Supporting people in moments of dysregulation Kimberley Harper & Sonia Adolphs > Yourtown
Whether you are an educator, director or parent, we have all experienced dealing with others who may be in a dysregulated state. Dysregulation can often be contagious, and we can become infected without knowledge. The nature of dysregulation means that our thinking brain is not exactly in its best state to respond to the situation. The level of how contagious it might be also has something to do with us. Some of us feel comfortable and supportive of a distressed or dysregulated person.
How do we know if you are a person who struggles when others become dysregulated. How do we regulate ourselves and then be the best support for the person who needs us? Firstly, does your brain just kind of switch off; do you tend to talk faster? Is everything feeling rushed? Is your heart beating faster? Do you suddenly feel hot?
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EARLY EDITION > AUTUMN 2022
Note this will look different for everyone. We want to know our signs of dysregulation first to catch and regulate ourselves. It’s not easy, especially when dealing with a distressed or dysregulated person. If we have the space to prepare, assessing distress can be practical and a way to determine the pathway of support. Who am I supporting? What has happened? How do I feel about the current situation? What do they need? What are my role and responsibilities? The above are all practical questions to think about and assess if you find yourself in a situation. They consider both the person and where you sit. Regardless of who they are to you and the relationship you share, putting yourself in their shoes and providing an empathetic lens of support can create a feeling of being in the moment with the person you are supporting. Understanding what distress or dysregulation looks like for someone can also pave the way to be in the moment. Different people, when distressed, respond differently and have conflicting behaviours in changing circumstances.
