questions: dissociative disorders version

we do email back and fourth with another system (sometimes. )

how long did it take you to find a good therapist?

A couple of years. When we found our good long term one we 'felt' right with her right from the start. Just a few weeks ago after we had seen her only a few times she had told us she would need to refer us to someone who knew about DID and we responded "who will you send us to?" and she answered that she didn't know. One of us then said "I like you and I want to keep seeing you". She said Ok, so we stayed. That was over 20 years ago. She didn't know anything about DID back then but she sure does now!

How old are you? (body born)

26, and feel about 106 (in a physical sense)

how old is your eldest insider

I dunno. We used to have an older man inside protector part but then we lost contact with inside and we don't know much about them anymore. So I don't know if he is still here or not.

Do you do a regular form of exercise?

(Our condolences to your protector part) We do like to run during the afternoons.

What does the host and the others think about listening to music together?

some of us have very special individual tastes in music.

but, we sort of have a compromize:

the radio station we like listening to plays a little of everything, so when who ever it is switches it on, they are welcome to either listen to that station, or if it's someone with a special taste (michelle), she can find out a cd of what she likes and listen to it.

who in your system is most inteligent?

That would be me. However, that comes with an important caveat... two days ago our therapist said, "If I had to come up with a single sentence describing the two of you (there are only two in our system), I would say that Sonseearae is wise and Xxxxx is wicked smart. I like the idea that wisdom comes before intelligence."

We were discussing which of us came first - the original and after a revelation, I had just settled on Sonseearae being first. So...me but there are more important things than intelligence and wisdom is one of them. Kindness is another...and she beats me out there too, but I try.

Regarding the music thing...kind of wanted to weigh in on that too...

We listen to about an hour a day of her playlist every single day...and unfortunately, there is only two songs on it. "Under the Sea" and "Hawaiian Roller Coaster". I actually don't enjoy listening to music but I actually rather enjoy her listening because it makes her so happy that sometimes I'll sing along with her.

What do you think are good traits for a protector to have?

I would think a good protector is not going to turn on others inside and make life a living hell, but that is what happens with at least two of ours and is a big reason for therapy because apparently they continued their function of protecting in a way that's become destructive internally.

I would like to know what a good protector is, though, so the same question to the next poster: What are good traits for a protector to have?

I love the little mermaid!

I love disney

I love tigger

alicia aged 9

our protector, natalie, actually sucks at protecting the system (she acts more like a head mistress than she does a protector)

she is responsible for our dungeon, so honestly I can't answer this.

does anyone in your system have any special tallents or skills

Our second guy does. He's pretty hellbent on keeping it together in public.

Does your system like mirrors?

No, no one likes mirrors. Too confusing that I always look the same no matter who is leading at the time.

Are you more inclined to get attached to men or to women?

women are easier to talk to

I find a lot of the time we can't relate to men because of the sort of things they enjoy doing.

is their something on your mind that you really want to tell someone right now?

I love the little mermaid too and I love tigger - t, i double g, err
I like lilo and stitch too and we watched happy feet on saturday and happy feet 2 on sunday.

sonseearae aged 6

Yes, I don't think I am who I thought I was. Or at least, it has come to light that I have forgotten who I used to be, including all of those (my?) memories. This is playing havoc with my sense of self. I am in a state of cognitive dissonance and don't know how to deal.

Same question for the next person

do you have any disney stuffies

what ones do you have

alicia aged 9

we wish we wern't so invisible to the outside world

anyone got any inside pets

No, no inside pets here. Do you have any?
Alicia, I don't have any Disney stuffies. But one of our middles got a polar bear print fluffy cushion from SeaWorld a couple years ago.

Question: What do your littles do when they feel lonely?

no, I don't have any- which is ashame because I don't have any on the outside either.

when the littles get lonely/ scared/ upset, they all go for a ride on the kangaroo, and it's a great way for them to feel better.
do you struggle with pubblic holidays like halloween/ christmas?

Amusingly no, not for halloween. This is going to be our first year that we're going to have to deal with Christmas after getting a diagnosis so *breathes air out* let's see how that goes right? haha.

What do you and the others hope to get out of the next coming month or so?

hihi my big had a heart attacks and sergery and cant come to the computer a lot right now or i would have wrote back sooner. i have a flounder and sebastion and lilo stuffies. we had more but angel let me give them to the kids playroom at our therapist office in the room where you wait. they didnt have no stuffies and only five books so i gave them eleven stuffies and a bunch of books i dont read any more.

i dont no if its ok but i was thinking that maybe we coiuld have one of these question threads in the garden but i dont no who to ask.

sonseearae

My hope is that we can settle down enough internally to be able to work on our studies, which have been neglected all year and are coming to the crucial end point of make it or break it. So far we're on course for breaking it... now is the time to 'alter' the trajectory.
(Omigosh I'm so punny!)

Have you been able to get a decent education? (we didn't at the typical age, and may or may not now.)

Sonseearae, just do it!
Some of our youngers have become more active and would like to take part.

Hoping to continue living. Health problems make that an uncertainty. If that works out okay, my wife and I are hoping to get someplace warm for the Winter. It's dropping down to about forty degrees at night and living in a travel trailer - no heat, no hot water...so yeah, if we could get heat first and a warm shower after that, it'd be a good month.

rotflmao

I am both over-educated and under-degreed for my troubles. Funny you would ask this question today. Met with my therapist today and she asked me suddenly for no apparent reason, "How did you not become a therapist? You are built for it (taking about inner mechanisms not outward appearance)."

Anyway, apparently if I want to go back to school to become a counselor, she has some connections with an organization that gives educations grants and assures me that it will be paid for in full. So who knows, perhaps soon I might be pursuing getting more education.

So as for my question: How about it? Would you ever consider becoming a therapist?