Dissociative Identity Disorder

[MandyR]

Do you have Dissociative Identity Disorder?

Many people live with D.I.D all over the world. 

DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDER

Dissociative identity disorder is a survival mechanism of the brain.

It is more of an ability that keeps a child alive throughout continual and ongoing abuse in early childhood.

Much like surviving a traumatic car accident, trauma to the head can result in the brain shutting down in order to cope with the enormity of the damage afflicted.
The brain is protecting itself.

With D.I.D this then results in shutting down of self also. Memory becomes separated and these separated memories may remain dormant until they are accessible again in later years when memory recall of the abuse events become active(flashbacks). The memories are also affected at the time by the child's perception of self and the world around them. Memories combined with self perception contribute toward the development of individual parts of self.

These separations also called fracturing create new and separate sense of self resulting in separated parts of identity.

The separated parts of self then become individual and can function separately from one another with individual characteristics and personalities.
Not all separated parts have a personality they may only carry characteristic traits.

The original term Multiple Personality was changed to Dissociative Identity because this is more than just personality changes.

The new name now used, DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDER, is because of the extreme level of dissociation needed to survive the abuse and the reason the separations are able to happen.”

Mandy 2020 ©️

[Kelpies23]

The ISSTD (International Society For Trauma and Dissociation) has fantastic and appropriate information that is easy for families to engage with.  There is also an Online Community called systemspeakcommunity.com.  This is survivor founded but she is also a professional.  There is absolutely no trauma dumping.  I have found the members there to be knowledgeable and the emphasis is on living with DID effectively.  There are Zooms which I am now engaging with. You can join these Live Groups via the Chat Zoom option is you wish, just mute your camera and just use audio.  Lots of options.  The Podcasts are extensive and she interviews Mental Health Professionals from around the globe including some Australian organisations such as Blackknot and Cathy Kezelman.  Another site that is full of very accessible information with a good search function is fightingforafuture.com  Their response time to email enquires for children and families has in my experience been fantastic.

[Kelpies23]

Yes, I agree that SANE is terrific. Even though it is not a DID-specific Lived Experience Forum, the acceptance was, for me, a game changer. They now offer a 12-week Lived Experience Zoom and 1-1 phone calls a week. I found the Zoom topics a bit pedestrian, but that is because of where I am with my MH. It really helped me develop confidence in how to use Zoom safely. Once I have, it has been fantastic.  

[Kelpies23]

This is a beautiful reply for this member. Thank you.  As you mention the SANE Lived Experience Forums are excellent.