Make a Cope-Ahead Plan for Dissociation This Holiday Season

A cope-ahead plan for dissociation will come in handy this holiday season. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, New Year’s, or nothing at all, this time of the year can be difficult when you have a dissociative disorder. Financial stress, sensory overload, and time-related triggers are just some of the things that can lead to an increase in dissociation. So how can you cope with all of these symptoms and make it through the holiday season? How do you make a cope-ahead plan for dissociation?

Why You Need a Cope-Ahead Plan for Dissociation

The holidays can be overwhelming for anyone, but it can be especially overwhelming when you have dissociative identity disorder (DID). Just thinking about the days ahead can trigger anxiety, panic, and dissociation.

It's impossible to know everything that will happen in the future, but creating a cope-ahead plan can prepare you for anything that may come up that is difficult. You can create a cope-ahead plan for each day, as detailed as you need. Some people cope ahead by just listing the things they need to attend to each day, while others break each day down hour by hour.

Cope ahead plans can help you keep organized, which can, in turn, reduce anxiety. They can also help prepare you for any anticipated triggers that may come up throughout the holiday season.

How to Make a Holiday Cope-Ahead Plan

When making a cope-ahead plan for dissociation, you first need to decide how detailed you need it to be. Can you separate each day into sections, like morning, afternoon, and evening, or do you need hour by hour? Once you have that figured out, you can start adding things to your cope-ahead plan.

Cope-ahead plans aren't just for major things. You can include things like eating breakfast, resting, and taking a shower; those are things we may forget to do when we are overwhelmed. If you have holiday activities, include them. Write out where you will be and at what time. If you notice you have too much going on in one day, try to schedule some downtime and moments for self-care.

Coping with Holiday Triggers When You Have DID

In addition to your cope-ahead plan, make a note of any triggers you anticipate possibly happening. Then, write down ways you can cope with those triggers. You can include distress tolerance skills, safety scripts, ways to self-soothe, as well as supports you can call. You can also write down instructions for a support person to follow in case you do end up dissociating and need help grounding.

How My Parts and I Are Coping for the Holidays

The holidays are a huge trigger for me. I have a lot of trauma connected to Christmas; it causes frequent flashbacks and dissociation in the weeks leading up to the holiday.

To cope with these symptoms, I have created a cope-ahead plan for dissociation for the holidays. I am going to spend the holidays with my new family, and I want to enjoy it without losing myself in triggers and dissociating. I planned out self-care time. I have a self-soothe kit, as well as a safety script that explains to my parts and me that we are safe and no longer have to be scared of our abuser. I have a list of supportive people I can talk to if I am struggling, as well as a crisis hotline if things get to be too much.

I can't change my past. I can't erase my trauma. But I can learn to cope with it all. I hope to make it through the holidays as effectively as I can, and I wish the same for you as well.