I absolutely do disengage when I feel overwhelmed.  It helps reset me, regulate me, regain a sense of control.  But beyond that, I would advise you research adult relationship attachment styles: anxious, avoidant, stable, and I think there are one or two other mixed types.  If two people have different styles, they can cause each other anxiety without even meaning to.
				
			 
				 I found out I was anxious style, and always attracted to the opposite - avoidant - which drove me up the wall.  I need more reassurance and presence than they could offer - even stable type (my husband) can leave me a bit anxious sometimes, but now that I understand myself, and him, it has helped massively.  As for disengagement - I feel really bad about how I have totally abandoned my friends when feeling overwhelmed - I am only just now getting over a long period like that, but I still feel overwhelmed sometimes when they want to call and talk, so I still avoid them some.  I think about them all the time, though, and I love them very much.
  I found out I was anxious style, and always attracted to the opposite - avoidant - which drove me up the wall.  I need more reassurance and presence than they could offer - even stable type (my husband) can leave me a bit anxious sometimes, but now that I understand myself, and him, it has helped massively.  As for disengagement - I feel really bad about how I have totally abandoned my friends when feeling overwhelmed - I am only just now getting over a long period like that, but I still feel overwhelmed sometimes when they want to call and talk, so I still avoid them some.  I think about them all the time, though, and I love them very much. 
 
		 
 
		 
 
		 
 
		 
 
		 
 
		