Sad to Say We’ve Lost Someone from our DID Community

Oh, it’s just never fun to write about losing someone, but I must tell you some very sad news.   One of our long-term, dedicated-to-DID healing community members has recently passed away from terminal illness, via  sudden heart attack.   Here at Discussing Dissociation, we knew this beautiful soul as “All the Jill People” or “Participating Parts”.   

 

Honoring All the Jill People

Today, I’m writing to honor All the Jill People for a life well lived.

All the Jill People have written dozens upon dozens of comments here on Discussing Dissociation over many years of time.  She’s encouraged others, supported others, advocated for others, shared her own pain, and contributed to blog articles with questions, poetry, artwork: 

Thanks to Those with Dedication and Support for the Healing Process

Representing the Reality of DID on TV and in the Media

Building DID Support and Inspiration

 

Our beautiful community member mostly commented here as “All the Jill People,” but being DID, and an active DID system, there were many other times when she posted by other names.   She accepted her parts and was happy to let them use their own identity when commenting.  You might not realize how many times she shared her voice, her thoughts, her wisdom.

All the Jill People had a voice that spoke with strength.   She had many battles in her own life, many heartbreaks, many sorrows.  No doubt.  But still, she stood firm, shared her soul, spoke openly about her wounds, passed along compassionate understanding to others without judgment.   I only saw her speak with kindness and passion.

In my experience, All the Jill People was grateful, respectful, appreciative, kind, loyal, friendly, honest, sincere, and compassionate — just to list out a few of her positive traits.  She had a great sense of humor, she was funny, her parts were silly, and she loved animals.  (These are “must have qualities” in my books!)  I knew All the Jill People to be so very helpful to oodles and gobs of people, both young and old.

I was fortunate enough to have the honor and privilege of meeting All the Jill People in person.   She took the time to travel interstate to meet with me, to have cups of coffee, and to spend some time together.  I feel blessed to have known All the Jill People from direct experience.  I know, without a doubt, how passionate-genuine-dedicated she was about healing from trauma and teaching others about Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).

Our loss of All the Jill People is a loss for the whole DID community.  Few people have the strength and tenacity and determination to do what she was willing to do.

 

What will I remember most about All the Jill People?

All the Jill People was a woman of COURAGE and BRAVERY.

Yes, courage and bravery.  That’s what I will remember most about her — All the Jill People were so so so brave.  They had a BIG heart, and they were willing to back up their values and beliefs by taking genuine action in their life.

Remember when we were talking with “Participating Parts” who had the potential opportunity to teach the world about DID through a reality show about DID?

THAT was All the Jill People, writing as Participating Parts. 

All the Jill People had the COURAGE to put herself out there — to show the world what life with DID looked like, to help break stigmas by advocating openly, and teach the everyday world about dissociation.

Not for money.  She wasn’t getting paid to do that.  This was, by no means, a “get rich quick” scheme.  That is far far far from the truth.  She was accepting this challenge to advocate openly for DID trauma survivors, and to further the world’s understanding about Dissociative Disorders.

At the same time, Participating Parts knew the risks that would take on her life and her family.   She deeply examined the costs that might come their way, but she remained 100% willing to stand up for what she believed in. 

 

• She was brave enough to stand up on a national television program, to be exposed week after week, and to openly share her life, her pain, her struggles, her triumphs as a DID trauma survivor.   

• She was brave enough to show her face, her parts, her voices, her insiders, her mannerisms, her home, and her dissociative life to the entire nation, and however many other countries where the show could air.

• She knew her former abusers and perpetrators could potentially see her, locate her, find her, and still, she was willing to teach about DID.

• She knew her estranged family members could see into her private life, and still, she was willing to teach about DID.

• She knew her neighbors and work colleagues and school classmates could see her mental health struggles, and still, she was willing to teach about DID.

• She knew the cruel trolls of the world would mock her and what they saw about DID, and still, she was willing to teach about DID.

• She knew SHE could see more from her own system, watching the out on display on national TV, and still, she was willing to teach about DID.

 

How many DID survivors do you know who are willing to do all THAT?

Talk about COURAGE and BRAVERY !!!

Awesome, hey?!!

 

Sadly, after months of planning and preparation, and after doing many days of filming, that particular show was not selected by the TV Networks.  It was a devastating blow that Participating Parts’ dreams didn’t get to air.  Those TV networks made a poor choice, if you ask me.  I knew lots about what could have been taught via that show, and I’m sad — still sad —  it did not get to reach its potential.

Nonetheless, the whole system of Participating Parts was ready, willing, and courageous to battle on behalf of everyone with DID.  She was 100% ready, willing, and able.  She absolutely did HER part, and more.

So yeah, the courage of Participating Parts was beyond measure.

THAT is what I will remember about her.

 

Passing it Forward

And in remembering and honouring her courage, and speaking it forward as motivation and encouragement to you, maybe just maybe her dream and her strength can live on.   

Maybe you can feel more hope, more courage, more bravery to speak YOUR truth.   To acknowledge YOUR internal parts.   To represent YOUR system.  To speak out.   To teach others.   To face your own fears.   To firmly believe in your inside people.

Participating Parts showed us that.

You too, in your life, in your ways, you and your internal people can be as brave as them.

 

DID Artwork

Oh, and yes, in case you were wondering, the artwork in Meritum Paint on this page was created by All the Jill People.

Here are her words which describe what this particular Artwork meant to her:

Good and Evil:    Do you see the division in the paint? The smiles? The frown and no expression? 

It’s sold red in the middle. It’s showing how divided our system can be.. yet we are all connected.

Talk about splitting.. and the differences split thinking on total opposing ends… thus the title.

The swirling is like my system always moving and swirling, switching around. 

 

Interesting artwork, yes?

• What do you see when you look at this image?
• How do you relate to what All the Jill People were expressing?

 

A Life Well Lived

In addition to her DID advocacy, and unrelentless support to many dissociative communities, All the Jill People also advocated for therapeutic service animals and disabled children.   She truly had a beautiful, beautiful heart.  She cared deeply for her family, and helped many disabled people during the many years of her career.

All the Jill People most definitely did her part to make the world a better place.  She did not continue with the evil that she was forced to see as a child.   She grew up, had the courage to step away, became her own person, and chose to live a life beautiful.

I hope her life encourages you to do the same.

 

Remember…  Have COURAGE.  Have BRAVERY.

Don’t be afraid to stand up for what you believe.

 

Yes, I’m writing in honor of All the Jill People — a beautiful woman with many inside parts.

I already miss her.  I already miss them.

 

Please feel free to add your thoughts and comments below.

 

Sadly,

Kathy

 

Copyright © 2008-2019 Kathy Broady MSW and Discussing Dissociation