Persona Feels Too Regressed

[shimmerz]

Second part, that particular thread is mostly dealing with DID issues / people on the severe end of the dissociative spectrum, whether DID or not.

It wasn't actually about DID for that thread. It is for those of us who are co-conscious and relate to 'parts' of ourselves that seem regressive. You are right though, it is the high end of the dissociative scale. It is, in theory, caused by developmental trauma and attachment disorder stuff. There are a few threads out there (for further reference) about Structural Dissociation.

I think that recognizing that 'parts' of ourselves exist in everyone. I have my work personna, my ski personna, my mother personna etc. I think the key though is to not apply judgement to the personna's. If you seem 'young' in your social transactions that may well be a part of yourself that you haven't been able to put a ton of effort in working on and therefore, that part hasn't grown the way that other parts of you have.

I think if you related to the thread, it is something to be aware of and take with you to your therapist .... ask them about how you feel that part of you is 'young' or 'stuck' somehow and ask for their guidance in how to put coping strategies into place that will lead that piece of you towards a more rewarding experience.

Best of luck to you in your journey. :hug:

 

[KuanYin]

New here, registered when I saw your post janellen. I've been diagnosed with severe depression as well as PTSD. What you describe in your OP is exactly how I feel on a daily basis. I feel socially and emotionally immature. If I'm thrust into a position where I'm forced to "behave" like "anp" I can usually cope for a little while, but it completely drains me of energy and seems to further exacerbate that persistent feeling of somehow not being "quite right" if that makes sense. I often worry that to those that I encounter, I give off a strange sort of teenager vibe (and I'm often mistaken for being much younger than I am). I'm 34 years old! I don't completely believe it's based on physical appearance tbh. I just feel like my affect, or how I present, is stunted or immature or somehow regressed. It's like being hyper aware of how I think others perceive me. I find it difficult to make friends or even interact with people of a similar age as me; I just can't relate to them. Conversely, I find interacting with younger people difficult because I feel like they look for or expect a certain level of maturity from me as an adult, but I'm just not there. It's terribly painful, isolating and frustrating and it seems to have gotten worse with time. I do, after reading your post, at least feel like I'm not the only one who feels this way about themselves. It helps to know I'm not alone.

 

[Janellen]

Thank you everyone, for replying. I really appreciate it. :)

 

[Janellen]

Thanks Chava, for the effort you put into replying to my post. It was helpful. I appreciate it.

 

[Chava]

No problem. I hope you get some useful support working to move forward. I think in a new job it's also a great place to start anew and find your place. Initially, it always helps me to focus on doing my work well but also what can I do for others, or what can I bring to the situation? (sort of ideas I got in AA...helps me take anxiety out of focusing too much on how I'm doing or how I'm perceived...and helps make positive connections)

 

[greycrayon]

This upsets and overwhelms me daily. I'm so glad that someone put into words how I feel, because its not a sensation that I find easy to describe. It upsets me, especially in the area of finding a life partner because I am 28 now and have the pressures of a 28 year old from society. When I had a bf it scared me because I thought it meant that we would go out and have fun and ride our bikes but just do it more, like a little kid but the sexual/romantic stuff was way out of my depth and not what I wanted.