[Snoopy59]

Last night a young child alter came out. She was very distressed.
I could feel her dissociating. She holds a lot of pain and finally
Ended up sucking her thumb and buryin her head in the pillow.
I am co conscience and seem to be able to remember parts of the episodes
When different personalities come out. But I also have memory problems too
Since I was just diagnosed last week during an Emdr session when 2 personalities emerged during a bad memory, I am hoping somebody here
With experience can tell me what to expect as far as more personalities emerging and how to communicate with them etc.
any information please!

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Snoopy59

Last night a young child alter came out. She was very distressed.
I could feel her dissociating. She holds a lot of pain and finally
Ended up sucking her thumb and buryin her head in the pillow.
I am co conscience and seem to be able to remember parts of the episodes
When different personalities come out. But I also have memory problems too
Since I was just diagnosed last week during an Emdr session when 2 personalities emerged during a bad memory, I am hoping somebody here
With experience can tell me what to expect as far as more personalities emerging and how to communicate with them etc.
any information please!

theres no easy way to put this so Im going to be a bit blunt...how ever your alters end up being is how and what you can expect.

theres a whole mess of things that go into how an alter is, what that alter is, theres even many different types of alters...fragments, ego states, introjects and many many more kinds...

what determines what your alters are going to be like is...

what trauma issues each of your alters went through
the ages of your alters example a 5 yr old alter is going to be different then a teen alter or an adult alter.
what emotions each alter carries hidden with in them
what each alter likes
what each alter doesnt like
what each alters job, purpose, reason for being is

just like you are different than your friends, each of your alters are going to be different with how they think, process and perceive their self and everything around them, and how they present their self to you and others is also going to be different based on many things...

my suggestion... talk with your treatment providers....your treatment providers know you best, they would know what type of alters they are seeing with in you and be able to tell you whats going on, how to prepare for all the problems that come from being DID, what to expect from your alters and explain how your internal system of alters is comprised based on each individual alters memories, trauma's likes dislikes, preferences, job, purpose reason for being and much more.

one thing you need to know about DID is that with DID its not like for example you suddenly come down with a virus or disease or mental disorder....being DID means you have been this way since before you were 5 years old (at least thats whats believed here in America.) that means if you have DID then your alters already exist and already have since before you were 5 years old been coming out and taking care of you and all those trauma's, events, emotions that you were unable to handle.

Getting a DID diagnosis doesnt make alters suddenly start coming out all over the place.. it just says this is whats been going on since you were a very young child....nothing is changing, your alters are going to continue being and doing what ever they have been doing since before you were 5 years old taking care of you and taking care of those things that you are not yet able to do for your self on your own.

its amazing isnt it, before getting diagnosed there were alters coming out all the time and doing their jobs, purposes, reasons for being. and now because you are in the process of getting diagnosed with it (Other countries may do it differently but here in america in order to be diagnosed with some mental disorders and DID is one of them, you have to go through a formal testing process, therapists cant just assume their clients have DID because a couple alters came out during an EMDR session, sometimes treatment providers will treat the person "as if" they have it until diagnostic testing can be done more or less a precautionary measure here in NY)

my point is before you were diagnosed they were out doing what they are there to do and everything was fine, and now you know they are there your perception of the situation has changed to oh crap what do I do now, what can I expect to happen when they come out..

breath and relax.. nothing that hasnt already been happening for 10-20 or more depending upon your age,

all thats going to change is now that you know whats been going on all these years you can now fix all those depression problems or anxiety problems or sleep problem or what ever problems you have that brought you to therapy to begin with. things are just going to get better from here on out. just keep following what ever your treatment providers want you to and try.

dont worry so much on what to expect when they come out. each persons internal system of alters is set up according to what ever they needed in order to survive. that means your alters and system are going to be different then mine or anyone else here. its going to be based on you and what you needed.