Externalizing Responsibility What an interesting phrase. Externalizing responsibility is when someone fails to accept personal responsibility for the messes they make or for the problems they cause. It is also failing to accept personal responsibility for the situations they find themselves in. Internalizing responsibility is personally taking on the responsibility for what happens (in the past, present, … [Read more...]
I’m Thankful for the Readers of this Blog
It’s Thanksgiving weekend here in the US, and besides the wonderful traditional family meal and pleasant times with my kids, this time frame reminds me of something else. Discussing Dissociation has been up and visible for nearly one year now. Yep, in a few days, it will be a year already! Wow. Where has the time gone??!!! There is truth to the saying that time flies, or is it because time flies when … [Read more...]
Protecting Your Therapeutic Relationship and the Therapeutic Community
There are thousands of clinical therapists in the world. However, of all the therapists in the world, only a few work with trauma and PTSD. Of all the trauma therapists, only a few work with the areas of sexual abuse and severe trauma. Of those therapists, only a few work with dissociative disorders, DID/MPD and DDNOS. Of the DID therapists, only a very few work with issues relating to … [Read more...]
The Love / Hate Relationship for Borderlines
There are distinct differences between Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and Borderline Personality Disorder (DID). There are many overlapping symptoms, and some therapists believe that all trauma survivors with DID are also BPD. I, however, do not hold that perspective. In my opinion, not all trauma survivors with DID are BPD. However, I will guess that the greater portion of DID'ers are also borderline. … [Read more...]
25 Ways to Avoid Self-Injury and Prevent Self-Harm
Survivors of sexual abuse often struggle with self-injury (SI). Survivors often use dissociative walls to contain and separate intense emotions from themselves. This allows them to stay numb, and to not feel. They can split off their unmanageable, uncomfortable, or conflicting feelings into other parts of themselves, as frequently seen in Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID/MPD). As those dissociative walls … [Read more...]