My psychiatrist told me today they misdiagnosed me as never having DID because my voice never changed. I'm sorry was I supposed to start talking in satanic voices and threatening people?

I was sort of offended by this. You kept me running around in circles, because my voice never changed? And actually my voice does change, you just have to pay attention to it. It's hard to grab. My whole aura changes. My body position, the way I present myself. My DID specialist said I made very obvious switches sometimes. To someone who specializes in the d/o maybe. We don't need special doctors to diagnose schizophrenia. Regular psychiatrists know what the symptoms are.

I hate the mental health system. In general they suck at diagnosis and dealing with dissociative d/o. I can't tell you how many doctors that saw me in my lifetime, and nobody caught on. Probably because my voice didn't change. LOL

[Puzzle_]

Even though my voice changes sometimes, usually it sounds very much like me..especially with the older alters, you can barely tell.
and I agree, but sometimes there are good doctors, my T is wonderful and not even a psychiatrist..picked everything up right away, but it took like a million different Ts to get to my current T.

Its hard with DID because many people have preconceived notions of what DID is like, due to the portrayals of it in the media, which of course Im not saying isnt real, perhaps there are DID's out there that experience things exactly like Sybil and others portrayed in the media, but not all people with DID exhibit DID exactly the same way,
just like not all those who have any other disorder experience it exactly the same ways...of course there are clear cut symptoms but, people are different.

Unfortunately doctors are also just humans, and the mind is incredibly complex, but I do agree they should be more attuned to pick things up...

Sorry things had to be so hard to finally get to the core of things

Puzzle_ Puzzle_

[WePow]

BIG hugs to you! Alters are developed to protect the system. Having huge displays which draw attention to a person go against how DID would manifest. Alters do have their own voice, but they will try hard to keep it hidden because they NEED to have the least amount of threat come at the whole system.

[Puzzle_]

Originally Posted by WePow

BIG hugs to you! Alters are developed to protect the system. Having huge displays which draw attention to a person go against how DID would manifest. Alters do have their own voice, but they will try hard to keep it hidden because they NEED to have the least amount of threat come at the whole system.

so very well said WePow, my voice barely changes, my T notices at times..and not really that much at all, Ive gone through various switches in her office, sometimes while co-conscious and I think she still thinks its me the whole time because it might sound the same! I think? lol!~

[WePow]

Yep!!! Now the way you describe it fits what I have learned and experienced. I know for me, my teen alter Andy had a lower tone in voice. And his words were a bit sharper - faster in a small way. And the choice of words for Andy were entirely different than the choice of words for my 12 yr old alter named Shadow. She had a strange fascination with the way words were constructed. So she would sound out longer words in a very unique way. It was my T would pointed that out to me! I didn't even know that was going on.

[Claritytoo]

The only time I can tell my voice changes is when the person I am speaking to looks surprised by my tone. If I see that, I will usually correct it.
I don't sound different to me. But I will respond to a persons expectations. I don't like that when it happens but if I don't correct it I will be asked questions like "are you all right" or "You sound different" I like that even less. To me I always sound fine.

[Bmee2]

i do not know if the voice changes. i cannot hear it. Not the way a T or someone outside the body would hear it. i am not sure what the body looks like either....well the head part. i am sending a little flower to you.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by WePow

BIG hugs to you! Alters are developed to protect the system. Having huge displays which draw attention to a person go against how DID would manifest. Alters do have their own voice, but they will try hard to keep it hidden because they NEED to have the least amount of threat come at the whole system.

Im sorry but I most disagree here. I had alters that did display behaviors, attitudes, mannerisms that did call attention to us. in order to be diagnosed DID the person must have at least two alternate personalities that are noticeable, as in they have their own ways to be that is not like the host/core or other alters. if you dont have these alters then you dont get the diagnosis of DID. A psychiatrist must witness this major differences between the host/core many times in order to diagnose...

the two vastly different alters that got me diagnosed with DID -

one was rage filled, ready for a fight and all mannerisms, language, clothing style... showed rage.

one was suicidal. one second im talking calmly with the psychiatrist, the next Im telling him where to go and trying to use his desk shears to kill myself with.

I also had alters that went out of their way to do things that would get attention. their Job/purpose was to get attention, not let people ignore us, not be the good little invisible girl. sometimes it was something small like swearing in front of grandma because grandma didnt approve of little girls using bad language, other times it was not getting good grades just to get my parents attention, other times it was major like destroying school property, my siblings property, wearing too much make up knowing full well my mother would catch me and I would get a lecture about how good little girls dont dress like tramps... got negative attention but it was attention.

everyones system is what ever they needed to survive and people do need the attention of their family so theres usually some alters who's purpose/job is, is to get noticed be the bold ones that are always doing something for attention.

I bet if you think about your own system you will recognize the alters that were there to make sure you got noticed by your family, friends, school teachers either by negative or positive actions you the host would not have done.

Originally Posted by amandalouise

Im sorry but I most disagree here. I had alters that did display behaviors, attitudes, mannerisms that did call attention to us. in order to be diagnosed DID the person must have at least two alternate personalities that are noticeable, as in they have their own ways to be that is not like the host/core or other alters. if you dont have these alters then you dont get the diagnosis of DID. A psychiatrist must witness this major differences between the host/core many times in order to diagnose...

the two vastly different alters that got me diagnosed with DID -

one was rage filled, ready for a fight and all mannerisms, language, clothing style... showed rage.

one was suicidal. one second im talking calmly with the psychiatrist, the next Im telling him where to go and trying to use his desk shears to kill myself with.

I also had alters that went out of their way to do things that would get attention. their Job/purpose was to get attention, not let people ignore us, not be the good little invisible girl. sometimes it was something small like swearing in front of grandma because grandma didnt approve of little girls using bad language, other times it was not getting good grades just to get my parents attention, other times it was major like destroying school property, my siblings property, wearing too much make up knowing full well my mother would catch me and I would get a lecture about how good little girls dont dress like tramps... got negative attention but it was attention.

everyones system is what ever they needed to survive and people do need the attention of their family so theres usually some alters who's purpose/job is, is to get noticed be the bold ones that are always doing something for attention.

I bet if you think about your own system you will recognize the alters that were there to make sure you got noticed by your family, friends, school teachers either by negative or positive actions you the host would not have done.

Hmm I'm a little skeptical. I may have alters who reach out for help, but there are twice as many pulling the blinds shut. You have to remember not everyone with DID is the same. So we don't all have parts that reach out for attention. We don't all switch easily or do things illegal. I have a protector whom takes over if anything bad starts to happen. Like Drinking, stealing, etc. If we all switched so drastically my DID would have been diagnosed years ago. My entire nature of the illness is to cover it up and in turn you're covering up the abuse. You spend more time covering it up for yourself, then anyone else.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by LydiaB

You have to remember not everyone with DID is the same.

which was my point to wepow. if you read Wepows post in this thread you will see her statement was

Originally Posted by WePow

Having huge displays which draw attention to a person go against how DID would manifest.

that was what I was disagreeing with. for some people yea that statement may be true but for many others that I know that generalized statement about DID is not true.

then I posted what the diagnostic criteria is and how *my alters* and I fit in with that diagnstic criteria and having alters that were the kind that called attention to me and the alters in positive and negative ways.

I have also read wepows past posts. in them there are many instances where she has wrote her alters have done things she wouldnt normally have done and it caused her family, treatment providers and herself stressful times.

I dont know about where you are Lydia around here where I live and work, alters acting out in ways in which family and treatment providers notice we are acting different or seem to do things we wouldnt normally do is called attention seeking. sometimes the result is in my case negative attention ie getting yelled at by the boss, family not understanding, being hospitalized or arrested, ..

anyway lydia ..my post to wepow was to let wepow know that there is no one way in which DID manafests itself, and how that pertained to me and the diagnostics that got me diagnosed DID.

[Claritytoo]

Originally Posted by LydiaB

Hmm I'm a little skeptical. I may have alters who reach out for help, but there are twice as many pulling the blinds shut. You have to remember not everyone with DID is the same. So we don't all have parts that reach out for attention. We don't all switch easily or do things illegal. I have a protector whom takes over if anything bad starts to happen. Like Drinking, stealing, etc. If we all switched so drastically my DID would have been diagnosed years ago. My entire nature of the illness is to cover it up and in turn you're covering up the abuse. You spend more time covering it up for yourself, then anyone else.

I have a similar experience. I never wanted to be noticed. If I got noticed something bad happened so I hid a lot. Even now I hide a lot. The only time anyone sees a big change in me is if I become angry. And if I become rage-full I become someone else totally. I actually feel like I am bigger and stronger if I feel rage full. I am known to be a certain way by different groups of people. So my co workers know me one way and my family knows me another way and my long time friends know me another and my more recent friends know me to be still another way. I try never to mix the groups. Sometimes paths cross and I freak out in my head. Most time I will introduce them and find a reason to get going. It would be impossible to interact with both friends because they know me to be a certain way. So who would I be. Anyway I am glad you responded to this post. It made me feel ok.

[Puzzle_]

I have alters that just cant help but be different, its not always in the voice though.
Usually people just think I have lots of varied interests..

but nope.

There are alters that are hiding alters and Ive got my fair share of protectors and gatekeepers.
There are alters that are so obvious, that Ive had people just immediately tell me I was different, which I have some pre-planned excuses for...since it has happened quite a bit

But yes, everybody has DID differently, some more overtly than others.

Puzzle_ Puzzle_

my t tells me that when i switch my ears wiggle...with some of my peeps the voice & posture change, as well as other things...

[possum220]

My system does a few things. I have found as I explore life with my P'doc that other differences are also revealing themselves.

Different strokes for different folks.

[Puzzle_]

Originally Posted by possum220

Different strokes for different folks.

Well said mate

Puzzle_ Puzzle_