don't understand

I told my t that when we feel like we are in a scary situation, who ever is equip to deal with that situation steps up and the others get quite and stay out of the way. My t said that that is not usually what happens when an adrenalin rush occurs. She said usually others get involved because of the adrenalin. This is making me feel alone. Like I am the only one with DID who this happens to. Does anyone else have a similar experience as I do, where one part will take control and the others will move aside until the emergency is over?

Im wondering if your therapist is talking about the "revolving door" this is a situation where someone is so impacted/emotional about what ever is going on that more than one alter tries to control the body. the result is one alter takes control then another then another, very rapidly. this rapid switching from one alter to the next is quite common with people with DID.

Example there was a work related traumatic event that happened to me. during this traumatic event I dissociated. because there was so many elements involved...being in a public place, witness to a domestic violence murder, the graphics of the scene of the crime, ........ there wasnt ....one alter who's job, purpose reason for being was to handle the combination of all these elements that were involved with this traumatic event, therefore many alters revolved control of the body, it was just that traumatic/emotional that one alter wasnt enough.

most if not all people with DID go through the "revolving door" situations sometimes. even if they have the type of system that you and I have where each alter has their own way of being, their own jobs, purposes, reasons for being. for some people they can pin point these revolving door situations and for others it may take many years to discover when, where and why the alters "revolved" control to handle something.

That is what happens to me too. I wonder where your T is getting her information. Does she have DID? Or did she read it in a book?

I live in the revolving door. I don't have just one part that represents us. I switch all day depending on the task at hand. Some don't drive but they food shop. So one part drives us and the food shopper shops, If we are almost in a car accident and become scared than another part takes control to get us through the danger and get us home. That one is more aggressive and has no patients with stupidity from other drivers. Once we get home the shopper empties the car and we all go in side and eat. Some like waffles others like coffee so we all have a little bit of what we like. That switching "revolving door" has been us sense we were about six. The trigger if you want to call it that is situational. There are many of us that are very much alike and my t and I are trying to see if those parts are willing to join together and function as one. It would help our system if the ones who are most alike worked as one. It gets confusing and we loose time between parts being out. Most time the day is recalled in snippets. I will recall an event like shopping because there is food in the fridge but I might not recall the actual effort to go out and get it. If I ask around eventually I will get a fuller picture of how the event took place. I don't think she was talking about that. She said my system is not like others with DID. That freaked me out. It made me fearful. It helps us to feel like we are not the only ones like this. But like the driver who stepped in if we were almost in a car accident. When he pops in to take control of the car and the driving the rest of us sit back and let him do what he does best. We feel safe when someone with the knowledge and confidence steps up to take control to get us through something. Than after the scary part is over we can all complain about what a moron the other driver was. But not while our adrenalin is pumping. We let the one who knows do his job.

Now (sorry for the long response) if we are experience something that triggers bad feelings, fear, pain, something that comes from the past we get lost in that. No one steps up to get us out because we are locked in and can't be pushed aside until we allow it. That is when I might find myself lying on the floor crying and sounding like a small child. That can not be interrupted unless the child allows someone to come out. Than there is conversation in our head trying to bring us back to the present. Those times come with a great deal of fear and the fear feeds it's self. We are frozen in time. Those times are painful, scarey and exhausting. Those moments are not the same as our everyday life. We have learned to ground ourself, most times it eventually works. Sometimes we run from the house to get out near people to force our self to ground so we are not seen. I hope this makes sense to you because is makes sense to me. Thanks for responding.

This happens with us all the time.

Thanks. It helps me to know that we are not the only ones.

I don't think you are the only one who this happens to either. My system was also like a revolving door on a daily basis, and as we learned more about each other and began to function better we still had the super frequent switching thing happening, but became more and more co-conscious during it.
During more stressful situations though I guess you could say we had a deeper level of alts deal with things, and then it was more one (or one group) out at a time, with others pushed back, kind of what like you describe, I think?

And here's a little bit of something from one of our previous 'front revolvers' who is now just a part of me (no revolving necessary! ) -

You know what? It really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks or says about how it works for you. It is what it is, and it IS that way because that is just how it needed to be for you. There isn't anyone who can define your own reality better than you.

I was a little undone when my t said that my system doesn't function like how it is described in a book. You are right. My system is specific to my survival and evolved based on our needs. It makes sense that, although my system has things that define it as DID, it is specific to me and may not function the same as what is in a book. It is really good to know that our system is similar in some ways to others though. It's comforting. Thanks.

Ask your t to do more research. There's the DID Sourcebook among others... We are as you describe - whoever is best for that event is who comes forward. Sometimes the one who came forward will then reassess the situation and give a directive to another for their specialty. We also switch people frequently through the day. I remember a LONG time ago asking DocJohn about that here - he said it is very very rare and likely not what is actually happening. But we all know how LITTLE is truly known about DIDs. I am trying to teach a local hospital about it (since I'm a former patient) - taking their questions and answering best I can... I got really fed up with the last batch - like they still don't get it (and let's face it, they're not GOING to get it unless they live it, but I'm hoping they'll at least learn some). I was really angry about one question - like they are trying to blame DIDs for not "giving up" their alters to maintain unhealthy behaviors. *oooh that steamed me up*. We are all here for a reason and that is survival. And really, (IMHO) each alter is like any one "regular" person - we each have issues just like anyone else and hang ups and such.... Course, I do think that the MH community also assumes that people who don't just 'get better' or are 'non-treatable' should be able to 'get over it' and if they don't then they're purposely staying sick.
We know more about the ocean depths than we do about the depths of the human mind.
Try to not let it get to you.
Hurrah! You're not a book

I have a good t but I think sometimes she relies too much on what is written in a book rather than what she is seeing in front of her. I think the book is a good starting point but not enough is known about DID to just go by the book. I think it is sometimes scary for therapists to see the book as only a staring point and that if they are more confident in their skills they will allow for patients to expand on what is in the book. Maybe even eventually be able to provide better insight for other dr's. To allow them a more open ended view of what DID is and how it presents in different people. Thanks for the kind words.

Agreed- but this sourcebook is filled with actual DID's experiences. Might help to have a more realistic/ less clinical view...?