Benefits of a Day Trip to Fort Worth Stockyards with Dissociative Survivors

 

Benefits of a Day Trip to Fort Worth Stockyards with a Group of Dissociative Survivors

Yep, an ADVENTURE Walk with a Giant Texas Twist of Texas Fun,
Texas Glitz and Glam, Texas Farm Animals, and Texas Barbeque.

A group of  Dissociative Trauma Survivors out on the town together.

DID Systems having fun, connecting safely, and exploring the sights.

“Howdy, y’all!” 

YES, we did that.  We sure did, and it was wonderful.  I’d love to do that again, and we really might one day.

Would you go out into a fun, busy part of the world with a group of DID systems?  I did, and yep, it was very entertaining indeed.  We had a great time, and of course, we learned things along the way as well.

Outings or day-trips out into the world allow for all kinds of new experiences, and create space for all kinds of healing work as well.  Besides the fun times, there are all the triggers that need to be negotiated in situations such as a public historic area full of people, animals, vehicles, sights, sounds, noises. Some triggers are to be expected. Other unexpected triggers have to be managed through the day, and then added to the ongoing healing plan.  Part of the day’s adventure, and the challenge, is to see and address the issues that surface, and also continue to have fun in a safe and grounded way.

Going into a busy crowded place like the Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District was obviously, going to be riddled with trigger-rich opportunities.  We were prepared for that, and were happily up to the challenge. The plan and intention was to enjoy the day, have loads of fun, recognize the rough spots, and manage appropriately, despite any emotional complications that may arise.

Would you be up for this kind of challenge?

What do you think would be the hardest part if you were to be there in the Stockyards with us?

What would you and your system gain from this kind of Adventure Walk?

 

 

Why go on a public Adventure Outing,
to the Fort Worth Stockyards, a National Historic District,
with a group of people with DID?

For FUN

At the P4 Retreats, a bigger focus on our community connection time is centered on having fun.  We have some light-hearted, silly moments at the Small Group Intensives (SGI’s), but overall, they are intended to be more serious and focused on talking about healing issues.  In comparison, at the retreats, we purposefully plan some fun, by design, and these fun activity times are incorporated right into the schedule. Play time is a must! This is when we get to kick back, enjoy each other’s company, and experience the freedom to play, giggle, laugh, explore the world, be silly, etc.

For trauma survivors with Dissociative Identity Disorder, so much of the time, the head space, the body memories, and the talking-focus are centered around hard stuff — painful, abusive memories, complicated relationships, deep losses, heartaches, grieving.  Emotional healing for dissociative survivors is time-consuming work, and being dedicated to emotional healing of your system often feels heavy and exhausting. There is a ton of hurt and pain that is addressed or felt, or seen, or remembered, each and every day.  Getting a break from that emotional pain is crucial.  Learning that it is okay to play, or learning how to play, and finally experiencing some light-hearted play is important for overall health and wellbeing.

For folks who have a solid understanding and healthy relationships with their insiders, part of the goal may be to encourage insiders to come forward and participate in the fun activities.  Sometimes, certain insiders have never even had the chance to have fun.  They may be more focused on work, or rules, or functioning, or maybe they are memory-holders, and trauma-related parts — they certainly aren’t fun-experiencing parts!  When those insiders have made sufficient progress in their healing, having the opportunity to see something new, exciting, entertaining, bright, colorful, and light-hearted gives them a whole new experience in life.

For insiders who have spent most of their time in tears, or in pain, getting to giggle for the first time is amazing. For those insiders who have been locked in their trauma worlds, getting to see the brightly-colored world with new eyes is incredible.  For insiders who have been caught inside and never allowed to interact out in the front of the body, these moments are life-changing.  Introducing the good side of life is one of the most rewarding parts of the healing process.  It’s a fabulous way to spend the day!

 

 

For Connection

For connection and shared experiences with friends —  enjoying friendships in real life, and not just in a forum.  If I could show you pictures of our actual social  interactions, you would see exactly how much fun and many connections we build together.  Just picture a group of silly ol’ gals walking together in these places.  Add in the giggles, the joking, the carry-on’s, the goofball moments (there are plenty of those, I assure you!).   The pictures and experiences are priceless.  Imagine how precious those times could be for your system members.  These are the moments that make your heart smile.

Many members of the DDCF Community forum have known each other for several years, mainly chatting in the online forum, or in our zoom groups.  We are located in all areas of the world — not just the USA, but in other countries as well.  Most of the time, we are far apart, so the times when we get to meet together in person are truly special.  New folks are always welcome of course, but be sure to bring your fun-side.  Sometimes, the forum community and friendship connections  become some of the very most important social roles for dissociative systems.  Not only are there many common bonds, but the insiders get to form friendships with other insiders.  How cool is that?

At the Stockyards, we got to share pickle-flavored popcorn and cherry-flavored jerky.  We got to sit together for a barbecue dinner.  We got to ride in a horse and carriage.  We got to run around together, lost in a maze.  We got to go shopping and help pick out gifts for House Mom.  (Would she like this apron? Or that one?)  We got to share our favorite candies from the candy-barrel store.  We got to search and find each other again when we got separated by the crowds.  Simple moments, yes, but these are the happy times that build a connection that goes much deeper than the words on a screen.  We got to truly experience peer-support in all the best ways.

Connection with like-minded souls is so hugely important for healing.  There are plenty of studies that say social isolation and loneliness are giant impediments to healing, and harmful for mental health and wellbeing.  Having the connection with safe-friends, people who genuinely care about you, people who understand all your “weirdness” about the DID Life, well… this is such a fabulous opportunity, just in itself.  Not having to feel alone, seeing that you are truly NOT alone and not socially isolated provides a real depth and value into the healing process.  It adds feelings of self worth, and inner peace.

Genuine connections truly help heal the wounds.

 

 

For System Interaction

This event, as with all DD / P4 events, was designed specifically for dissociative systems.  DID-inspired activities are the theme of the P4 Retreats.

It’s important to provide an opportunity for different system insiders to come out and participate in fun, with safety, naturally joining in when noticing something of personal interest to them.  When presented with a variety of options and possibilities, lots of insiders can have a turn participating in something they like.  

At the Stockyards, there are many opportunities for dissociative systems with a variety of interests.

For example, the teenagers could come out during the shopping.  Well, actually, during the shopping, all kinds of people can come out, lol.  Believe me, sometimes, the kids were there too.

The little ones could come out at the petting zoo and staring at the barrels full of candy.  Who likes the cows best?  Who wanted the candy? How many conversations were going on about all the kinds of candy, lol.

The boys could watch the sports cars.   As could the teenage girls! 

Those who were interested in art could come out to look at the paintings and artistic items that were on display.

Those who were interested in country music (often those teenage girls again!), could do a little boot scooting boogie if they wanted too.

The system hosts and adult parts would often present to contribute with decision-making, to make purchases, and to participate in various problem-solving discussions.

The adults were present at the barbecue restaurant.  It was a busy scene, and the adults needed to be nearby.

Whoever, whichever insider wanted time to see things and explore was welcome to come out with the DD group, have some time looking around, ask a few questions, share some thoughts, and be part of the overall experience.   There was a lot of switching around that happened for sure, but that was okay, and all maintained within safe boundaries.  The goal was for various insiders to have the opportunity to have some fun and to see, and interact with the outside world.  We absolutely accomplished that goal.  🙂 

 

 

For Challenges

Of course, going to a busy place such as the Fort Worth Stockyards, the opportunity for triggers and complicated moments are everywhere.  We don’t go on outings expecting everything will always go perfect and that we’ll see nothing upsetting.  We go out there, planning on having a good time, but also prepared to manage some difficult spots.   Plus, each DID person is expected to tend to their own system as well, paying attention to how they are doing and noticing if and when there are any rough patches.

For example,

• Being in large busy crowds of people will feel difficult for some trauma survivors with social anxiety and fears of people.  How will you keep your social anxiety from paralyzing you?
• Being in a public setting with so many lights, sounds, activities, noise, and bright stimulation can feel overwhelming for many insiders.  How will you calm your insiders who are feeling overwhelmed?
• The P4 Retreat was in October.  Obviously, the pumpkins and any version of a Halloween decor could feel triggery to dissociative survivors. Can you see that you are in a very different place from your trauma-locations?
• The highly-social, party scene at the Stockyards, especially in the evening, was going to feel scary for some dissociative systems. Uh oh.  Can you keep your insiders from acting out and getting inappropriately involved in these social interactions?
• The maze!  Some DID systems have mazes in their inner worlds.  What was it going to feel like to run around in a literal maze? What happens internally when you see a maze in the outside world?  What triggers and internal responses do you notice?
• Even simple things like eating in public can be a challenge. Is the food going to be safe? How will you and your system manage eating in a busy restaurant?  How do you prepare your insiders for that?
• What if you see someone who reminds you of someone else?  How does your system handle that challenge?  How do you stay grounded and stay connected to your forum-community friends in order to increase your sense of safety?
• What if there are differing opinions on what we should do next?  What if you want to do something different from what your friends want to do?  Can you find the balance between being overly quiet versus overly loud in group dynamics?  Can you cooperate, or stand up for yourself appropriately?
• What if you get lost or separated from the group.  How would your internal system handle that?  Would you panic, or be okay and find the group again? How will you help your system if you have a little insider who is panicking?  What’s your safety plan?
• What if your system has bad memories with cows, or trains, or bricks, or cowboy boots?  How will you handle seeing and being near items that have a trauma history attached to them?  How can you use the exposure to these situations help you to move forward in your healing?

AND, after the outing, if there are issues to discuss, we can certainly do so.  What better way to address a difficult moment than with a group of good friends who are on your side, and who are willing to help you process your thoughts and feelings?  Connection and support are key factors for healing at these exact moments.

 

 

For Corrective Emotional Experiences

At every P4 Retreat, knowing that some activities may be a challenge, as a peer-support group, we try, at each event, to create a safer process, a new ending, a better ending.  We do our best to transform from scary to successful — from horrible to hooray — turning a difficult situation into a completely different experience from the original traumatic trigger / trauma experience.  The goal is to create a good ending which shows the triggered person (or insider) that something new and different can happen. 

We can’t change history, but we can address the issue, pay attention to the details in the current day, and provide new information about those specific triggers.  We encourage attendees to lean into those triggers, and congratulate them as they beat the challenge.  We focus on what’s new and different, point out the updated information, and offer encouragement to those who are struggling.  This kind of real-life peer support helps internal movement to happen, and makes a significant difference.

For example, instead of little insiders feeling scared, alone and stuck in the maze, we congratulated them on running all the way through the maze and getting out safely on the other side.

Or if someone had a fear of being left behind, or left out, or getting lost in the crowds, we used the buddy system, and showed them how they are a part of our community, offered positive peer support, and personal connections.

The point was, using the peer-support model,  to be there for each other in a way that made anything scary feel more manageable.  We also aimed to create success and positive steps toward healing.

 

 

For Good Memories

So many dissociative trauma survivors have painful memories that flood through every area of life.  For the dissociative system, trauma invades so many layers, too many relationships, far too many decades, and creates painfully difficult memories and complex PTSD issues all too much of the time.  That’s a lot of gut-wrenching sadness and agony to sit with.

Having a GOOD memory is a rare moment, not the norm.

One of the goals of the P4 Retreats is to create positive memories.  It’s absolutely intentional to add positive moments into the lifetime story line, so the retreat attendees have some fondness to think about, beautiful moments to treasure, some laughs to keep sharing.

We will continue to talk, for a long time, about the stories and the adventures we had at the Fort Worth Stockyards National Historical District.  We’ve got lots of jokes to share, and smiles to keep.  

Being able to contribute to some joy and happy dancing into the life of someone often overwhelmed with trauma is awesome.  Surely a day filled with laughter and fun will have a positive, helpful impact against depression, discouragement, and pain.  

What plans do you have to do the same?

 

 

How about YOUR next adventure walk?

 

Where are you going to go?  What are you going to explore?

This adventure walk concept can be re-created at any interesting location near you.  You don’t have to come all the way to Texas to have a good adventure walk —  your system can find places explore anywhere near where you are.  It might be harder to find a group of other dissociative survivors, but I challenge you to get creative on how you can enjoy the day.

May your journeys be fun adventures.

May your friends be good ones.

May your connections be genuine.

 

As always, I wish you the very best and lots of fun adventures in your healing journey.

 

Warmly,

Kathy 

 

Which candy would YOU choose?

Some? A little? A lot?

How would your insiders manage this experience?

Who would win?  The kids?  Or the rule-makers?

 

 

Copyright © 2008-2026 Kathy Broady and Discussing Dissociation