Quote:
Originally Posted by Amyjay
This is a hard one I think, because it simply isn't appropriate for people to be 100% honest about their inner being in all social situations. With close friends and family it is more appropriate to be more open and honest about yourself more often but it just isn't appropriate to always be honest and always tell the truth in social interactions. I don't mean its appropriate to lie. I mean its very often not appropriate for anyone to reveal their whole truth to everyone, and I don't just mean people with dissociative disorders.
And I want to reiterate the importance of being open and authentic with ourselves, because with dissociative disorders that is most often a contributor to the dissociative problem.... we can't accept the full truth of our own experiences because they are too much to bear, so they are dissociated. That inability to face my own truth is what drives the whole dissociation thing for me. If I could face my own experiences and truth then I wouldn't need to dissociate them!
For me my need is to learn to be able to accept my own truths within myself. And I know I don't yet. But I can't even hope to be "real" and open with others if I can't even be "real" with myself yet. Which is why I am so alarmed by that other thread. I didn't know I had to be diagnosed as being real and as far as I know I haven't been so does that mean I am potentially not even real? What hope is there for me if that is the case? I will ask my therapist next time I see her.  |
You make good points about sharing too much information. I believe that part of that is a flaw in me partly because of being naive and young-minded or it may be connected with my child alter. I'm just so trusting sometimes and feel like I have to describe everything in detail but, part of the posts I and my alters have made here at PC recently where we revealed too much about ourselves was related to being under so much stress and a need to be understood. Another alter was very upset about all of it because we made him feel like a fool by revealing so much. Finally finding a mental health forum after years of being online just sort of made us let our guard down, way down and before we knew it we were spilling our guts. Some other alters are not too happy about it either. The only reason I chose not to delete those posts is because I did get some responses to them that made me feel not so shameful so, I figured I would just let it go. Normally I keep stuff like that locked up tight because I know how illogical and irrational some of it sounds.
I've kept V a secret for an extremely long time and still can't believe that I talked about her. She's irritated with me over it.
But, anyway... Getting back on topic...
Does anyone feel like they have to hide who they really are around others? And if so, why do you feel that way?