[MisfitAmongstMisfits]

just wondering, does it ever get any easier to work with the different parts?? I still have a very difficult time, and am very scared to allow switching at the T's office, grrrrr, any ideas?

-Jodi

[kimmydawn]

Yes, it does get easier. In my case, it just happened. no warning...nothing.

The only thing that worked for me (because I couldn't reach on my own) was to actually safely trigger the emotional parts. It opened up an entire world that led to MASSIVE healing and togetherness and understanding.

There has to be ALOT of trust in t to do that.

If you want to know more, PM me and I can give you website information to give to t, ok?

It was the beginning of a magigical ride here.

KD

[MisfitAmongstMisfits]

would love to know more KD, Ill send ya a PM

yes it gets easier and for me switching automatically happens if I am triggered (uncomfortable or upset) and I don't use my grounding relaxation skills to remain aware. basically when experiencing a trigger don't fight the feeling of being far away from that trigger and the rerunning of that piece of memory will continue. With me it took years to learn step by step how to not run into my mental safe place. Every time I experienced a trigger I was off to LA LA LAND and no matter what the situation or where I was and who I was with I left that person situation whatever and they were left talking to me while my brain was rerunning the memory pieces. It was only after being in therapy that I learned how to not dissociate. and then later learned how to dissociate only to the point of co-consciousness so that I could finally be aware of what those memories where and what I was doing while those memories replayed. For me in the beginning "allowing switches to happen" was not my choice. it just happened which is why I was diagnosed years ago at the level of a 10 on the dissociation scale.

Talk with your therapist and he/she can help you if they want you to be dissociating during therapy that professional can help you. but my experience is that therapists work on the client gaining co consciousness and controling their dissociation so that they can remain aware while remembering what is happening in those memories, they don't typically work with creating more dissociative experiences.

[Monty_girl]

I don't normally have control over my switching and sometimes I rolladex ( switch often and very fast ) a lot. But it does get easier. I've had to learn to go with the follow and not get myself upset about it. If I get upset I switch and that leads to a snowball of switching.

To make switching easier in T I would have something comforting with me at T's. A stuffie or pillow. My T has learned over time what triggers certain pieces ( alters ). He knows certain things to say that will trigger. But it took him a few years to find what my triggers are and to be able to trigger without hurting.

[MisfitAmongstMisfits]

yes my switching happens on its own too, its that T's trying to help the others with the nightmares, and things seem to go well for a short time, then all of a sudden I crash again, this is very frustrating. With my PTSD the nightmares keep me up, was up all night lastnight, cause I was to afraid to sleep, dont want to crash again, and its starting all over, grrrrr Help....

[Monty_girl]

I know one of the things that makes switching worse is the lack of sleep. Can you just sit quietly with your eyes closed like in a chair?? or maybe sit outside like that. Not go to sleep but just sit? Sounds like a lot of anxiety right now. It's that circle of things. You get it calmed down and then it just goes out of control.

Have you all been able to describe the nightmares to T and talk about it any? Sometimes that helps mine to go away.

[cherybery]

My alters just do their thing and like you wish I had control over it. I wish I could give some advice but from where I am at I couldn't. I just want you too know you are not alone.
HUGS
Cher

[MisfitAmongstMisfits]

I wish I could, I still dont know how to break this cycly, but Im recognizing it more, but so scared at the thought of even closing my eyes, I did talk to T a bit about the nightmares, right now things are really stirred up, any suggestions to calm down the gang...

[Monty_girl]

When I'm like that, everything all built up and ready to up out of my skin I try and do anything physical. Clean the house, turn the radio on and jump around and dance. Just anything to work that energy out of my body. To the point where I get so tired that all I can do is lay on the couch and watch TV.

Basically do what helps you to be comfortable and relax after a nightmare and so on and that takes care of the triggers so that you won't be experiencing all the emotionss.

I have a reoccurring nightmare every night, I wake up in panic attacks. My therapist made me a relaxation tape of two of the Belleruth Naparstak relaxation exercises found in the book Invisible Heroes. (You can check out Belleruth Naparstak and her recordings and exercises on the http://www.healthjourneys.com website ) The first one she did was geared for PTSD and the other was spcifically for falling asleep after a nightmare. We did this I think back in February and I have used the tape so much that the tape broke last night. (good thing I see LL today and our plans are to may a recording while my doing a relaxation/visualization exercise with her.). these work. or I would not be doing them.

Other things I do every night after having my nightmare - open the window so that I have cool air flowing in on me, try to write down at least one word from the nightmare, then I grab my walkman and the tape made in therapy and take a bubble bath in scented oils and bubbles, with the first part of the tape (PTSD relaxation visualization) this helps me to reconnect mentally with my body and senses. Then I go back to bed and listen to the second one (Falling asleep after a nightmare relaxation/ visualization) and Im back to sleep before the tape ends.

Talk with your therapist she can help you set up something. Since alters are pieces of memories that are being triggered into replaying, Taking care of you takes care of the memory pieces so whatever she does to help you will also help them.

[MisfitAmongstMisfits]

tapes sound real good, but dont have any right now, and kinda was hoping for something I could do now to help quiet the noise down, and settle myself. Any ideas??

do you listen to CD's? is there one that you like? put that one on now, it will calm you.

Do you have the book the courage to heal by Laura Davis? If so page 75 has some ides of what to do in situations where you are having a hard time with what happened to you. She calls times like this the emergency stage.

In the workbook that goes with this book page 11 explains how to free write, and page 13 explains how to make a collage, I also find the pages 15- 110 helpful, they are activities and info about creating safety, support systems making emergency lists of things that make me feel better, what to do if I start to ppanic, learning how to take care of myself, celebrating accomplishments.

Take some paper - any kind and something to write with (or even on your computer writing program), and write down what you are hearing. Then look around you and see if there is anything arround you at the moment that matches what you wrote down. By doing this you will find what is triggering the audio memorys into replaying. Then its just a matter of doing something to fix it by - going into another room that does not contain that trigger or moving the trigger to some place else or writing about why that trigger bothers you. after writing physically walk away from that trigger and pay attention to how your body feels, what is around you, what you hear, taste, smell, see, touch, while you are walking.

once you have taken care of the trigger and reconnected with all your senses (hearing, taste, smell, touch, sight )then the audio memory will stop replaying.

hang in there. you can find more ideas about relaxation but remaining aware on Nancy J napiers website http://www.nancyjnapier.com