps. Similarly, if you have multiple personality states, then a diary can help to monitor the situation.

2. Have a quiet place to visit

We recommend designating yourself a quiet place where you can go to reflect when you need to. This could be a quiet path, a bench somewhere, or just anywhere that you can be alone with your thoughts.

You will be able to think clearly, especially when undergoing dissociation. If you have multiple personality states then you can try to get them all to agree on a place where they can talk together.

3. Help yourself to stay in the moment

If you know that you suffer from dissociation, or have amnesia, it is important to be prepared. Small things like wearing a watch – to help with the time and date – can help.

Grounding techniques can help to keep someone connected in the present moment, and can help to keep unhelpful thoughts at bay.

4. Try talking therapy

Talking therapy is the main treatment for dissociative disorders. There are many ways that talking therapy can help you with your struggles.

You can see how to access talking therapy for mental health here. There are a range of types of therapy, with trauma-based therapy formats often used for dissociative disorders.

5. Engage with your therapist

It is important that if you do seek help from a therapist, that you are as open as possible with them about your experiences and any past trauma you’ve had.

Omitting facts or experiences can impact the chances of success of therapy. We have an article that looks at how to get the most out of talking therapy.

6. Educate yourself on the condition

A useful thing that you can do is to educate yourself on your condition. Learning more about it can help you to understand more about your condition.

Our website has plenty of information about dissociative disorders. You can see our dissociative disorders section here [cons].

7. Exercise, and eat and drink healthily

There are several minor things that you can do which can help your mental health. These include sleeping well, eating healthily and avoiding alcohol wherever possible.

Many people find that regular exercise helps their mental health. This is the same for those with dissociative disorders.

8. See people

One of the worst things that you can do when experiencing dissociation is to keep yourself away from others. While this can be tempting, it can cause problems.

Therefore, try to see others if possible. This could be friends, family members, or even just strangers while out walking!

9. Join a support group

Knowing that you aren’t alone and that others are experiencing things similar to you can be helpful. Therefore, you could join a support group for dissociative disorders.

One of the best-known support networks is Multiplied by One – a non-profit organisation that aids those with trauma and dissociative disorders. You can find out more about them on their website here.

10. Don’t give up!

It isn’t easy to live with a dissociative disorder, but make sure you don’t give up! Keep on fighting – recovery is possible, and you can get there!

Be active in treatment, try to keep your spirits high and remain patient – things will hopefully improve for you!