[Smilie]

When I speak of my inner child and I make the statement "my inner child I know she still cries."Is this a form of disassociation or am I embracing my inner child? And how do I nurture my inner child? Sometimes when I think or reminisce I see her as a separate part of me but emerging with me.But in my mind I know that I carry her inside of me everywhere I am.

Smilie

[Monty_girl]

Hi Smilie
I don't think it really matters if it's an alter or just inner child feelings. The thing that matters is comforting this part of you. Might try a coloring book, watching a cartoon on TV or renting a good movie the inner child might like. Set aside some time to just be with the inner child and comfort them and let them know how safe they are now.

I don't know if it's a form of dissociation or not. Just try and care for this child who's sad and cries.

[Smilie]

Thats so funny. Before I read your reply I ran out and bought some crayons and coloring books. I stared coloring my first page yesterday. I thought this might be something I would enjoy when I am in to much pain to do my other favorite things. I have to deal with chronic pain every day. And I think my new found illness has triggered my past traumas. And I find myself wanting to pretend and make up a fairy tale of a story to mental journey in. I mental journey very often. It is like my mind won't stop racing.Can you educate me on dissociative disorder or your own experience with it. That is if you have suffered or had a love one who has suffered from this.

Smilie

[radio_flyer]

Everyone has an inner child. Some are more in touch with their inner child than others. It is the child in all of us. I have tapped into my inner child at times. With me, it is not dissociation, but it could be with some folks. Finding our inner child is a good thing.. IMHO

Can you educate me on dissociative disorder or your own experience with it. That is if you have suffered or had a love one who has suffered from this.

Hi Smilie,

You may find these sites helpful.

http://mpdfriends.homestead.com/mpd.html

http://mpdfriends.homestead.com/coping.html

http://stone.he.net/~sidran/didbr.html

[Perna]

I really liked this workbook and the fantasy/travelling it helps with:

http://www.amazon.com/Castle-Pearl-C.../dp/0060965061

[(JD)]

So true! Everyone has an "inner child"...or did at one time. (I truly believe some singletons may have so squelched it that it's gone ;( )

It is important to give voice (or ear) to that "part" of us.whether a multiple or singleton.. I truly believe this was what Walt Disney was doing when he talked about a safe place for his children to have fun...

[ptdrummajor]

Hi... I was recently diagnosed with DID, and I have a 5-year old part named Kara... when you talk about nurturing your inner child, how are you supposed to do that? What does it mean? It seems like Kara is so "separate" from me, and I don't have much access to her and her feelings most of the time. How do I get more "in touch" with that part of myself? I'm sorry... I just have a lot of questions b/c this is all still so new to me. Thanks.
Dana

[Smilie]

well I am new to this myself. But my beginning was acknowledging that my inner child exists. And that she cries to be heard.And now I am learning what she needs and I am learning how to embrace her. I collect stuffed animals watch cartoons and color and sometimes just talk to her when I know she is afraid.Most of the time I just acknowledge her feelings and feel those feelings.And I tell her that I will help her to make her world more safe.Like I said I am new at this and this is just the beginning.Good luck!

Smilie

[LILITH]

Petunia thanks for that site... you are wonderful

[LILITH]

I agree with Monty spend some time with her... you never know what will develope.....

[SeptemberMorn]

This is for all the unacknowledged or lost Inner Children. There is a book that I read that helped me tremendously in finding and acknowledging my Inner Children; the three ages I was during my abuse. I've never been DID but I did come to recognize those "girls". They are ages 3, 8, and 14.

The book I read and used is by Bob Bradshaw, called "Homecoming: Claiming and Championing Your Inner Child." It has exercises to do within the book and tells you step by step how to recognize this child and how to nurture him/her.

This Child is in our emotions and the way we act. When you read the book, you'll recognize your Child almost immediately.

Mr Bradshaw does have one warning, though. If you even THINK that you may be a victim of sexual abuse, don't do the exercises by yourself! Do them with the help of a trusted friend but better yet, with a T.

[Crystal88]

Good question!?! some people that I talk to say the inner child is different than dissociating and being alters and others talk about their alters as if they are the inner child concept. this is one of my topics Iwant to ask my counselor about because to me its a confusing mess.

when i first started with my T i was so scared (still am) of my alters and inner children and realized that they were scared too what i still find hard is the whole comforting them its too hard and because i dont want to be where they are i run from them so its great that you can be with your inner child and get to know them it gives me courage to try and learn about my own a bit more and not be so scared...
thank you

[Crystal88]

I asked my counselor about this today when I saw her. She told me that the two things - alters and the inner child are two different things and that everyone even people who are not DID have an inner child. She said it has nothing to do with dissociation. that its more like a feeling of having experienced something before, like my hiking and Im out in the woods and suddenly I get to feeling scared because I can't find the traIL. As an inner child thing I would know that I was scared and it is because as a child I got lost. the two feelings in the present that I experience is the same as the feeling in the past. kind of de ja vu thing. But if itwas an alter dissociation thing she said it would be me hiking in the woods today, get scares and dissociate into an alter and result would be my losing track by having a time loss where one minute Im hiking in the woods and the next Im safely home. She said some people who have DID have learned to remain semi aware thats called being co conscious. But that is still different from the inner child because a co conscious person is watching from a distance far binoculars way where as inner child its not feeling separate and far away from the experience.

[__zh]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
Crystal88 said:
I asked my counselor about this today when I saw her. She told me that the two things - alters and the inner child are two different things and that everyone even people who are not DID have an inner child. ....She said some people who have DID have learned to remain semi aware thats called being co conscious. But that is still different from the inner child because a co conscious person is watching from a distance far binoculars way where as inner child its not feeling separate and far away from the experience.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

thank you for such a succinct explanation of the differences between inner child and alters. this is something we will use to help explain when ppl ask us if our dissociation is like having an inner child......before we rolled our eyes, sighed and tried to explain....now we have a better way. thx.

[Crystal88]

You are very welcome, glad you liked how my counselor explained it to me, and sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I only get in here about once a week sometimes a bit more if my boyfriends or my neighbors computer is up and running.