What makes it difficult for trauma survivors with Dissociative Identity Disorder to know the truth? How easy is it to trick someone with DID with a lie? When are survivors lying to themselves? When does dissociation block out information to know the difference? When does pain, especially emotional pain, become the deciding factor in what survivors believe, regardless of truth? When does the viciousness … [Read more...]
Now I have lost my father…
“So thanks to all of this therapy, I have lost my father.” “You haven’t lost your father….You did lose the father that you thought you had…” “OK, I get it. I didn’t have the perfect dad…. And my therapy has successfully shattered my romanticized image of my narcissistic father. Is that how you would say it?” “I would say, the patient, born to a depressed mother, idealized her father so as to not feel completely … [Read more...]
HBO’s “In Treatment” – Is That What Therapy is Like?
How many of you have been watching the award-winning HBO Series, "In Treatment" with Gabriel Byrne, Dianne Wiest, and John Mahoney? This HBO series is currently near the beginning of its second season, centered around how Dr. Paul Weston (Byrne) conducts therapy sessions with four different clients, and then his own individual therapy process with his own therapist, Dr. Gina Toll (Wiest). In my opinion, the "In … [Read more...]
30 Potential Blocks in the Therapy Process for Dissociative Trauma Survivors
The healing process for dissociative trauma survivors is very long, involved and complex, and of course, the therapy process for the treatment of Dissociative Identity Disorder is full of many potential blocks, complications, detours, messes, digressions, etc. The article, 50 Treatment Issues for Dissociative Identity Disorder, lists out many of the steps involved in trauma therapy. How can dissociative trauma … [Read more...]
Dissociative Trauma Survivors – Must You Be Alone?
Are you alone? Oh, what a tough and painful topic this one is. All too many dissociative survivors are alone. Alone with their pain. Alone with their memories. Alone within their system. Alone in relationships. Alone in a crowded room. Far too many dissociative survivors feel painfully alone. Isolated. Alienated. Separated from others. There are actually a few trauma survivors that genuinely … [Read more...]