Quote:
Originally Posted by RapidFlyer
I have been wondering for a long time now if I am really different or if there are others out there like me.
My primary interactive personality is NOT my core personality. The person who is the adult, interacts with the world and makes all the decisions and lives life on life's terms is not the core.
The core is a child who will never grow up. She is pre-adolescent and well protected from the world. She interacts under very strict circumstances with our nieces and occasionally with other children.
This was decision made a long time ago and it works really well.
But am I the only one out there with this setup? Sometimes I get tired of never being able to talk about it.
I hope someone will have something to say cause I am lousy at letting people know how vulnerable I feel posting something like this.
Thanks for listening.
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here in NY when this question comes /came up for me my treatment providers asked me this question - Biologically or mental maturity.
At first I didnt understand them. then they explained, biological stunting (not growing) is a physical health problem where for many physical reasons a persons body doesnt grow up.
examples
hormones
eating disorders
puberty problems
thyroid diseases
endocrine disorders
anemia
lack of vitamins
heredity
muscular dystrophy
cerebral palsy
dwarfism
and many more health issues affect how the biological body grows.
mental maturity is how a person responds to their surroundings / environment, issues in their live, experiences, social skills, ...
many things can affect a persons mental maturity...
trauma
stress
depression (and any other mental disorder)
physical health problems
work stress
foster care programs
moving to a new location...
the list is endless for what can cause a person to have a below normal mental maturity score (other wise known as GAF on psychiatric evaluations)
if you (the core person) have a mental maturity of a child and your biological age is that of an adult on the GAF scale you are considered mentally retarded.
there are ways you can increase your mental maturity.. reading, writing / Journal writing, puzzles, listening to music, watching tv, having a mentor, therapy, enroll in a literacy program, enroll in a college class... the list is endless on the different ways you can up your mental maturity score.
that said yes I (the core (biological self born to this body) did have a low mental maturity score. this isnt abnormal for DID people. when ever I had a problem I dissociated.. through dissociation I didnt have exposure to the typical things children and teens went through. it was my alters that dated, learned how to get along with other children, how to self nurture, how to express emotions, what emotions are, how to apply for a job, how to hang on to a job, how to socialize, how to speak correctly, how to bath and dress appropriately.... all those things that count as mental maturity..
I went from the mental maturity of a mentally retarded person to that of the biological age of my body in a couple years thanks to my therapist, teachers and others that took the time to teach me those things. and you can too.
it takes
knowing what your GAF score is
Determination to learn how to take care of yourself and learn the skills needed to take care of yourself
working with your treatment providers on ways that can improve your GAF score
working with family friends and teachers to learn those skills that you didnt learn by dissociating when ever you encountered your problems and issues
working with your treatment providers on your problems that cause you to dissociate...