Dissociation After Narcissistic Abuse| Will I Ever Feel Connected To My Body Again?

Key ideas about dissociation after narcissistic abuse

• Dissociation is common after trauma, especially narcissistic abuse and other complex trauma (chronic emotional pain over time).
• Dissociation can feel like being physically present but emotionally/mentally “checked out,” disconnected from your body.
• It often begins as a survival strategy learned in childhood or unsafe environments where you couldn’t leave, express feelings, or find safety.
• Even after you leave abusive situations, dissociation can become maladaptive when it interferes with connection, identity, and life goals.
• The nervous system may compartmentalize stored emotion, then “charges interest” on it—meaning it can keep alertness/danger patterns active, gradually expanding into more areas of life (e.g., car → work → store), shrinking your world.

Wellness/self-care and nervous-system retraining strategies

Ground in your senses before you dissociate (proactive grounding)

Practice being “in your body” by using your senses periodically throughout the day, for example:

• What do you see right now?
• What do you hear (including background sounds)?
• What can you feel or touch?
• What can you smell?
• What can you notice in your environment?

Helpful tactile aids:

• A stress ball or something you can touch regularly
• A scent-based tool (e.g., an essential-oil scent via a necklace) to cue presence

Practice diaphragmatic breathing (1 minute, morning and night)

• Use breathing as a signal to your body that you are safe.
• After breathing, pause and internally affirm safety (the subconscious learns through sensations, not arguments/words alone).
• Emphasize repetition/habit, because the nervous system updates through repetition + emotion.

Become aware of triggers after dissociation happens

When you come back online, notice what likely preceded it. For example:

• Dissociation triggered by a raised voice
• Dissociation triggered while in the car

Benefits:

• Identify the story/association your nervous system learned (e.g., “the car = yelling/insults/emotional pain”).
• Then reframe with evidence that circumstances have changed (e.g., “that’s not true anymore”).

Core reframe

Dissociation can be unlearned because it was learned for survival—so recovery work targets removing the trauma-driven “danger program.” Over time, you can retrain your system from danger to safety and connection.

Productivity/learning approach mentioned

• Daily free educational coaching videos as ongoing support during recovery.
• A recommendation to consider structured support for deeper work.

Presenters/Sources

• Michelle (speaker/coach; referenced by first name in the subtitles)
• Thrivers School of Transformation (membership/program mentioned)
• Driver School of Transformation (also mentioned; likely the same program as above)