Inner Self Helper????

[shimmerz]

I am reading up about the Inner Self Helper. Does anyone here have a T who speaks about the ISH? Can anyone give me further practical insight into this? Has anyone ever heard of it?

"Salient traits uniformly associated with the ISH set it apart from all other forms of alter-personalities. It is described as astute, objective, and rational, exhibiting a superior memory, greater emotional stability (including perhaps an invulnerability to hypnosis and hypnotic suggestion), a greater alertness to and a wider recognition of events in the environment than other ego states, influence and some control over other ego states and, more debatable, a sixth sense. It does not refer to itself as personality, and its selfmates generally acknowledge that it is not like them."

http://astraeasweb.net/plural/ish-angel.pdf

There are a few theories on it but mine (I think) comes across as a voice that is always calm, always right, and knows exactly what the hell it is talking about. It has gotten me out of a ton of ditches.... and other horrible issues. Many times it comes to me when my life is at risk.

I posted about my 'voice' some time ago.
https://www.myptsd.com/threads/structural-dissociation-and-chatter-and-subsequent-answer.59595/

I am starting to think it is 'ISH-ish'.

Any takers?

 

[sonicwhite]

Yes I have this. Been doing it since I was born again. Once you start it's hard to stop. Because it comforts and also helps me love myself. I cant quiet explain what it's like but it's my inner conscience that feels like it has been over taken by the Holy Spirit. Now I'm going off on biblical stuff so maybe this ain't what you're talking about but it sure helps me everyday make some wise decision.

 

[shimmerz]

Been doing it since I was born again.

Thank you so much Sonic. :hug:

 

[Anarchy]

It has the flavour of some of the internal family systems stuff
I guess that it is also the same as "wise mind" in the mindfulness part of DBT

 

[Dissociated1]

We talked about Inner Self Helper quite frequently in psychodynamic trauma recovery therapy. My ISH is one of the 5 alters of my System. He works in the background juggling who fronts, who knows what, and who is coconscious with who. The concept was first described by noted trauma specialist, Dr. Ralph B. Allison, M.D. Lots of good info at http://www.dissociation.com/index/Manuals/RXWISH.TXT

 

[shimmerz]

And how does your ISH communicate with you @Dissociated1? How do you know (or your therapist) that you are communicating with ISH? Are you able to initiate communication?

Thank you for the link. I have been reading Allison's many works on the site you have mentioned. Much of his work ties together many things for me.

 

[Dissociated1]

You are welcome The ISH is widely accepted in current models of DID systems. I feel fortunate to have an alter who serves in this capacity and see it as one of the reasons my System has been so successful. My ISH is coconsious with all of my alters although we are not necessarily privy to his thoughts, and he expresses himself through us. Neither me or my therapist are able to communicate with him directly but he may chose to respond to something she says, or I am thinking by forming an idea in my head. My 13 year old female alter is the spokesman for the rest of the peanut gallery and I suspect she is at least partially coconscious with my ISH.

 

[shimmerz]

I feel fortunate to have an alter who serves in this capacity and see it as one of the reasons my System has been so successful.

Allison speaks about the ISH not being an alter but something different from an alter. A higher consciousness? I recognize that his writings were back in the late 70's. I didn't realize that therapists these days accepted the idea of ISH, as I know Allison received a ton of push back in his day for his thoughts about this.

You and your therapist see the ISH as an alter that was created or as the original self (personality)?

 

[Sideways]

Everything @Dissociated1 said.

Except the part about being communicated with directly. My ISH is an alter, but operates differently than the others, preferring to speak theough me, rather than for me.

But it can also take over in the complete "switch" way like the others. Tends to only do this where my safety is under threat (if it gets in before the others), or if it believes that it's more productive to take over for me (when I'm getting too emotional to be rational or communicate something that really needs to be communicated).

V helpful, but definitely an alter rather than the true me. I simply don't operate with that level of objective rationality most of the time.

 

[Dissociated1]

My ISH is a high level, non-narcissistic alter. He is not the birth/original personality, but the supervisory personality responsible for the well being of the System/Self. In a sense a "higher consicousness" as you mention.

Here is a link to my trauma diary if you would like to read more about me and my System: https://www.myptsd.com/threads/childhood-sexual-abuse-survivor-with-did.62403/#post-1018400

 

[The ANP]

Interesting idea I am not diagnosed with DID as far as I know my parts share coconsciousness. I defiantly have a voice that speaks between my parts in a self helper sort of way. Always very compassionate about the experiences of each part and encouraging compassion between parts. Does that make sense?

 

[Dissociated1]

It makes sense but is not something I can comprehend as a dissociated system of alters.