Recently diagnosed

I have been recently diagnosed with dissociative disorder (i'm not sure what DID stands for ...is it dissociative identitiy disorder?) and I have read a little bit about it. My therapist has told me I lose time and that she didn't want to say it but she says I am like two different people at times...I think she did not want to scare me. I did read up on this disorder and saw that another word for it is multiple personality disorder and wondered if this was another way of putting it to say dissociative disorder....??? I mean is it really multiple personality disorder, is that the real name for it? I am kinda confused. I am bipolar also. This is all very new to me and I'm trying to get some insight on this. If someone could please help me understand more about this, I would appreciate it. Thanks.

hi tigger and welcome

I would ask my therapist if she could be more clear about the dissociative disorder and the diagnosis. There are several dissociative disorders, with dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder) being just one of them. Ask her if she could give you any information that you could take home and review to attempt to understand more about what it is she feels you're dealing with. That was helpful to me.

those of us who live with this are creative, intelligent people who used our skills in this world to try to make it work for us in the best ways that we could.

again, welcome. say more when you're ready.

KD

Also, there are many of us here who understand and are willing to answer specific questions you might have, or relate to shared experiences.

When I was first diagnosed, I understood the disorder but had a hard time applying it to me and my experience. I wanted to read, but what I did read confused me.

We will help to answer questions you might have, and I'm sure your therapist will also help you there too.

Don't hesitate to ask, share, or PM.

KD

I have had past sexual and physical, emotional abuse and alot of trauma in my life. I have never really dealt with it and have been seeing a therapist since I was 17 years old, but this is the first therapist that I have ever really started talking about it with. The first one I felt comfortable with. I am scared to death to start looking at some of the stuff in my past and really working on it b/c it is so painful. She tells me I have depersonalization and derealization from what I explain to her the symptoms I am having right now. They are more than I can handle.

welcome

There are many forms of dissociation. for example a person who is watching a movie and not noticing when the person next to you gets up to leave the room because they are so focused on the movie that is all they are paying attention to is a normal dissociative experience. Ever sit in a classroom and start daydreaming about what you are going to do after class or that special someone you like and so on? thats being dissociated.

Dissociation runs on a scale of 1-10. and depending on the type of dissociation you have says where you are on the scale.

I have alot of DID information located in my blog called Me, Myself and I.

DID stands for Dissociative Identity Disorder. It is the new name for what used to be called Multiple Personality Disorder. Both MPD and DID are the same thing. The mental health field just renamed it because MPD label was misleading as to what the disorder really is. Kind of like Manic Depression is now called Bipolor Disorder.

I have DID and to read about my experience with DID and therapy for DID you click on the word - Blogs - at the top of this page. On the left side of the page that comes up you will see the words - get your own. Click on that. That will bring you into the members blogs. On the right side in a gray box you will see the words Me, Myself and I. click on that. That will bring you to my most recent entry I thin k right now its titled Sand Trays. At the top click on my main blog label and that will bring up a page that will show some things on the right side. in the pages catagory there is a link called - blog index. Click on that and that will tell you all the entries that are on my blog. Just click on the ones you want to read.

Welcome tigger, it's nice to meet you. I'm glad you have a therapist who can help you with this. My therapist has been wonderful in helping me to understand and also to learn how to deal with it. There are a lot of people with varying degrees of dissociation here I think and I know we would all like to support you as we can. Glad you are here.

She tells me I have depersonalization and derealization from what I explain to her the symptoms I am having right now.

Yep, those are both listed in dissociative disorders.

KD

Welcome Tigger, this is a great place to get feedback and information and stuff. You have begun a great adventure into the world of your self. I'm excited for you. Take your time and ask questions when you have them. Folks here are amazing.