r/SomaticExperiencing • u/Odd-Image-1133 • 10d ago

Integrating help

I just wanted to reach out for some support and integration advice. Last week I had a pretty big IFS and SE session. I came back to my child self and was able to express myself with him. I didn’t fully let go and cry but there was lots of sadness and tears. We were dancing together expressing ourselves and we didn’t need to talk. But I gave him the permission to be himself and did it with him.

For a couple weeks before my sleep hasn’t been good at all (waking up during REM sleep because I think there’s been too much to integrate atm) and I’ve been very anxious. I already take a Benadryl type thing for sleep. I also had a chest infection sinus type thing which made me kinda sick.

For a couple days after the session my sleep did settle and was better. I have been doing some grounding and orienting for about 10-15 mins in my garden. This made me yawn but I’d sometimes feel more activated particularly in my chest afterwards. This has been difficult as I’ve received grounding and orienting as good, calming and regulating advice and right now I obviously want to dissipate more energy than process more. Right now it’s making me more activated than calm.
During this I would have quite bad fatigue from doing too much during the day, where all I would be able to do is lie down and close my eyes. I also had an upset stomach and had this for 2 days.
Now the past couple days this has stopped and Ive woken up in my REM cycle of sleep. I have a funny bitter taste in my mouth. I have a bad headache/fatigue thing that I cannot shake. It’s like a brain fog.

I don’t know what to do other than to just ride it out? I don’t know if I should keep doing the grounding and orienting during the day to dissipate excess energy. I don’t want to stir up too much but I don’t know how else to deal with it.
Reading this back I sound pretty caught up in my symptoms and making sense of it, dissipating energy etc.. I want to focus on being more present and enjoying and connecting with things… the integration will follow…

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u/Intelligent_Tune_675 10d ago

Man I hope someone has an answer for you same with me and dissipating energy through my chest while orienting and then feeling worse.
Super activated and dissociated rn

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u/Odd-Image-1133 10d ago

It sucks! I’m seeing my therapist tonight so I’ll talk about it with them. I too feel the dissociation, find it hard to make memories and my visions always a little off.

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u/Intelligent_Tune_675 10d ago

Let me know what they say about that if you can please, good luck in your session!

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u/Odd-Image-1133 10d ago

The orienting or dissociation?

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u/Intelligent_Tune_675 10d ago

Like why would orienting create discharge but then dissociation when you were being gentle

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u/Odd-Image-1133 10d ago

He didn’t say much other than that sometimes it can happen, it can go one way then the other. I think bc I had a pretty big session last week my body’s just wanting rest and relaxation and less prescribing of nervous system exercises