New member first post

just going to put this out there I have been dealing with this for a long time. The medical professionals that I am seeing for years now keep telling me they can help with the DID , but there are no results. It is tearing all my personal relationships apart as nobody understands the out of character behaviour and then the amnesia. I even bought two houses without any memory of it. Not to mention being nasty to loved ones. Never physical just verbal. These things I would never do as me. I will just ask does anybody know a progessional in Texas who is a REAL specialist with DID? Hopefully in North Texas. If not here then anywhere. thanks so much so frustrated.

Hello nicker,

I am from the UK so I don't know about any therapists in your area but wanted to welcome you to the forum!

one thing about professionals regardless of what kind.. they are not one person fits all kind of deal...example those treatment providers that I know and think are good may not be another persons idea of a good treatment provider...

example I like treatment providers that dont go easy on me, they push when needed and they dont sugar coat.they put it out there the way it is no matter what.

my wife prefers the more subtle approach, challenging but not confrontational, caring but not a best friend style.

someone else I know prefers the motherly type that will walk her though every step, no pushing no challenging just a best buddy kind of sessions.

everyone has their own standards of what they want and need from their treatment providers.

the only thing I can tell you is that there is a DID treatment center that I habve been to in texas called timberlawn heres the website http://www.timberlawn.com/

its a great place but in involves a lot of hard work and being responsible for your own recovery. they teach you the tools but its you that must follow through and use them kind of thing.

I live in N. Texas and have thought about contacting Timberlawn. The guy who runs the DID program is named Colin Ross, and I found a book by him - Trauma Model Therapy. I really like the book and its ideas about working with trauma and alters. Maybe I'll see you there...

while I was there I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Dr. Ross. I asked him if the program was one where there was going to be situations where
I would have to be dissociated/ an alter in control because I had no control over that kind of thing. I would not be able to switch into an alter on command.

he told me no, the program wasnt meant to be one where the focus is on the alters.

the program is purposely set up to enable the host to live a more normal non dissociated life. this is done not by retraumatizing the host with things like requiring alters to be in control or called out, or by retraumatizing the patient by making them keep going over and over their past traumas/ repressed memories.

the timberlawn treatment program is set up for going beyond needing a ttreamtnet provider to take care of you or spend time playing, talking and holding alters..

Timberlawn is for people who are ready for the more in depth work focusing on the host / patient learning how to take care of your self, be independent of a treatment provider, so that the host/client/ patient can be reintegrated with their society instead of constantly being unstable, needing others to care for them.

the program does this by the host learning how to identify their triggers/conflicts/ that cause them to dissociate, address those issues in a fully aware state of mind, learn how to stay in control of their emotions (Affect Regulation) and work directly on their day to day problems., by learning how to identify maladaptive behaviors /cognitive distortions, unlearn those maladaptive behaviors and cognitive distortions and learn how to put in their place appropriate behaviors and more healthy thinking process.

when my therapist was telling me about timberlawn and wanted me to consider going there she said to me...the program does work fantastically but to benefit from the program a person needs to have to be willing to do the work yourself, not take the easy way out of spacing off and letting the alters do it for you. if you are just going to go and space off/dissociate why bother spending the money to go...only go if you are ready to face your problems and live a relatively dissociation free life because thats what the program is for..healing and moving forwards, not staying stuck in the past trauma..

I went and was very glad I did. for me i dont think I would have benefited at all from the program if it was geared for them to play, talk with and hold my alters.. I wanted a life free of all the problems my dissociative disorders leave me with and a good part of the time now I do have that free kind of life.. I dont have alters constantly popping out/taking over control doing things I would never do. my memory is still not the greatest but at least I know when I get up in the morning it is going to be the date its supposed to be and other DID problems I used to have.

This is really good information from both Starry_Night and Amandalouise. The program objectives sound like what I'm looking for right now, but I probably will go with a therapist who has had time in the program at Timberlawn, but is in private practice.

I did kinda get the impression from Dr. Ross's website that he might be a little pompus and distant, but since he has three or four locations I doubt I'd even run into him if I went...