DID Most helpful DID techniques?

[Keen]

Question for those with DID and DID-spectrum disorders. What therapeutic techniques have helped you most in managing or overcoming your DID?

I'm wondering about both individual therapeutic strategies (i.e. yoga, grounding, etc) and types of therapies (CBT, DBT, EMDR, etc)?

I feel like I've kinda plateaued or hit a hall, and would like new ideas of things I could try or ask my therapist about.

 

[Wendell_R]

I have five parts, but not DID (my adult part never loses consciousness). EMDR is really helping a lot, but we only started doing that when all my parts were comfortable talking with one another. And, it took a good number of months to get ready for it, because we needed to get each part ready for it.

I think the most important thing for me was to find a way for each part to speak up and be listened to, in a safe way. We made a safe place for each of them (both imaginary, and collages in a journal). I have learned how to "check in" with each part, where I find out what each of them is doing inside my head, and then ask how they are feeling or what they are thinking. That has been really useful in figuring out when one of the Little Guys is upset before I have a major upset.

Sometimes (like this past week) I have a lot of adult things that need to be taken care of. I make time to be by myself, and that gives room for some of the voices to be heard and to have internal conversations.

The whole goal for me has been to be pro-active in communication and to have an explicit conversation, instead of having a bunch of conflicted parts ripping me up on the inside and having no idea what's happening.

I'm not sure how much of this is applicable to someone with DID, though! Good luck.

 

[Keen]

Thanks!
I think it does apply. I find communication with alters extremely difficult, when I try to set aside time and initiate it---crickets. Meanwhile when I'm busy trying to do something else, thats when they intrude with their thoughts and feelings. But it makes so much sense that good communication is essential.
I definitely made the mistake of trying EMDR without finding out who was ready, so that was another mistake of mine in trying to recover.

 

[Sideways]

I think the most important thing for me was to find a way for each part to speak up and be listened to, in a safe way.

Pretty much this.

It took quite a long time, and is still a bit of a work in progress, but learning to communicate respectfully with my parts has by far been the most helpful work I’ve done.

With DID, your parts are there whether they’re communicating with you or not. So don’t stop giving them opportunities. Listening respectfully when they do decide to speak up can be hard, because they are usually at complete odds with the way you see the world and what you value. But keep listening. For me, working together as a (messy rabble) team is the only way I can function without switching, and communication has been key to that.

 

[Keen]

Listening respectfully when they do decide to speak up can be hard, because they are usually at complete odds with the way you see the world and what you value. But keep listening

Thanks for the advice. It is so hard. But it makes sense that this is key and I've got to keep at it, despite the frustration and failures.

 

[theshadowoftheliving]

I don't have a lot of advice. I'm still learning. I'm still a mess. but I know that validation has helped, as has gentle guidance from my therapist, in a psychodynamic way.

Things that have definitely not helped have been DBT and CPT. Both nearly killed me.

 

[Reflections]

CBT, IFS, EMDR, DBT, and Hypnosis I have heard can be helpful for DID/OSDD. Supposedly CBT is really effective. My T uses IFS, CBT, and DBT with me and I find it helpful. I haven't tried EMDR because I don't think I'm ready for that (though my T can use it).

Personally, DBT skills are the first thing I found to help calm down my anxiety (which I have at least 3 parts who are highly anxious). EFT also helps me with calming down. DBT is about self soothing, not getting sucked into thoughts, acceptance, mindfulness, etc. This is something I need to be able to handle life much less trauma. I would just say, be mindful if any parts don't like coping skills. Don't use them to "shut up" anyone. My parts understand the need to calm down to deal with situations better... yet they also need to feel heard... which is part of the reason they were so upset (I wasn't listening).

Mindfulness and grounding helps me with derealization/depersonalization I experience. It doesn't fix it, but it helps. So does EFT as anxiety plays a large role in me checking out. I take walks in the park and do mindfulness there. Nature is where I feel more safe and connected.

Validation, acceptance, empathy, and good communication I find exceedingly helpful. Recognizing the value and goodness of parts I didn't like or was afraid of, has helped a lot. Loving-Kindness type meditations are helpful. Learning relationship skills, conflict resolution skills helps. Learning about shame and empathy to change self talk.

Honestly I feel like I've barely started making progress or understanding myself. I don't have the answers for myself much less anyone else. May it give you some ideas to explore though.

 

[Wendell_R]

Things that have definitely not helped have been DBT and CPT.

DBT drove me crazy initially. The adult part of me knows all of this stuff and finds DBT somewhat useful, but the Little Guys are so far away from rationality sometimes that having that type of conversation didn't work at all and they just feel more lonely.

Validation, acceptance, empathy, and good communication

Validation and empathy have been so important for me, too! I agree that a good goal is validation of how all parts are feeling, while giving the adult authority to "run the show".

 

[Sideways]

Hypnosis I have heard can be helpful for DID/OSDD

Be careful with hypnosis. People with DID are particularly vulnerable to suggestion under hypnosis and it is counterindicated.

 

[Swift]

Hey @Keen,

Recently diagnosed w DID,long term PTSD here.

The book "Coping With Trauma Related Dissociation" which is a textbook/workbook has really opened up new worlds for me.

I started by building a "safe place" - I always thought that idea was rubbish for people with trauma, but the book was like "it doesn't have to be a real safe place, build lasers if you like." So, I have what I refer to as my ship - which is basically pirates with space tech. It's a "protected place", which is about as close as I can get to a safe place. It's 5 senses, a system, and visualising it in situations where I'm stressed helps a bucket load more than I thought it would.

I've been designing my parts rooms - their rooms, in my ship, in my head, which helps. I also have been naming them - a kind of collaborative exercise between the parts and me, and this works really well. For me I've picked/shared names from mythology or stuff I like - eg one of my most traumatised parts is Maya after Maya Angelou, who is a BAMF, instead of calling herself.... Not good things.

I've been reading a lot, and everything I've read about inner communication, everyone else seems to have it down in terms of verbal communication, and "meetings" with everyone......

That's my eventual goal, but I'm not there yet.

I have an "us" journal and a stack of collage supplies - cheap stuff, different kinds of paper, pre-made die cuts from the dollar store, kid's stickers.

I don't seem to be able to be verbal yet, but letting a part out to take over a page and stick things in that express them, really works. Sometimes a little bit is okay.

At my current stage my parts are quite scared of me, quite fearful and don't want much to do with me. Greeting them with calm and gratitude works - "hey. Thanks for doing what you do. If you'd like to talk to me or write or draw in this journal, I'd be really glad to have you around. No pressure, but I'll be here for you. Thank you."

They need "me", what I call my core, to be gentle, steady, calm and grateful for them.

I try to do what I call "mental maintenance" once a week, or if I/someone seems upset.

The organisation First Person Plural has some resources but nothing I've found super rad.

There are loads of YouTube videos but I find video really hard to process.

Good luck!

 

[Ronin]

Treating myself &, as bloody human.

And just for the practical angle, seconding everyone saying no to hypnosis. D.I.D. and similar high end dissociation is already enough volatile, and does not need head messy cocktails added to the mix.

 

[Wendell_R]

The book "Coping With Trauma Related Dissociation" which is a textbook/workbook has really opened up new worlds for me.

That book really helped me too! Some sections changed my life, some sections didn't do anything. So I take what works, and left the rest.

I try to do what I call "mental maintenance" once a week, or if I/someone seems upset.

I've learned now that when I'm upset or if my reactions to a situation seem irrational, it often means that one of my parts is upset. Learning to trace those emotions to a particular part being upset, and then finding out why that part is upset, has been a huge benefit to me.