System Speak: Complex Trauma and Dissociation

By Emma SunshawScience Social Sciences Health & Fitness Mental Health

System Speak: Complex Trauma and Dissociation episodes

March 21, 2019 Maladaptive
Sasha starts to process what she learned from Lynne Harris about functional and maladaptive dissociation, but she has a small flashback (not described in detail) and it throws her off track. She shares about missing the therapist, and how the system is coping over spring break without her. She explains about the upcoming Counter Conference, and Dr. E’s keynote and session presentations. Then she vents about us getting signed up into two group therapies. She shares about us starting the “Coping with Trauma Related Dissociation” workbook, and what that’s been like, as well as Dr. E reading “The Body Keeps Score”. Sasha snoops in the notebook, reading a note Dr. E wrote about our first time in foster care. She then reads a letter Molly wrote to Em regarding feeling crazy and regarding our experience of time (trigger warning for mention of God, family, marriage, and motherhood). Sasha shares about changes in the system as Emma becomes more present. She shares some of what she is learning from the group workbook, including how dissociation is not pathology. She explains how the book presents integration, and that it doesn’t mean one moment of one person in some kind of finality. She clarifies the difference between depersonalization and derealization, and explains what anchors have to do with grounding. No specific memories are discussed in depth in this episode.
49 min
March 20, 2019 Emma Stays
Emma shares an update that she is sleeping more, and not having as many nightmares. She also tells examples of being more present and more aware of her life. She gives an example of a simple mistake where she was able to deal with it instead of panicking or switching. She gives another example of being able to stay present on a run on a trail through the woods when some of the Littles wanted to play (some animals, including a snake, sited and referenced). She shares about being more aware of the others, too, and some of the times she has noticed them. She reflects on re-orienting to her physical body a decade later and post-cancer, and what that adjustment has been like recently. She shares how a simple walk outside is a big deal for her, and why it means therapy is working.
26 min
March 19, 2019 Guest: Lynne Harris, LPC
Dr. E interviews Lynne Harris about her perspective on treating trauma and dissociative disorders. They open with a discussion about being invoked in treating human trafficking, but no case studies are discussed in detail. Lynne shares how she explains dissociation to survivors, and how she normalizes it with them. She explains the difference between functional dissociation and maladaptive association. She explains how dissociation works in the brain, and the impact of this on the body itself. She explains the three stage model of treatment: safety and stabilization, metabolizing memories, and coming to terms with your post-traumatic self. Finally, she shares about sensorimotor skills as support for grounding and connection to the present moment in now time.
52 min
March 18, 2019 Guest: DissociaDID
We interview YouTube Content Creator DissociaDID.
Our website is HERE: System Speak Podcast and sponsoring nonprofit website is HERE: S3C Foundation.
You can submit an email to the podcast HERE.
You can JOIN THE COMMUNITY HERE. Once you have registered with the network, you will receive an invitation to orientation, and then can use a non-Apple device or non-safari browser to join groups HERE. Once you are set up, then the website and app work on any device just fine. We have peer check-in groups, an art group, recovery groups, social events, and classes. Additional zoom groups are optional, but only available by joining the groups. Join us!
Content Note: Content on this website and in the podcasts is assumed to be trauma and/or dissociative related due to the nature of what is being shared here in general. Content descriptors are generally given in each episode. Specific trigger warnings are not given due to research reporting this makes triggers worse. Please use appropriate self-care and your own safety plan while exploring this website and during your listening experience. Natural pauses due to dissociation have not been edited out of the podcast, and have been left for authenticity. While some professional material may be referenced for educational purposes, Emma is not your therapist nor offering professional advice. Any informational material shared or referenced is simply part of our own learning process, and not guaranteed to be the latest research or best method for you. Please contact your therapist or nearest emergency room in case of any emergency. This website does not provide any medical, mental health, or social support services.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
46 min
March 16, 2019 Maladaptive
We share what we are learning about each other and dissociation.
Our website is HERE: System Speak Podcast and sponsoring nonprofit website is HERE: S3C Foundation.
You can submit an email to the podcast HERE.
You can JOIN THE COMMUNITY HERE. Once you have registered with the network, you will receive an invitation to orientation, and then can use a non-Apple device or non-safari browser to join groups HERE. Once you are set up, then the website and app work on any device just fine. We have peer check-in groups, an art group, recovery groups, social events, and classes. Additional zoom groups are optional, but only available by joining the groups. Join us!
Content Note: Content on this website and in the podcasts is assumed to be trauma and/or dissociative related due to the nature of what is being shared here in general. Content descriptors are generally given in each episode. Specific trigger warnings are not given due to research reporting this makes triggers worse. Please use appropriate self-care and your own safety plan while exploring this website and during your listening experience. Natural pauses due to dissociation have not been edited out of the podcast, and have been left for authenticity. While some professional material may be referenced for educational purposes, Emma is not your therapist nor offering professional advice. Any informational material shared or referenced is simply part of our own learning process, and not guaranteed to be the latest research or best method for you. Please contact your therapist or nearest emergency room in case of any emergency. This website does not provide any medical, mental health, or social support services.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
47 min
March 14, 2019 Meghan’s Rainbow
Sasha’s friend Meghan chats with us about her experience getting diagnosed with DID. She also shares how she told her husband, and how they shared the diagnosis with their children. Meghan explains “co-consciousness” to Sasha with a car metaphor, and they both share what those experiences have been like. They discuss insights from therapy, and ways that help them retain that progress between sessions. They share about what it’s like to have been through such hard experiences, but end up with really good husbands! They also share about what it’s like to finally be with good therapists, and they give some examples of how their therapists support them during disclosures and switching. They also discuss the disorienting experience of dissociation, and how that’s impacted by co-consciousness. Meghan also shares her experience with EMDR, and they discuss the benefits of imagery. They explore the impact of friendship with others who understand, and spew the sap before wrapping things up. No abuse memories or disclosures are made this episode, other than one short reference to a bad therapist experience (therapist preferred some alters over others).
1 hr 1 min
March 14, 2019 Emma Stays
Emma learns to stay.
Our website is HERE: System Speak Podcast and sponsoring nonprofit website is HERE: S3C Foundation.
You can submit an email to the podcast HERE.
You can JOIN THE COMMUNITY HERE. Once you have registered with the network, you will receive an invitation to orientation, and then can use a non-Apple device or non-safari browser to join groups HERE. Once you are set up, then the website and app work on any device just fine. We have peer check-in groups, an art group, recovery groups, social events, and classes. Additional zoom groups are optional, but only available by joining the groups. Join us!
Content Note: Content on this website and in the podcasts is assumed to be trauma and/or dissociative related due to the nature of what is being shared here in general. Content descriptors are generally given in each episode. Specific trigger warnings are not given due to research reporting this makes triggers worse. Please use appropriate self-care and your own safety plan while exploring this website and during your listening experience. Natural pauses due to dissociation have not been edited out of the podcast, and have been left for authenticity. While some professional material may be referenced for educational purposes, Emma is not your therapist nor offering professional advice. Any informational material shared or referenced is simply part of our own learning process, and not guaranteed to be the latest research or best method for you. Please contact your therapist or nearest emergency room in case of any emergency. This website does not provide any medical, mental health, or social support services.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
27 min
March 14, 2019 Asking for Help
Em opens up again, this time with her struggle to understand the system - including things like boy alters and littles. She shares about seeing the therapist, learning to communicate with the others inside, fighting to stay present with the children, and what she has learned about triggers. There is a trigger warning again for emotional content and for medical trauma as she shares some of the current experiences with our daughter, but no abuse memories are disclosed or referenced beyond identifying triggers in now time. Em shares about meeting a new therapist for group, to get support with other parents of medically fragile children, and how it’s difficult to work on past issues when current issues are already so difficult.
35 min
March 11, 2019 Traveling Chaos
Sasha learns how difficult it can be to try and do a podcast with others close by. After two weeks of traveling with the outside kids, including a week in the hospital with the youngest, Emma’s System is worn out and overstimulated and struggling. That said, they are also able for the first time to recognize they did a hard thing well. They also start to realize some of them are getting closer to being more co-conscious than in the past. Sasha then shares emails from listeners, including answering some of their questions. No memories or abuse disclosures are shared in this episode, but they do talk about sharing salsa! Also, doing this podcast was way better than freaking out about therapy cut short today because of outside kids just when we are about to miss two weeks because of Spring Break.
47 min
March 11, 2019 Guest: Lynne Harris
We speak with Lynne Harris.
Our website is HERE: System Speak Podcast and sponsoring nonprofit website is HERE: S3C Foundation.
You can submit an email to the podcast HERE.
You can JOIN THE COMMUNITY HERE. Once you have registered with the network, you will receive an invitation to orientation, and then can use a non-Apple device or non-safari browser to join groups HERE. Once you are set up, then the website and app work on any device just fine. We have peer check-in groups, an art group, recovery groups, social events, and classes. Additional zoom groups are optional, but only available by joining the groups. Join us!
Content Note: Content on this website and in the podcasts is assumed to be trauma and/or dissociative related due to the nature of what is being shared here in general. Content descriptors are generally given in each episode. Specific trigger warnings are not given due to research reporting this makes triggers worse. Please use appropriate self-care and your own safety plan while exploring this website and during your listening experience. Natural pauses due to dissociation have not been edited out of the podcast, and have been left for authenticity. While some professional material may be referenced for educational purposes, Emma is not your therapist nor offering professional advice. Any informational material shared or referenced is simply part of our own learning process, and not guaranteed to be the latest research or best method for you. Please contact your therapist or nearest emergency room in case of any emergency. This website does not provide any medical, mental health, or social support services.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
52 min

About System Speak: Complex Trauma and Dissociation

From the publisher's feed

Emma shares about complex trauma, deprivation, and dissociation (CPTSD, OSDD, DID). Educational, supportive, and inspiring, System Speak documents the best and worst of life through insights,…