Dissociations & Did Therapy

[surviving_it_all]

As my symptoms from PTSD reduce, I am more and more alarmed by my dissociation. It was the last of my worries. I was more worried about anxiety, flashbacks, flooding, etc. I am getting worried about my very real dissociation. I used to say I just had a very big personality. I could reach out to many people. I'd just act differently dependent on many things. Its a bit extreme. The normal dissociation that people experience isn't how I dissociate.

When I dissociate, I can't remember details: the day of the week, my address, location, faces, etc. It never bothered me. Now, it troubles me severely. I am concerned because I want to be able to recognize people no matter what. I can't be someone new around different friends. This makes it worse. I am not diagnosed with DID and I don't want to be. I hope the dissociation isn't this far. I also think that noone on this forum should try any diagnosis.

I just think that maybe some treatments for DID will be helpful for me, too. Are there any techniques that keep you present during dissociation? The grounding technique I like for dissociation the most is the following grounding technique.

What is your name?
Where are you at?
What is the day?
What is the date?
What month is it?
What year is it?
How old are you?

What is another way of stopping myself from changing? I don't do it always, but under stress I will shift every slightly. I don't like that I can't recognize faces. This bothers me tremendously. I remember the click on and click off. I remember all of it. I just in the moment have this wall up blocking me from details. Its very unsettling.

 

[Cerulean Synapse]

As someone that has been diagnosed with DID it took many years and at first they diagnosed me with schizophenia, bipolar disorder and you name it. Not to say that you do don't have DID. But if you are switching out and having these people have different names that your other names, maybe slight names that differentiate or deviate from your original personality or name, you could have DID. And the think is you don't remember anything. Maybe just bits and pieces. It took a long time before they realized I was just dissociating. I hope this is any help. And ground is a big thing, but its hard when your mind gets carried away with, well whatever your mind likes to get carried off with at the moment. Or even flashbacks that you think are not even yours. Those are freaky. Or voices that come from inside you. Those are the kind of the things they look for when you have DID and that is why they first diagnosed me as a schizophrenic because I didn't know where these voices were coming from. I hope this helps. Keep grounded.

 

[Donna-1]

I, too, am diagnosed with schizophrenia as of 1995. My entire world went haywire then. Gradually, I have realized I have DID, not schizophrenia. I can really, really relate to the problems of dissociation. If I stay out of therapy and try to "go it on my own," if I stay isolated, and don't have too much stress, I can do moderately well. I dissociate too much to work, so I am on disability.

Problem is, I am back in therapy now. And I'm not only dissociating in therapy, I am starting to dissociate moderately wherever I am. Can't remember my address when asked, the interior of my apartment looks unfamiliar, and I got a $530 credit card bill yesterday and don't remember making any of the purchases. Sometimes I wonder if it is not better to "just get by" without therapy, but it is only a half life. This time, it has to help or I am giving up on therapy. I have an excellent, well-trained therapist, which is wonderful. I'm hoping for the best.