DID

All posts related to Dissociative Identity Disorder

Mad. Sad. Confused. Tired.
Struggling with DID and losing time.

Officially Crumbling
Taking time off to not be okay, and comparing writing from different parts/alters.

Shit Hitting the Fan
Discovering that a part/alter had been spending money for 18 months without me knowing.

Fading
Parts/alters not recognising the body.

The Reality
Using emotions the fuel ED behaviours, and the impact DID issues have on the Eating Disorder.

Sleeping in the Wardrobe, Cheer Bear, and Misty.
Flashbacks, chaos, sleeping in the wardrobe to feel safe, and the comfort of soft toys.

Teddy Bears!
The assortment of toys different part/alters have.

Internal Perception Vs. External Reality
Body image confusion between parts/alters and the actual, physical body.

More Excuses.
Do you need to talk through every single detail of traumatic events?

Grief for Something I Never Had
Grieving for the family I never had.

The Terror of Physical Touch
Exploring the negative associations of touch.

Medic Alert for Mental Illness
The use of Medic Alert (or similar bracelets) for people with mental illness.

Happy Birthday to Me
Reflecting on life as it is, and the trauma associated with my birthday.

What is Co-Consciousness?
Exploring what co-consciousness is, and what it can look like in people with DID

Weighted Blankets for PTSD and DID
Discusses the use of weighted blankets for people with PTSD and/or DID.

Mental Illness, Stigma & Being Treated Differently
Diagnostic labels are not a person. A person is always much more than a diagnosis.

Weighted Blankets for PTSD and DID – A Review
Reviewing the benefits and effectiveness of using weighted blankets for people with a trauma history.

The “Better Access to Mental Health Care” Initiative and why 10 Sessions is Not Enough
Exploring government funded mental health care in Australia, and the downfalls of the current system.

“Oh, DID, that’s really rare isn’t it?”
A comparison of statistics regarding DID, and other illnesses.

Something to be Learnt
Learning something from all experiences, even the more negative ones.

The Inside of a Flashback & How to Cope
Explores what flashbacks are, as well as how to cope including grounding and self-soothing skills.

The Chaos of a Dissociative Disorder
Having DID and losing time, and the chaos, uncertainty, and self-doubt that causes.

Feeling Content with Life
Reflecting on the improvements I’ve made – better mood, less internal chaos, benefits of a psych hospital admission, and learning to manage ME/CFS.

Unhelpful Core Beliefs as a Result of Childhood Trauma
Exploring my own core beliefs and the role childhood trauma plays in that.

The Body Deserves Respect
Realising that our body needs, and deserves respect.

Differing Abilities, and Special Talents in a DID system
Strengths and weaknesses within our system, and a poem from Miss 19.

Holding On
A break from therapy, but struggling with mood and dissociation

Allowing Friends to be Friends
Realising that I can’t do life alone, and that it’s okay to need people.

Who Am I?
Questioning my identity, and my place within our system. Am I an alter?

The Pysch Hospital
About my experience in a private psychiatric hospital in 2015

Listening is a Powerful Thing
The gift you give a loved one when you really listen to them, and sit with whatever they may be going through.

Home From Hospital and Still Journalling
Reflections on our recent hospital admission, and the benefits of journalling.

Under Attack
Struggling with switching and losing time, as well as upcoming trauma anniversaries.

Why I Will Tell You That I’ve Been in Hospital
How I’ve been explaining my recent absence (hospital admission) to work colleagues, and why I like to explain it.

We’re Not Broken Or Damaged
Having DID, having Complex PTSD, experiencing trauma doesn’t mean that we’re damaged. We survived.

Rules for a DID system
The system rules we created, and try to stick to, so that life runs more smoothly.

It Feels Like Failure
Struggling with safety, and heading back to hospital.

“I Know You Hate Me”
Our GP has limited our access to medication, and we’re incredibly grateful for the support our team continues to provide.

How To Talk To All Of Us
Tips on how to talk to different parts/alters.

DID and Night Lights
A short post about different parts/alters being scared of, or disorientated, by the dark, and how we’re working on improving that.

What Are Your Warning Signs?
Relapse prevention and my personal warning signs for eating disorders, depression, hypomania, and dissociation.

Understanding, Compassion, and Respect
What would I do if I believed I deserved understanding, compassion and respect? How could that change the choices I make, and the direction I choose for my life?

DID: What Can Internal Cooperation Look Like?
Working out what internal cooperation looks like for our system, and exploring the changes that are taking place inside.

Dissociation: Watching It Happen
Describes an experience in which, instead of leaving the house for an appointment, I dissociated and never made it out of my bedroom.

Can One Alter In A DID System Have A Mood Disorder?
Attempting to explore whether it’s possible for one alter/or part of a DID system to have a mood disorder, but not the others. In our case this appears to be what’s happening.

Weighted Blankets For PTSD and DID: Three Years On
A follow up to my previous posts about our weighted blankets, and how we use them for grounding, and lessening anxiety and dissociative symptoms.

The DID Elevator Pitch
Our quick and simple way of explaining DID to people.

Problematic Dissociation
Exploring the less sweet and amusing experiences we’ve had as a result of switching.

I’m Not Hallucinating
An explanation of how we view the differences between our internal conversations and real auditory hallucinations.

What Did We Do In Hospital?
A neat little summary of everything we achieved during our June 2016 hospital admission.

Code Blue
The difference we experience between dissociating, switching, and ‘zoning out’, and how nursing staff reacted when we zoned out unexpectedly.

DID: What Not To Do (for healthcare professionals)
Our very brief post on what not to do for those healthcare professionals working with people with DID.

Working With Very Young Alters
What we’ve found to be helpful for working with two three year old alters/parts who are generally non-verbal.

Continual Switching
I’ve given up fighting a switch, and am letting parts out as they please. This means we’re switching multiple times per day, and quite possibly confusing the nursing staff whilst we’re in hospital!

Sadness
Sitting with the sadness of a traumatic childhood, and no longer running from it.

Switching Isn’t Always Bad
Why switching isn’t always a bad thing, and how it can be very helpful

Homesick
Missing ‘home’, and still unsure as to why.

Drifting
Trying to use grounding skills whilst very dissociated, and not getting much relief.

Our Sensory Toys
A quick look at the range of sensory toys we have. From weighted blankets and toys, to textured fidget toys.

Stuck
Reaching a saddening, frustrating, and far too familiar point in therapy again. Overwhelming emotions, flashbacks, and chaos, and so much fear, and anxiety, that working on it outpatient has become almost impossible.

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