Many dissociative trauma survivors have issues with time. Sometimes the past sneaks up into the present. Sometimes the present disappears. Sometimes there are two time zones (or more) occurring at the same time. Sometimes there are huge gaps in time. Sometimes time stands still. It can be confusing to say the least. Have you ever had a flashback from some year gone by overwhelm your current … [Read more...]
Lack of Acceptance of Dissociative Parts and Their Life Histories
Many trauma survivors with DID, especially those relatively new in the treatment process, often have difficulty accepting that there are "other people inside your head." The ideas of losing time (including big chunks of time), losing control of yourself and your mind or your body, having a limited awareness of what has happened in your life, sharing your life with a bunch of others of all different ages, and … [Read more...]
Do You Believe Everything you Read?
Do you believe everything you read? Do you believe everything you hear? I realize "inquiring minds want to know" and gossip can seem initially enticing, but seriously, how much credence do you give to what other people have to say about anything? How do you decide the difference between a credible source and a shoddy source? How can you tell when you are being manipulated or tricked? What critical … [Read more...]
Creating Internal System Scrapbooks
A fun and creative way to increase system communication and overall system familiarity is to make a scrapbook displaying pages that describe each of the people in your system. Getting to know your system is an absolute essential part to your healing and recovery, but doing system work doesn't have to be drudgery. A system scrapbook can be a wonderful treasure and a priceless keepsake for many years to come. It can … [Read more...]
Integration: A Requirement for DID Therapy – Or Not?
I am well aware that many trauma therapists are highly supportive of the treatment goal to integrate dissociative selves. I have a different approach to this topic. Please understand I am not at all opposed to the idea of integration if that is what the person wants. However, that is a very complicated topic, and I'll discuss the integration issue from that perspective at another time. In my experience, by … [Read more...]