[Tangerine87]

Delete because I'm embarrassed

[Amyjay]

I talk about my alters in the third person. I don't call them "I" because they don't feel like "I". The first time I did it my therapist leapt all over it.

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Tangerine87

Delete because I'm embarrassed

your title question ... do you talk in 3rd person in therapy....

no I did not before I was integrated. my system was one that followed the abusers code of do not tell. this resulted in my not being able to do or say anything that would lead anyone outside my body to know the others exist.

after integration sometimes I do, I discovered its normal for people to sometimes talk about their selves in 3rd person, especially if they are parents...

therapists and other treatment providers tend to ask "how are we today?
parents tend to tell their children....We dont hit, we use our words, see what mommy is doing (mommy doing the talking) can you do it too...
teachers working problems on the board.... ok we are going to compare this with that and the teacher does all the comparing / writing on the board...

one time I asked one of my therapist why everyone talks like that. he told me its normal since the dawn of time for human beings to talk this way and thats how babies learn to talk to. then had me do an activity of watching parents with their pre verbal children, and children just learning to talk. the parent says "Jane get down from there" and Jane repeats "jane down there" parent says can I hold you and child says "hold you" or children in bigger families children learn to talk in terms of us boys or us girls, ...

I was so amazed that I was the one that was different by not talking in plurals / 3rd person. after integration I actually had to teach myself how to talk like everyone else adding 3rd person words in sometimes.

[dlantern]

Sometimes I talk in 3rd person there are things that can happen inside if they aren't ready, so to the poster I understand. I think you are probably doing it already just not really knowing it.

I is helpful in my opinion it shouldn't be a deal breaker. I think you want to google sentences how you talk is important. Speaking to my child can be an indicator, for example, mommy needs to cook, so and so...

[Tangerine87]

Originally Posted by Amyjay

I talk about my alters in the third person. I don't call them "I" because they don't feel like "I". The first time I did it my therapist leapt all over it.

I do that too. Example I talk through an object. for example, if there is a doll in ta office I will speak through the doll when I am not present. Am I creating another personality l?

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by Tangerine87

I do that too. Example I talk through an object. for example, if there is a doll in ta office I will speak through the doll when I am not present. Am I creating another personality l?

no here where I am talking through a doll is called roll playing, play therapy, not creating another alter. I roll play/ have play therapy as part of my sessions with my therapist by speaking through objects like dolls, stuffed animals and so on or for those objects.. my own therapist calls it projecting, personification,

your own therapist can tell you what play therapy, roll playing and personification is called where you are.

[Loose Screw x 2]

I find that I do both when I feel comfortable enough to do so but, when I'm around anyone else I am usually too guarded to do that. I have to feel that it's 'safe' to talk about deep stuff, the stuff deep within. I have to be careful. Always have to be extremely careful. Part of that come from my upbringing but, I don't know if anything else contributed to it or not. This "projecting" may explain some of the modes of operation or sub personalities that I have created to handle different tasks. Interesting. Very interesting.

Use we or name of alters....if normals ask: say the "royal we". Then joke...practicing for my next life! Or say..me, myself,&I

we're trying to do it more.

we are this, or we did that,

or this is how we're feeling..

it's so natural to us that sometimes we do it to people who have no idea about us, and when they ask why are you saying we... who's we?

we get all red faced about it and are like... well, no one

not sure if people believe it though

[Loose Screw x 2]

Originally Posted by shattered sanity

we're trying to do it more.

we are this, or we did that,

or this is how we're feeling..

it's so natural to us that sometimes we do it to people who have no idea about us, and when they ask why are you saying we... who's we?

we get all red faced about it and are like... well, no one

not sure if people believe it though

So you have trouble telling others that you have DID or are a multiple? Is that what you mean? It would be easier just to go ahead and tell them then, to keep it bottled up. That's what we've always done but, now we're tired of it. We've also begun to say it more. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Those of us with DID are the ones who were abused so why should we be ashamed? We did nothing wrong and were too young or overwhelmed to fight back so, we should be the ones who are like "Yeah, we're a multiple. Is that going to be a problem for you?" We are the ones who need to look others in the eyes without fear or shame. We owe it to ourselves to do that. I know it's hard but, you should have the right to express yourselves the way that you see fit. It's your right!