Ditto the learned Draggers.

I get exhausted in sessions and afterwards. I think this is partly due to concentration and a surge of adrenaline from any painful disclosure work, but also partly dissociation from the reality. I fall asleep very easily when triggered and sometimes can fall asleep in sessions too Not good.

Trouble with me is that I still don't sleep at night, so can't even count on the triggering to give me a decent nights sleep.

Interesting thread,
thanks (((Jane)))

starfishy

Hi Jane
Ditto as well, not great when you need to go back to work after session or get on with anything else afterwards. It seems to be worse for me when processing triggers or trauma memories, which then makes dissociation worse.
I know that I want to go to bed feeling very well
(((Jane)))

Ditto what DF and Starfish said.

I typically come home after therapy and need quiet and rest and often will take a nap. It doesn't happen all of the time, but if I've had an intense session then it does.

(((Jane)))

quote:

Originally posted by deepfried:
...about 2hrs post session I can barely stay awake and need a 2-4 hour "nap"...it's been like that since I started. I still can't sleep at traditional bed time but I think that has very little to do with my therapy because I've always had insomnia.

Exactly the same for me. Therapy sucks up a large chunk of my energy and I'm already running low to start. Even the times when the session doesn't seem too heavy, I come home and need a many-hours nap.

I can repeat word for word what Hemlock said above.

Once, I went to the supermarket afterward and walked around like a zombie. I had sensory bombardment where I heard every noise, the lights flickering affected me and most of all - I could smell the perfume of my therapist as every person walked by. I felt assaulted by the world and felt like i was floating around.

Now i try to sit in my car for an extended time to settle and I make sure I do very little afterwards. I am not safe after any session.

I really try to schedule my appointments after work because my brain is fryed after my session. Then I go and eat comfort food and sleep for as long as I can. I'm glad to know others do the same thing.

Preppy

Yes, I find that sleepiness and dissociation are heavily linked for me and both are pretty intense after both my office (late in the evening) and phone sessions (which are in the morning). Usually if I sleep, dissociation decreases along with the rest, but sometimes I have a "therapy hangover" with tons of derealization and depersonalization the next day. I also frequently sit in my car for a while before driving home after my office sessions to get my head together...but it's not like before where I thought I was going to lose it completely. Now, it's more about knowing I will be safe and focused enough to drive home. I am really sensitive to touch after therapy.

H wanted to be held (as usual) before I move out of the bed last night and it was right after I got home from therapy. He touched my back and I almost jumped out of my skin. I agree, it's like a complete overload of sorts. Kind of reminds me of when I was in labor and he was trying to be reassuring by rubbing and petting me and I had to yell at him to stop, because it was just too much for me to deal with...

Hi - wow, so glad to know I'm not alone in this. I've beem dealing w a lot of this week. I'm really zapped. Fried. Every sound is painful. I get the sensory overload effect too. It makes me even more exhausted. I guess my rewiring through therapy can be draining... the stuff that helped me end up like this was exhausting... I guess it makes sense that being rewired again is exhausting and disorienting too...

I never really did the processing you guys do with my T, cause I don't have a lot of invasive memories or anything- but I remember distinctly the sensation of being sooooo sleepy in response to...what? I have no idea. It happened at times with my SD too. Like instantly- just a very strong desire to fall asleep. strange.

I also have the supermarket zombie disease. haha, I avoid shopping because it is inevitable, and my H won't even *let* me go in alone anymore, because I will be found wandering the aisles like...three hours later, seriously, with a strange jumble of items in the cart that I *seriously need* like car oil, pretty t-shirts, javex and...a huge bag of peanuts..throw in a couple of lawnchairs and some candleholders for good measure

I hope that you can get some rest, dear jd.


hugs,

BB