[peaches100]

I've been in therapy many years, and my t has never indicated that I have DID. She has used IFS with me before and has stated that everybody has "parts." On the other hand, she asks to speak to specific parts, and she also tries to encourage me to develop "better internal communication" between parts. She said I definitely have dissociative problems, but has chalked it up to C-PTSD (I also have GAD and BPD). I guess I'm beginning to wonder if she does indeed think I have DID. She said she has seen me switch from one part to another part in therapy and has also heard different parts on phone messages speak differently. She has also asked me to draw a map of my system parts.

Is this normal for a t to do with a BPD or PTSD patient? Or does it sound like I have DDNOS or DID?

I have never lost time, in the sense of suddenly becoming aware and not knowing where I am, etc. But my memory is awful. I forget to do things regularly, or do things I don't remember doing. Usually not major things, but enough that it is definitely not normal. I also fail to recognize things visually that most people do (looking for something right in front of me but can't find 9it, get accused of not saying hello or waving to people I don't remember running into, etc.).

Also, I regularly think and feel very differently and have much internal conflict. I experienced some SA as a child, although not severe. However, I endured much emotional and psychological abuse from my father. I have frequent nightmares where I wake up drenched in sweat. Occasionally after a nightmare, I notice bruises on my thigh that I don't recall getting - think it must happen during the nightmare. What I would consider my two main parts are the normal adult me who works full-time and carries out normal activities - and who is very capable of putting on that professional face - and what feels like a very young, terrified, small child who is in danger and desperately needs a parent to protect her. This small part comes out when something happens to trigger her.

Not sure what else to say. . .just trying to figure out if I have DID or not. Any thoughts?

[peaches100]

PS - I took the DES test on my own, and my score was 33.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by peaches100

I've been in therapy many years, and my t has never indicated that I have DID. She has used IFS with me before and has stated that everybody has "parts." On the other hand, she asks to speak to specific parts, and she also tries to encourage me to develop "better internal communication" between parts. She said I definitely have dissociative problems, but has chalked it up to C-PTSD (I also have GAD and BPD). I guess I'm beginning to wonder if she does indeed think I have DID. She said she has seen me switch from one part to another part in therapy and has also heard different parts on phone messages speak differently. She has also asked me to draw a map of my system parts.

Is this normal for a t to do with a BPD or PTSD patient? Or does it sound like I have DDNOS or DID?

I have never lost time, in the sense of suddenly becoming aware and not knowing where I am, etc. But my memory is awful. I forget to do things regularly, or do things I don't remember doing. Usually not major things, but enough that it is definitely not normal. I also fail to recognize things visually that most people do (looking for something right in front of me but can't find 9it, get accused of not saying hello or waving to people I don't remember running into, etc.).

Also, I regularly think and feel very differently and have much internal conflict. I experienced some SA as a child, although not severe. However, I endured much emotional and psychological abuse from my father. I have frequent nightmares where I wake up drenched in sweat. Occasionally after a nightmare, I notice bruises on my thigh that I don't recall getting - think it must happen during the nightmare. What I would consider my two main parts are the normal adult me who works full-time and carries out normal activities - and who is very capable of putting on that professional face - and what feels like a very young, terrified, small child who is in danger and desperately needs a parent to protect her. This small part comes out when something happens to trigger her.

Not sure what else to say. . .just trying to figure out if I have DID or not. Any thoughts?

yes it is normal for Therapists to work with their clients on non DID mapping....let me give you an example. I no longer have DID all my alters have been integrated.that said I still go through dissociative problems of feeling numb, spaced out, disonnectedness just like any other normal person does...I get angry, I can experience happiness. all those parts of self that other normal people do. sometimes like normal people something happens and I feel like a child, or a giddy child on christmas morn.....

I go to therapy and my therapist and I are talking and she says so what does your child part feel right now and I say my child part wants to cry, my adult part wants to say pull yourself up- and get on track and my parent part wants to curl up on the couch as if holding myself and be kind to myself.

she pulls out a paper and we start mapping these completely normal parts of self that every human being has.

I know many people with many different mental disorders and non mental disorder problems, mapping/charting/diagraming can be very helpful in just about any situation.

As for therapist asking to speak to each of the parts here in NY this is a therapy approach called the child with in which is different than having DID. the premise is that every human being has times when they feel like the child they used to be, and sometimes addressing that childlike feeling/childlike part of self can bring clarity and comfort. some peope even do guided meditations/relaxation visualization around imagining they are holding that child part, telling that child part everything is going to be ok, asking that child part what they need at this moment...