DID D.i.d. and conscious-switching

[JEKBreatheandBelieve]

I have dissociative identity disorder (DID) and have to have a medical procedure done on Friday. It's very triggering for a lot of my younger parts and for me. My therapist suggested that I ask another part to take over for me. I have used conscious-switching a couple of times before but for much more minor things. I have a part that takes over when I get vaccinations or bloodwork and my therapist wants me to ask that part to take over on the day of the procedure for certain aspects of the procedure. I am having a hard time with that because I think it is unfair to ask a part to do that. However, from the other angle if the part is choosing to do this to help then I guess it's okay and allows the part to feel helpful. It's not like I am forcing anyone to do anything they don't want to. Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts (even if you don't have DID) and if anyone who has DID has had any experiences with conscious switching and can offer any reassurance or advice.

 

[Friday]

Not DID.

Being in the right headspace for the right time&place is invaluable to me.

Part of what happens when I get all PTSD symptomatic is that my compartments start breaking down & I start being in the wrong headspace at the wrong time. And I can't shift gears. So I'm reacting and responding to situations in reeeeally inappropriate ways. It's painful. And demoralizing. In some instances, gutting. And in nearly all next to freaking impossible to do anything.

Turn that around, though? When I'm in the right headspace for the right situation? OMFG. Bliss. And relief. And NOW things are right/working! It's just an indescribable relief to have my head in the game. The right game. The right rules, and conduct, and <cat like stretch> just soooooo relaxing. Being able to be myself, and excel at what I'm doing.

So, coming from a position of knowing what it's like to be doing what I was built for? To be right, instead of fumbling through screwing everything up because all the rules are wrong & nothing makes sense? To be useful? I need that. It's not a horrible thing to ask me to do what I do best. It's a relief to be needed, and to be capable. Alright. I've got this!

So it would make sense to me that if one part excels at medical adventures, and one part doesn't? To let the person who is best suited do what they do best.

 

[Ronin]

I am having a hard time with that because I think it is unfair to ask a part to do that.

It's not; it's asking someone you trust to handle something difficult for all y'all, to do just that.

Beneficial & a show of working together well & having it together & being able to prioritize about your life and its necessities, too.

& There are things that are considerably unfair in any people interactions, with their bodied people and not alike, but requesting assistance & accepting offered help isn't one of them.

 

[pixel]

@JEKBreatheandBelieve this works really well for me, and it can for you too.

It's lovely how considerate you want to be for your others. This helps build trust and — dare I say it — unity. :joyful:

You can show your consideration by asking your part now, ahead of time, if they would like to handle the medical procedure. It's a type of scheduling, i personally find it crucial to function like this.

Sometimes, on the day that a part is supposed to be fronting and i wake up, I feel disconcerted. But usually once I have done my normal morning routine, the switch happens as I'm leaving the house or en route.
So if that happens to you on Friday, try to remind your alter of the plan, and ask that they please!!!!:nailbiting: front up soon.
Hopefully you wont even remember the procedure :)

 

[WhisperingUnicorn]

My husband hasn't really been able to "ask" someone inside to do a task - He has only VERY rarely "consciously" switched, and that was more for my sake than his - like to let a part speak for himself instead of "through" Middle - the part that is "out" most of the time.

But I LOVE the idea, and I really love how you (JEK) have asked for feedback on whether this is .. "fair"? .. for the part being asked. I echo some of the same above sentiments re TRUST and UNITY, etc ...

As someone on the outside looking in, it's been my impression that my husband switches most often UNconsciously - and it's usually because of a negative trigger. So if he were to get to a place where he would ASK a part to come forward, it seems to me that is MORE HONORING to all inside, rather than the opposite. It seems to me like .. a "trigger" by its very nature is NOT honoring, so there are times when someone is forward who DOESN'T want to be so. But if there is good internal communication? And "asking" ... allowing for all to come into agreement as to a plan to keep my husband "safe" and to PREVENT the dishonor (and embarrassment or worse) of a trigger and public switch (which usually means Grumpy "has to" do the job and then he internally abuses the others for their fear or ineffectiveness without him, etc..)?

I (humbly) think such a plan of cooperative action could only be GOOD! It's not strong-arming, it's not a force, it's internal communication and cooperation towards a common goal. And I know my husband is desiring MORE "asking" (so to speak) ..

I think it's beautiful and effective! :inlove: I think my husband would overall experience MORE empowerment and success, not less!

~WU

 

[JEKBreatheandBelieve]

Thanks to all of you who responded. I did it. I asked the part to help me and we read the information together and talked about it. She is agreeing to help. I have only done conscious switching a few times, but she's the one I have done it with mostly so I think it will work. We're very co-conscious unless she wants to purposely block me. We will have to do some more communication before Friday to set safety terms (she's also a runner if things get her really upset and that won't work, but she's generally really good at not running or exploding in anger these days). Plus, there shouldn't be anything that makes her angry as we know the doctor and I have not yet met a kind nurse there (here's hoping that doesn't change). I really appreciated all that you guys offered, it really helped me take the steps I needed to in asking this part to help.

 

[pixel]

Proud of ya hun :tup:

 

[theshadowoftheliving]

I hope it went well! I echo that it isn't unfair to ask at all. In many ways, this isn't different from me working to switch into my work-self every time I step into the office. Different task, same concept.

 

[JEKBreatheandBelieve]

Today is the day. Switching intentionally very soon. Everyone is in comfort places and I am hoping all goes well. Thanks again for your support.

 

[WhisperingUnicorn]

*HUGS* to you, @JEKBreatheandBelieve .. I would love to hear how everything goes. I suspect you'll be very encouraged by the results. :)

 

[JEKBreatheandBelieve]

I am so proud of my parts. Things went really well. The conscious switching worked and another part helped block everyone else in case they came out of comfort places. When I was waking up there was an obnoxiously loud male nurse in the room and so I switched back to the part who was originally in charge of it all and she told him that we don't like men and that he was too loud. His witty comeback was to say "what's that?" when pointing to my husband...yeah, not what we meant! He was nice enough to swap out so that I had a female nurse after that.

 

[Jadie Rose]

I have dissociative identity disorder (DID) and have to have a medical procedure done on F...

Thanks for sharing this. I had no idea this was even possible, as I am new to just learning I disassociate. I was actually worried, right after my T appt Friday, something was wrong and may be wrong for long while (if my strong disassociation, the one in control over me for past 15 years, keeps taking over during therapy). She will not allow me to do the work that needs to be done in order to work on healing and she took over the appt yesterday, just as she did the past 15 years.

I really do look forward to being able to communicate, one day, amongst them and eventually find some unity. Any good reads on suggestions on how to do that better, by any chance, that any of you know of?