Creative Writing as a Skillful Bridge Through Emotional Flashbacks & Dissociation

The core idea is to move from involuntary, overwhelming dissociation towards conscious, regulated engagement with the internal experience, using creative writing as a container and a tool for processing.

Step 1: Acknowledge & Orient (Drawing from DBT Distress Tolerance & Somatic Awareness)

• Recognition: The first step is to simply notice what's happening. "I am having an emotional flashback," or "I notice a strong feeling of dread/panic, and a sense of floating away."

• Micro-Orientation: Even during dissociation, try to find one tiny anchor. "I am noticing the feeling of my feet on the floor," or "I can feel the texture of the pen in my hand." This is not about forcing connection, but offering a small, available touchpoint to reality.

• Validation (DBT): Silently acknowledge: "This is hard. This is a flashback. My system is trying to protect me."

Step 2: Intentional Choice & Resource Activation (Drawing from ACT & Somatic Experiencing)

• Accessing Wise Mind/Values (DBT/ACT): From whatever small sliver of "Wise Mind" (the integration of rational and emotional mind) is available, ask: "Do I want to use creative writing right now as a way to navigate this, or do I need another distress tolerance skill?" This is a conscious decision, not just an automatic reaction. If the answer is yes...

• Pre-Writing Resourcing (Somatic Experiencing/Somatic Awareness): Before even picking up the pen, if possible, activate a known resource. This might be:

  • Physical: Tapping, gentle pressure, feeling solid ground.

  • Imaginal: Recalling a safe place, a calming color, or a supportive presence.

  • Internal: Remembering a time of feeling competent or safe.

  • The goal is to bring some degree of regulation to the nervous system, even if small, to prevent the writing from becoming pure re-traumatization.

Step 3: Self-Led Invitation to the Inner Experience (Drawing from IFS & Somatic IFS)

• Inviting the Part: From a Self-led stance (even if just a glimmer of Self-energy like curiosity or calm), gently invite the part of you that is experiencing the flashback or is dissociating. You might imagine saying: "I see you, Part experiencing this flashback. I see you, Part that feels separated. I am here now, with compassion, and I'd like to offer you a way to express this, if you choose."

• Somatic Sensing (Somatic IFS): As you prepare to write, gently notice any sensations in your body related to the flashback or dissociation. Don't push into them, just a soft awareness. Is there a sensation of contraction? Floating? Heaviness? Note it, but keep a connection to your resource.

Step 4: Writing as a Container & Voice (Drawing from IFS, ACT, & DBT Emotion Regulation)

• Creating a Container: The page itself becomes a container. Encourage free association, stream of consciousness. This is not for literary perfection, but for expression.

• Giving Voice to Parts (IFS):

  • The Overwhelmed Part: Allow the writing to be the voice of the part experiencing the flashback. What does it want to scream, cry, or express? Use "I" statements from its perspective.

  • The Dissociating Part: If a part feels "checked out," the writing might reflect that - disjointed thoughts, fragmented images, a sense of distance or numbness.

  • The Protecting Part: Sometimes, the writing might even give voice to the protector that initiates dissociation, explaining why it's trying to create distance.

• Externalizing & Defusion (ACT): Getting the overwhelming thoughts, images, and feelings out onto the page can be a powerful way to externalize them, creating a sense of distance. You can see them as "just thoughts" or "just sensations" on the page, rather than being fused with them.

• Emotion Regulation (DBT): The act of writing itself can be a form of active self-soothing and distraction, temporarily pulling the focus from the intensity of the flashback while still giving it a channel.

Step 5: Writing with Somatic Check-ins & Titration (Drawing from Somatic Experiencing & Somatic Awareness)

• Pendulation: As you write, periodically (e.g., after a paragraph or a few sentences), pause. Take a slow breath. Gently check in with your body.

  • Notice the sensation associated with the writing/flashback.

  • Then, consciously shift your attention back to your resource spot (your feet, a neutral hand, your breath).

  • Linger in the resource until you feel a gentle settling.

  • Then, if you feel ready and regulated enough, gently return to the writing, or continue resting in your resource.

• Titration: Only write as much as your system can tolerate. Write a few words, check in. If it feels too much, stop, return to your resource, and don't push it. It's okay if you only write one sentence. The process is more important than the output.

• Tracking: Notice how the sensations in your body change as you write. Does the intensity shift? Do new sensations arise?

Step 6: Containment & Post-Writing Regulation (Drawing from Somatic Experiencing & DBT)

• Ending the Session: When you feel a shift, or you've reached your capacity, bring the writing to a conscious close. You can draw a line, write "The End," or simply place the pen down.

• Containment: The written page now holds some of the intensity. You can visually imagine sealing the page, or even physically put it into a box or drawer, signifying that the intense experience is now contained.

• Re-grounding & Self-Soothing: Engage in a longer grounding exercise. Focus on your feet, your breath, perhaps gentle self-touch (e.g., hand on heart, hand on belly). Engage in other DBT distress tolerance skills like temperature change (cold water on face), sensory engagement (smelling a calming essential oil), or movement.

• Integration: Afterwards, acknowledge yourself for skillfully navigating a difficult internal state. This is an act of courage and self-compassion.

By consciously engaging in creative writing with these integrated principles, a you can transform a potentially overwhelming dissociative experience into a purposeful, contained, and eventually, integrative process. It allows the expression of difficult internal states in a way that promotes self-awareness and healing, rather than simply escaping or burying the experience.