Abandonment is such a tender issue for trauma survivors. Most survivors with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID/MPD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) have had more than their fair share of genuine abandonment instances. For severe trauma survivors, abandonment would have been experienced over and over in various situations: Each time your parents or caregivers turned a blind eye to the sexual abuse … [Read more...]
Do’s and Don’ts for Singleton Friends of Multiples
I am not sure who wrote the following list of “Do’s and Don’ts for Singleton Friends of Multiples”. This list was e-mailed to me years ago by a person with Dissociative Identity Disorder, saying this list was comprised by an anonymous group* of multiples. I am sure that there could be many other suggestions added to the list, but for today, I will post it in exactly the same format as I received … [Read more...]
Understanding Child Parts in the Dissociative System
Child parts come in all shapes and sizes - small, tall, skinny, short, chunky, pristine, messy, filthy, princess-like, raggedy, male, female, quiet, noisy, screaming, crying, silent, confused, dazed, sleepy, busy, playful, happy, sad, angry, fearful, bouncing, babyish, stiff, awkward, hurting, numb. As different as they are, they all have similar qualities. They are typically some of the oldest, most knowledgeable … [Read more...]
50 Treatment Issues for Dissociative Identity Disorder
"I have DID. How long will it take for someone with Dissociative Identity Disorder to feel better?" As a clinical therapist, I hear that question frequently. It's a reasonable question. I certainly understand that when dissociative trauma survivors are deeply hurting and struggling in their life, they want to feel better as quickly as possible. However, the clinical treatment for someone with Dissociative … [Read more...]
Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder – From Separated Splitting to Safe Solidity
Do you feel like you can be very different people? Do you have trouble remembering what happened through your week? Do you have minimal memories of your childhood? Do you feel a lot of conflict within yourself, and have unexplainable extremes in your behavior, thoughts, or attitudes? Do you have conversations in your head, and do the voices in your … [Read more...]