[phoenix47baby]

I thought that for one to have dissociation, and split off, the abuse had to be pretty bad for the little child to be splitting off. No? What I am wondering is doesn't the abuse have to be pretty horrendous for the small child to start splitting off and forming alters? Thanks so much in advance for your help.

[Elysium]

Well sweety...

ANY and ALL abuse is BAD ENOUGH. Yes...there are some children who suffer from more extreme levels of abuse, but any abuse is bad enough to cause significant and/or severe damage.

It also depends on the child. Each child will respond differently to the affects of trauma...and even though everyone dissociates once in a while in everyday life, that doesn't mean that every child that is abused will end up at the farther end of the dissociative continuum. I think it also depends on the sensitivity and resiliency of the child as well. Children that are more prone to dissociation tend to have very creative minds which serves to allow their mind to split in an effort to help them survive.

So...NO!! The abuse doesn't have to be super extreme. It just has to be abuse.

Hope this helps....

[possum220]

Like Elysium said "Each child will respond differently to the affects of trauma"..

DID does not only occur from abuse, be it intentional or not, but any form of trauma, that the small mind cannot process.

Overwhelming stress, Trauma, Insufficient childhood nurturing, Child abuse sexual and/or emotional abuse can each trigger a child, and if bad enough an adult, though normally it starts at a young age, to develop DID.

Please seek professional help from an expert in this field should you or some-one you know need help.

[Luce]

The theory of structural dissociation proposes that dissociation isn't necessarily caused by abuse, although that is definitely one way it can happen. It suggests that dissociation, including DID, is caused by the inability of the child to integrate the various aspects of the personality due to a lack of integrative experiences, from a range of denial of emotions or a parent disallowing expression of emotion, to severe abuse without restorative experiences.

This theory proposes that people do not 'create' alters as such, but that all young children experience different emotional states of self, and in a nurturing environment children learn to integrate these states into one cohesive sense of identity. In a punishing, denying or abusive environment children are unable to integrate these emotional states, and they continue to develop independently of one another.

[DLHsSystm]

Love all this info. Makes me use the stuff between my ears. Emotional states of self. Yep I find that very descriptive. Also interesting ... restorative experiences.

[phoenix47baby]

Thank you everyone for your thorough replies. I had to really think on the tough one.
Thank you. phoenix47

[anderson]

Originally Posted by phoenix47baby

Thank you everyone for your thorough replies. I had to really think on the tough one.
Thank you. phoenix47

P47 check out the thread on where the wild things are that may help you understand it better I was first treated back in the 70's so I learned thing diffrently. not only that but I was treated by a native amercan shaman. so we come from a mixed back ground on healing teckniqes . email me if you want more detials.

[Eriksplus]

Makes me use the stuff between my ears.

(Webber)Erik

[phoenix47baby]

Thanks, Anderson and Eriksplus. I do appreciate your support.
phoenix47