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...]
The Layers of Halloween Weekend
It’s Halloween weekend. This is a difficult, heavy weekend for a lot of dissociative trauma survivors. I’ll say right upfront – and please hear this clearly -- that it is NOT a difficult or triggery weekend for every DID trauma survivor. To assume that every dissociative survivor has experienced the same kinds of abuse is completely wrong, and I will be the first trauma therapist to say that not everyone … [Read more...]
Remembering Annemaria
There is a young woman who will always be precious to me. I haven’t spoken to her in years, but she forever changed my life. Just in being herself, Annemaria gave me my very first introduction to Dissociative Disorders. She changed my life. Absolutely and completely. This date – October 23rd -- had specific meaning for her. And every year on this date, I specifically think of her. The story … [Read more...]
Believing a Lie – the Foundation of Dissociation
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...]
How Dissociative Are You?
Dissociative Identity Disorder How dissociative are you? Do you know what it is? Does dissociation feel familiar to you? Have you ever floated above yourself? Have you ever felt like more than one person? Have you ever separated from your body? Do you wonder if you have a dissociative disorder? Do you wonder if you are more dissociative than average? Learning about dissociation, being … [Read more...]