[PurpleFlyingMonkeys]

So about 10 years back I was diagnosed with DID by my long time therapist. He asked to hypnotize me and I refused and stopped seeing him afraid he may find out my "secrets". So years later (about 7.5 years later) I go to see a new pdoc for meds. This doc tells me that he doesn't believe that I have DID but may be suffering from some form of siezures... I thought he was an idiot. Something I typically think when Doctors tell me something I don't want to hear. I only saw him once. So 2.5 years later and here I am at the end of a very tiring week where I have had 3 "siezures" in a 5 day time frame.
Basically my whole life there have been moments unaccounted for. Moments that I have blacked out. Since I was 4 and was in a terrible situation with my father I have had these blackouts during high stress. Some of them I come back from it with a horrible headache but not much else. I can tell there is a hole in my memory but it doesn't seem too serious. But then about 3 years ago I blackout... More or less fainted. I was at work 10 minuted into my shift and I started to get really dizzy and everything turned black. Next thing I knew I was on the floor with all of my coworkers surrounding me calling my name. They said I stopped breathing for nearly 3 minutes. Once I stood up and made my way to the table I began to uncontrollably vomit. I went home and was too tired to go to the ER so I took a long nap first then went in to the hospital. I had never fainted before. About a year prior to that I did have a massive blackout that landed me in the ER with a concussion (after the blackout began) and now last Saturday... I don't want to go over the entire episode but it started much the same as the fainting spell. Blackness and I come too with everyone over me crying and freaking out. It was a full blown siezure that began with shaking, then my body tensed then went limp and I fell to the floor off the couch. After I was able to lift myself back onto the couch I started vomiting. I had never experience this before...
So 3 days later and I'm still shaken up by everything. I was in the car and started to get the dark heavy feeling again. The next thing I know I'm confused and feel like there is the void again, not as long or dramatic but still there. I'm left asking "what happened" and how long. The next day the same thing happens. In the car again and I find myself again saying "What happened" Apparently my eyes were going back and forth and blinking repeatedly but I have no memory of this. None of any of the episodes. I know I should have gone to the ER after my "grand mal" siezure on Saturday but I had no insurance so I didn't make it to the doc until Thursday when I saw the problem wasn't going away on it's own. The ER referred me to a Neurologist... Costly doctor for someone without medical insurance.
So I go see the Neurologist Friday, the day after the ER. After finding out I did not have insurance the Neurologist refused to run any tests or give me any medication or even attempt to find out what has been causing the siezures to stop them. I have found a new doctor that in time can get me these tests but I can't see him until the 18th. Every day is a battle. I am a small framed female, I have dizzy spells constantly being in the south and being small framed. Each day I am terrified of having another siezure since I don't even know what triggers them. I know the dizziness seems to start things in my case so every sign of dizziness throws me into panic. My past and family history seems to be DID would be the correct reason behind my blackouts. However I'm not sure what to make of this new evidence that some of the blackouts, if not all of them could be in relation to siezures. I'm sory to post so long but I am really afraid. I went to church on Sunday and 15 minutes into the service and I had to leave, I was so afraid of my own self. Not knowing if or when it will happen again. I don't even know for certain that the two are connected but it seems too similar to just be coincidental. Basically I'm asking if anyone knows of any connections between DID patients and siezures... These siezures, blackouts, fainting spells... All happen when I am under a great ammount of stress or in a horrible situation at the time. Does anyone know if siezures could be a way of dissociating, I know the spectrum is very wide and covers many things. I don't know what to make of this and need some kind of hope to get me through until the 18th... Any response would be greatly appreciated!!!

[Sossie]

Actually it was seizure like activity that made them come to the conclusion that my husband was DID. They called them pseudo seizures.

Then last semester in my psych class, my professor was telling us about this little girl who she was almost certain that she had DID but didn't know for sure at the time, but she had these crazy seizures that were eventually linked to her switching between alters.

So no it is not uncommon at all. I am sorry you are dealing with this.

[PurpleFlyingMonkeys]

Thank you so much for your reply Soosie. It's really confusing and hard for me to tell the difference. I've had the DID diagnosis for 10 years now, but these siezures are new and to find out it could have been them causing the blackouts is even more confusing. I had a difficult time telling apart my DID parts from my schizo parts and now it's time to tell my DID from these siezures... I have a feeling I have a long road ahead lol. It is nice to hear that it's not so uncommon. It just makes me wonder why it's only been mentioned once before with me. But as I have read, some people it doesn't show up as siezures until later on in life. I'm 24, I woulda thought I would know by now if I was having siezures. I'm sorry your husband had DID and siezures and it's horrible about the little girl with DID, poor girl having to deal with both of this at the same time. I didn't know it could be linked to switching though, give it even more depth and confusion lol. Thanks again for the reply!!!

[FireBird]

I have pseudo seizures as well but they went away for 5 years and then came back in the last few weeks. Nothing triggered it. I have also had fainting when I was a teenager. I am 28 now. Sometimes I do switch but don't know if its related to seizures. The most bizarre thing is though when I have a massive grand mal type pseudo seizure, I switch into a bird personality. Yes I have a bird in me. That makes no sense at all. I don't know if that is DID or schizophrenia. I lose the ability to speak all I would say is total gibberish and also believe I can fly. When I am in unknown places I sometimes switch into a 5 year old. I have autism and that is very stressful for me, even if its fun like a vacation.

[PurpleFlyingMonkeys]

Thank you fire bird. You sound like me lol. I have Schizophrenia and DID, have not been officially diagnosed with any kind of seizures yet (just had them and they did say that they were seizures they just don't want to do the scans to get the proof since I don't have insurance). I'm not sure which kind, if any (of course I am praying that I don't have any more) seizures I have. I hope that the time is just a phase or something (I know I'm not being realistic) and that they may go away. I am somewhat more calm about them when I reflect on my past with them. They seem to pop up every couple of years, throw my life into a tornado and then go away completely for a couple of years. So hopefully, like you, I can go years in between one day... Who knows, I will find out soon I hope!
I had such a hard time deciphering between my schizophrenia symptoms and my DID symptoms for so long now, and now I'm getting to tell the difference between my DID and these seizures as well as my every day dizzyness and head fog from the seizure signs... It's not very fun It's, I can't say nice, but somewhat comforting to know that I may not be the only person who has to manage all 3 of these pretty crazy disorders. I mean, most people only have one... Seizures are more common but still most people only have one, two tops... All 3 is nuts! Best of luck to you, so sorry you have to juggle all 3 as well, I know it's rough!

Thanks again for your response! It is greatly appreciated!

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by PurpleFlyingMonkeys

So about 10 years back I was diagnosed with DID by my long time therapist. He asked to hypnotize me and I refused and stopped seeing him afraid he may find out my "secrets". So years later (about 7.5 years later) I go to see a new pdoc for meds. This doc tells me that he doesn't believe that I have DID but may be suffering from some form of siezures... I thought he was an idiot. Something I typically think when Doctors tell me something I don't want to hear. I only saw him once. So 2.5 years later and here I am at the end of a very tiring week where I have had 3 "siezures" in a 5 day time frame.
Basically my whole life there have been moments unaccounted for. Moments that I have blacked out. Since I was 4 and was in a terrible situation with my father I have had these blackouts during high stress. Some of them I come back from it with a horrible headache but not much else. I can tell there is a hole in my memory but it doesn't seem too serious. But then about 3 years ago I blackout... More or less fainted. I was at work 10 minuted into my shift and I started to get really dizzy and everything turned black. Next thing I knew I was on the floor with all of my coworkers surrounding me calling my name. They said I stopped breathing for nearly 3 minutes. Once I stood up and made my way to the table I began to uncontrollably vomit. I went home and was too tired to go to the ER so I took a long nap first then went in to the hospital. I had never fainted before. About a year prior to that I did have a massive blackout that landed me in the ER with a concussion (after the blackout began) and now last Saturday... I don't want to go over the entire episode but it started much the same as the fainting spell. Blackness and I come too with everyone over me crying and freaking out. It was a full blown siezure that began with shaking, then my body tensed then went limp and I fell to the floor off the couch. After I was able to lift myself back onto the couch I started vomiting. I had never experience this before...
So 3 days later and I'm still shaken up by everything. I was in the car and started to get the dark heavy feeling again. The next thing I know I'm confused and feel like there is the void again, not as long or dramatic but still there. I'm left asking "what happened" and how long. The next day the same thing happens. In the car again and I find myself again saying "What happened" Apparently my eyes were going back and forth and blinking repeatedly but I have no memory of this. None of any of the episodes. I know I should have gone to the ER after my "grand mal" siezure on Saturday but I had no insurance so I didn't make it to the doc until Thursday when I saw the problem wasn't going away on it's own. The ER referred me to a Neurologist... Costly doctor for someone without medical insurance.
So I go see the Neurologist Friday, the day after the ER. After finding out I did not have insurance the Neurologist refused to run any tests or give me any medication or even attempt to find out what has been causing the siezures to stop them. I have found a new doctor that in time can get me these tests but I can't see him until the 18th. Every day is a battle. I am a small framed female, I have dizzy spells constantly being in the south and being small framed. Each day I am terrified of having another siezure since I don't even know what triggers them. I know the dizziness seems to start things in my case so every sign of dizziness throws me into panic. My past and family history seems to be DID would be the correct reason behind my blackouts. However I'm not sure what to make of this new evidence that some of the blackouts, if not all of them could be in relation to siezures. I'm sory to post so long but I am really afraid. I went to church on Sunday and 15 minutes into the service and I had to leave, I was so afraid of my own self. Not knowing if or when it will happen again. I don't even know for certain that the two are connected but it seems too similar to just be coincidental. Basically I'm asking if anyone knows of any connections between DID patients and siezures... These siezures, blackouts, fainting spells... All happen when I am under a great ammount of stress or in a horrible situation at the time. Does anyone know if siezures could be a way of dissociating, I know the spectrum is very wide and covers many things. I don't know what to make of this and need some kind of hope to get me through until the 18th... Any response would be greatly appreciated!!!

DID does not include having seizures. in fact there is a diagnostic criteria about that and is why when going through the diagnostic process all seizure disorders have to be ruled out before DID can be ruled in...

http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/disorders/did.ht

"D. The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., blackouts or chaotic behavior during Alcohol Intoxication) or a general medical condition (e.g., complex partial seizures). "

please contact your treatment providers they will tell you what your seizures are related to, they can do diagnostic tests for all seizure disorders (epilepsy,

here is some information about seizure disorders (what causes a seizure, what it is, treatment options...)

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/s...ers-000148.htm

[Crew]

However, a part can have seizures within the DID system. I know this because I have had 4 different parts that have been confirmed as having seizures but because they are not "body runners" they cannot take the medicine or they would have to be out all the time.

It never ceases to amaze me what the body can do under extreme situations.......!

that is my 30 cents worth... Crew

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Crew

However, a part can have seizures within the DID system. I know this because I have had 4 different parts that have been confirmed as having seizures but because they are not "body runners" they cannot take the medicine or they would have to be out all the time.

It never ceases to amaze me what the body can do under extreme situations.......!

that is my 30 cents worth... Crew

sure they can alters parts insiders what ever words you use for them. they can be any way that the host feels they need to be in order for the host to survive..

alters can be big, little, any shape any size, any age, the can have animal traits and even have illnesses that help to ensure the host remains safe and sound and survives.

theres a lady in the therapy group I attend that has an eagle.

there are many posts here on psych central by people who have wolves, fairies and book characters as the running themes, personality traites of their alters.

I recently met someone who has an alter who is turtle themed and traits and when she is that alter she tests positive for salmonella poisoning.

some people even have alters with differences in eye sights, heart murmurs, high blood pressure, phobias likes and dislikes than the host does.

alters can be anything and have any protection measures possible that is needed to ensure the host survives.

when I answered that the diagnostic criteria says seizures are not part of this I was going on the fact that the poster asking about seizures was talking about their self (the host being ) not their alters.