[OneAndMany]

Hi all,

Elizabeth posts/reads here all the time. Tonight we have a question. We wanted to reply to an email from the mother and before doing that had a martini. That helped a lot (is not a good coping mechanism, we know). After sending email, had a half martini and was staggering across thi kitchen to load the dishwasher before bed. Had a thought of what time to get up in the morning and instantly switched to someone who wasn't drunk and didn't stagger or feel the effects of the alcohol while loading the dishwasher and figuring out what time to get up and what we have to do tomorrow. Then, switched back and here we are again staggering slightly. Has anyone else had this? How can the body feel the effects only sometimes? So confusing to us. Still trying to deal with what DID is, even though Elizabeth is much more ok with it all. Sometimes get tired of her being in charge.

Has anyone else had this happen when drinking?

I do this all the time and have all my life since I have been DID since childhood. I go to the dentest and end up getting about 5 different shots to numb the work area. For example -

I go in sit down get shot #i
the drilling triggers a switch into for example Mary. Because the memory content of Mary doesn't have anything to do with getting that first shot so I as mary once again can feel the drilling. in goes shot number 2.
During the work on my teeth I end up switching yet again and because memory piece number three does not contain and content of getting shots 1 and 2 I can as memory piece number three feel the work being done so in goes shot number 3 and so on and so on.

Then I leave the dentist once again the first person and that medication from shot number 1 wears off but because as other memory pieces I recieved more medication each time I switch into those I am numb for about 15 minutes

The way it was explained to me is that each piece of memory contains the vitals - heart beat, breathing rate, body chemical make up of that piece of memory that was separated.

For example switch into the memory piece of a memory of being 5 years old the brain will automatically change the heartbeat, breathing rate, body chemicals and so on to that of what is contained in that memory.

for example if the original situation was that I had to perform oral sex and I gagged and had trouble breathing and I was anemic and had a food allergy to tomatoes.

In the present when switching into that memory piece the brain keeps my body functioning by automatically acting out that memory content - so as a 40 plus year old switched into this 5 year old memory piece I would be gagging as if I was still performing oral sex, gasping for air and if someone took my bloodwork I would show up anemic and alergy testing would show an allergy to tomatoes.

The brain automatically switches to what is contained with in the memory piece that is stored at the unconscious level that got triggered and keeps the body funtioning on that memory content.

When I switch back the brain automatically stops keeping the body funtioning on the unconscious memorys but instead on the present consciously stored memories - since I am mentally connected to what is going on in the present.

The brain automatically returns the body to the last rates and chemical balences that the person was experiencing right before the switching because that is the conscious memory that is stored.

Which is also why switching back to conscious awareness causes headaches - the body has basically went from the body chemicals, heart rate, breathing rate of a 40 plus year old to that of the 5 year old memory piece and then back to the 40 year old body chemicals, heart rate, breathing rate and so on.

if being drunk was the last conscious memory stored then its drunk that you return to when coming back into conscious awareness.

one time I had the flu I remember being in the school nurses office and being sent home with the flu and then suddenly it was three days later and I felt crappy and my parents didn't believe me they said I hadn't been sick for three days and to knock off the faking I was going to school. Got on the bus and threw up and got sent home.

Its just the way DID works.

[allthegirls6]

Sorta had a simialr thing, but we get sooooooooo distressed when we drink, even just one, that i just wont go there anymore

[OneAndMany]

Thank you, myself. I didn't realize I had posted.

This makes a lot of sense, and I (Elizabeth) do realize that this happens. And I do get the headaches sometimes when switching. Not every time though, perhaps it has to do with who is going in and coming out (compatible chemistries vs. incompatible?). Just a theory.

Elizabeth

[OneAndMany]

Thanks, Audrey. I understand about not going there anymore.

Elizabeth

I get a stronger headache when I end up on the auto pilot of the margo memories then I do on the auto pilot of the Ann memories. Ive been told its because its a bigger jump for my bodys chemicals to switch to rerunning the body chemicals of the memories from when I was 10 then from my present age 43, then it is to switch to those of the Ann memories of age 30. in one situation my brain is switching my body vitals and chemicals down the equivelent of 33 years (43 down to 10 year old memory content) and in the other I am physically vitals and reactions are going down 13 years (43 down to 30). so yea you're right on with your theory.

[kimmydawn]

I understand. I can't/don't do the alcohol anymore.

I won't even go into details of the why's of it.

To answer your question, yes lots of switching. Suffice it to say, it was one of the times I triggered self.

I hope you're having a good day.

KD

some alters can drink till the cows come home and are fine, but then switch and another be so sick...
last christmas i had a couple glasses of strong wine punch and another came out and was so ill and somewhere in the middle of the "bowing to the porclin god" a little came out and cried and fell asleep on the floor. H said it was awful watching the switching going on and he really couldn't do anything.
needless to say, we are VERY careful with drinking.

[allthegirls6]

I tend to agree with you kimmy. Lots of switching, serious triggering and distress that im not able to cope with.