New here, Question

What are subtle signs of DID? (If one were not diagnosed) Would one even know to question if they had DID?
Thanks so much!

Hey beyes, welcome to pc.

To tell you the truth...there can be no subtle signs because DID can be a highly secretive and hidden that it takes years of therapy and testing to be diagnosed- even to the person in question due to the amnesia between states of consciousness involved.

Personally, in our world....to us....I sense Others, can communicate to other thought processes separate from my own, can notice the changes in behavior, thought, perception, some very physical to undetectable switches....complete takeovers whereas I’m just an observer....but still be amnesiac to their essence and memories because we are somewhat co-conscious and co-hosting (aware of some of each other)...

but we are highly sensitive and aware through a lifetime of observation and training...but also to us in our system...blatantly obvious. For most other systems, not so.

Most systems of DID are different in how they manifest, but the root cause is basically trauma in the early childhood years from birth to 5-7 years depending on your location. Trauma can be as simple as parental neglect not so much abuse.

My biggest issue is missing memories. All I can remember is snippets of today, lesser of yesterday...and the rest of my past is 98.97% blank with a random flashbacks that come and go. Yay for our team.

But unlike a broken arm...mental illness (especially DID) takes a studied approach. I studied it myself and I’m very spot on...won’t declare but is in the realm of OSDD/DID....apples and oranges, big deal> it all sucks. Lol

There is nothing wrong asking questions and reading looking for similarities or differences....if you are asking...there must be a reason as to why. The best approach is a therapist ($$$$ cha Ching)..or go open minded in self discovery.

If you have any questions, please feel free to p.m. me.

Always Changing wrote a good response - I'd recommend his answer over my own. Mine is just because I'm in a playful mood - completely self-indulgent...

Subtle signs of DID:

1. Waking up in bed with someone you don't know, that is not the same sex that you are attracted to.
2. Coming to in jail with no recollection of how you got there and no drugs in your system.
3. Getting off of work one day and heading over to a friend's house, not making it and the next thing you know, you're somewhere unfamiliar and no one speaks English in whatever country you're in.

You know, subtle stuff...

I think that many people start wondering about DID if they have gaps in their memory; like not remembering a chunk of time or some important event.

Another is being somewhere and not knowing where you are or why you are there.

And, other people acting like they know you when you have no clue who they are.

I got used to hiding my switching. I did things like turn on my GPS even if I was going somewhere familiar, or making notes of things. If you are curious about if you have DID, you can ask for a psychologist to do testing to figure it out. In my experience, they are slow to say that you actually have DID.

I'm not sure what is going on with me. I do and have had moments where I have forgotten what I was doing, driving, it typically happens when I am super stressed. I do not see things, I don't necessarily "hear" things like someone sitting in front of me and speaking to me. It's more like Different thoughts in my head, but VERY, VERY loud and they have their own tone, verbiage, etc. I am not paranoid, I don't think anyone is following me or anything like that (Schizophrenia) . I just always saw myself as a very multifaceted person. I have times where I enjoy certain things, then the next day I have absolutely interest or I think why would I like that or do that. It's like that with foods and smells as well. The noise in my head and what I mean is the different voices, with the different personalities is what is bugging me because I do not understand it. I have noticed or made an attempt to try to listen and pay attention to see if this is just my conscious (Self) or something else. It's something else because it's not using "I" when I hear it.. Example... I am going into the kitchen. I hear it with a different tone , You should go into the kitchen, or You need to do this, or you really don't like A, B, or C. Does this make sense? I have always wondered what this is. It seems to be getting worse and honestly I am afraid to say anything to anyone that I know including my spouse.

This is just my experience and no way can I tell you if it is the same.

We (our system) is stressed, we enter a state of dissociation: the mind goes blank, dazed, split vision....then another steps forward to carry on till the next switch.

I always described the “voices” more as telepathy because it feels more like thinking to each other over hearing voices which I associate to psychosis and knowing I’m not psychotic even though I have a bipolar diagnosis- more just a mood disorder. Besides, I’ve taken anti-psychotics and all they do is give me migraines.

Being myself co-conscious, we too instruct each other what and how to do in our system because we work together to live the life line as a singular entity. We each have a job to do and try to work together to keep up this facade of being a normal singleton.

At first at 15 thirty-five years ago, it seemed quite normal, then started noticing the separation of thought and action just as you are describing, the chit chatting, the put downs, the commands, the soft comforting voices....

Then I asked....”is there anybody there”? Then Susie said “yes”. It was an oh crap moment. Then they fronted and took over and I just watched till they took over the mind. I met a few others and then already being a weird teen...we vowed to hide this even from ourselves out of fear of discovery and looking even weirder. Flash forward to 46 years old and we came out to ourselves again.

Sometimes I feel like I’m along for the ride, being squashed to the back as they forward and their thoughts override my thoughts becoming my thoughts....or under instruction on how to do things, told to pick that up, grab this, screw that,....

We co-conscious and co-host...more then one part is present, active and aware...this gives us the ability to share memories...but this also makes it feel imaginary and fake....surreal at best. Sometimes the memories stick...but mostly fades off with the part that experiences them.

Have you ever tried talking to these other voices? Is their any history of childhood trauma or abuse? It just takes one traumatizing event to instill dissociation for some people are more prone to disassociation more then others.

We studied this diagnosis for awhile trying to disprove it, read blogs, journals, DSM-5, studies until we got a grasp of these things as a group as real...even some still live in denial.

It’s not as bad as society and movies portray which are mostly false. They are all parts of me and I them. We survived our torturous early years. This is a survival mechanism for those that had a traumatizing beginning. This is how a baby learns to survive by putting bad memories aside and live on. These memory parts then take on a life of their own because the mind isn’t yet integrated in a child till well in it’s toddler years. We live mostly in co-operation...together as a family would.

Sorry so long....drank a small pot of coffee, lol.

Yes, there is extensive history of childhood abuse that continued into early adulthood. When I was 20 I was teaching Sunday School, very active in Church, even went to Bible College. My Pastor (at the time) said that I was "Demon Posessed". Due to what I was taught in Church, I am honestly scared to death to talk to the "Other Voices". I attempted a couple of times, and yes there were answers, I shut it down very quickly due to how I was raised and teachings in Church. When It gets so loud I do my best to ignore them. This may be a bit different, the only music that I can listen to without it driving me mad is Classical. I know some people get songs stuck in their head for a few days, I can have it last up to a month. It's like a sensory overload.

Thinking one is demon possessed is icky...and not true....for if it was...I wouldn’t be the person I am today...so I left the church thinking at church.

Communication between parts is the beginning of healing. It’s a journey for sure...but one well begun, and being aware is a step done and won. There is nothing to fear about ones mental make-up. It just is.

I understand sensory overload, it triggers derealization/depersonalization and dissociation.