questions: dissociative disorders version

no, no one speaks any other languages fluently in my system.

do you have a hard time remembering what you have done from day to day or week to week?

yes.

how is your day going?

dull.

like most others

what is the longest period of time where you have not been in control?

yeah.. i often know i must have been alive during the day, but what i did... no idea

19 years.

How do you regain control?

Dunno. I just come back eventually.

Do you trance out a lot?

((((that's a long time))))

yes

what has been the most embarrassing place you have switched?

my system has always been very covert, especially in public, and i can't recall any really embarrassing places that i did switch, but i do recall feeling extremely embarrassed in the early days of T with my T when i would switch in front of him, especially just as we were discovering that there was a possibility of me being DID.

do your littles take a stuffie or teddy bear or blanket to T to help them feel safe?

our littles love stuffies

they have all the lion king ones, and i'm about to get them the lion guard too

fact: i also like stuffies!. i have 1, a puffer i call it- which i've had from the year i was born- it's a little broken now, but i still like it

does your system have a protector?, and do they do a good job

Apparently so

I'll let you know once the embarrassment wears off.

How do you deal with the embarrassment when (or should I say - after) you act out?

Lately I've just apologized. I explain I'm ill and hope that people understand.

Can you ever feel comfortable?

Sent from my iPhone SE using Tapatalk.

Yes we can sometimes. I am good at feeling comfortable cos I don't really care what anyone else thinks and I do whatever I want to do.

do you listen to your alters?

yes, i listen to all my insiders/alters. being able to really listen and acknowledge what they were saying and feeling has gotten easier over the years as i have come to know them better.

do your alters seem to have their own preference or style in how they like to dress?

yes. many of us dress very differently. one likes to wear all black. one likes only jeans and a t shirt. one likes long flowing dresses. one likes to dress like a hippie. one likes to wear bright colors. etcetera.

what do you like about having DID?

We can always rely on each other. Like in our front group. We can always count on each other and we look out for one another.
We keep each other company.
We cheer each other up.
We help each other out.
Stuff like that.

What does the next person like about having DID?

Sometimes the inner commentary can be *really* funny. I make myself laugh, a LOT. I'm only just beginning to realise / understand that thats something 95-99% of the rest of the population just don't have, and in a way I feel kinda sad for them - because it is really funny.

How does the next person deal with menus / eating out/ picking sandwiches in a shop?

we take turns picking out what we like. there are some foods that some love which others hate. so we basically just take turns to give each other a chance to eat their favorites.

does your family know you have DID?

Oh my gosh, can I please answer 2... That food question was one of the battles I have struggled with all my life and my family has gotten mad at me for years for never being able to decide. It's like a war is going on inside me and no matter what I choose, I am going to be sad about it afterwards. That's one of the main things that made me start saying it feels like there are multiple people inside me wanting there own thing and somebody is going to be sad. First thing that made me consider the did possibility instead of only the other dissociative things like fogging away.

Ok, question I'm supposed to answer... umm, I still don't know and can't figure it out. Spoke to my mother a little to try to get outside input on things I can't see (like if I'm forgetting things....uuumm, duh, how would I know if I forgot something myself...lol). So, I have told her a tiny bit but not how bad things are. Right now, only you psych central folks have any clue the extent of some of this stuff, still trying to talk to t about it.

Question: many of you talk about playing with and comforting your others, but did you always want to take care of them or did you start out hating them or wanting nothing to do with then?

Some of the internal helpers always seem to have been there, but the front ones - day world hosts / alters - definitely started off hating. Wanted them to go away / not be real / not exist at all. It took a lot of time and therapy to get to any sort of liking them. Wouldn't want to be without them now.

Question for the next person: what is your answer for any of the previous questions that you would have liked to have answered but missed out on?

A while back there was a question about having a service dog. I have one, he actually alerts me when I dissociate. He doesn't get it every time, but his success rate is phenomenal. Because of him, I have been able to identify triggers and work with them. I love my dog,

So, do you find comfort in a dog/cat/horse?

That's awesome, I'd love to ask you some questions about your service dog! How long have you had him, how was he trained, just generally more information if you're willing to share! (and no worries if you are not).

Yes, one particular little one in us finds great comfort in her cat, and she was very distressed earlier this year when the kitty went missing. (Kitty has been found now, thank goodness).

Question for any: How frequently do you dissociate / switch / otherwise experience dissociative type symptoms?

daily in some way or another.

question: are you happy with your therapist?, (or do you think a diffrent one would work better)

I currently have a short term t whom we happened to see about 30 years ago as well (as a minor). I am happy with her for what I use her for. I don't think she would be of any use to us as a DID t though. She's just not very... clued on. I would feel like I had to explain / teach her everything and I can't be bothered with that.
We also have email contact with our ex long term DID t and will be having a one-off online session with her soon. We would like to still be seeing her, but we live in different cities now.

Can you see a time when you will be happy / content?

no

i don't think we were meant for this life, at all- and if things were going to get better, they've had plenty of chances
have you figured out all your triggers?. or do you still have some that sneak up on you