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Subpersonalities
- Post starter eunoia
- Start date
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- Moderator
- #3
Sideways
VIP Member
"inner child" is something that can mean one of your DID parts that is, literally, still a child. Like I have a 12 year old part and a 4 year old part.
But the general concept of having an "inner child", and reparenting that "inner child", is more global for ptsd. It's the concept that part of us inside is still a child, will always be. Part of us will always feel things and interpret things the way a child does, particularly a child at the age of our trauma. Part of us never really "grows up", and is both playful and vulnerable, inquisitive and naive, just like a child. Looking after that part of ourselves is 'looking after our inner child'. Even without DID, some people have a very strong connection to this part of themselves, and can have an internal dialogue with it much like a DIDer does with their parts.
Something about the word "ego" - brain turns off. My guess is that it's similar, and could be used as an alternative to DID parts/alters. But it would also make sense to me in a more global sense: like the average person has their "I'm at work" ego state, and they're "I'm home with the Mrs" state, and their "I'm about to get run down by that crazy driver and need to go into danger-mode" state etc. Not sure...
But the general concept of having an "inner child", and reparenting that "inner child", is more global for ptsd. It's the concept that part of us inside is still a child, will always be. Part of us will always feel things and interpret things the way a child does, particularly a child at the age of our trauma. Part of us never really "grows up", and is both playful and vulnerable, inquisitive and naive, just like a child. Looking after that part of ourselves is 'looking after our inner child'. Even without DID, some people have a very strong connection to this part of themselves, and can have an internal dialogue with it much like a DIDer does with their parts.
Something about the word "ego" - brain turns off. My guess is that it's similar, and could be used as an alternative to DID parts/alters. But it would also make sense to me in a more global sense: like the average person has their "I'm at work" ego state, and they're "I'm home with the Mrs" state, and their "I'm about to get run down by that crazy driver and need to go into danger-mode" state etc. Not sure...
For me, the subpersonalities are states that can only be reached via being in one of the main alters' states first for a while and then certain sub states become possible.
After a long time of being in a different state, something completely new breaks the surface, something not experienced often and unpredictable; this would be a subpersonality.
Say that in a certain main personality that you don't have come forward that often since becoming an adolescent you had to be funny to make friends, say during elementary school.
That part has not been out since then.
Going into the main alter for a while as an adult, and then encountering the need to win some people over, you suddenly find yourself being quiet silly and humorous in ways you NEVER have been for decades. That action system was needed by that alter and is now accessed.
Sometimes these are very specific, only accessed by certain triggers or cues or to do only specific things, such as going to school, eating, washing, or going days without food.
After a long time of being in a different state, something completely new breaks the surface, something not experienced often and unpredictable; this would be a subpersonality.
Say that in a certain main personality that you don't have come forward that often since becoming an adolescent you had to be funny to make friends, say during elementary school.
That part has not been out since then.
Going into the main alter for a while as an adult, and then encountering the need to win some people over, you suddenly find yourself being quiet silly and humorous in ways you NEVER have been for decades. That action system was needed by that alter and is now accessed.
Sometimes these are very specific, only accessed by certain triggers or cues or to do only specific things, such as going to school, eating, washing, or going days without food.
theshadowoftheliving
Diamond Member
I'm also really confused by these terms because I feel like their uses vary and they mean different things in different contexts.
I'm TOTALLY baffled by the idea of the inner child. I know that most people who reference this don't actually feel like they turn into a six year old sometimes, but I only know turning into a literal child.
No answers, but listening carefully.
I'm TOTALLY baffled by the idea of the inner child. I know that most people who reference this don't actually feel like they turn into a six year old sometimes, but I only know turning into a literal child.
No answers, but listening carefully.
WhisperingUnicorn
Gold Member
Watching thread with interest .. my husband, a "healthy multiple" :) , has 2 known "littles" inside, and while I am just a "singleton" I definitely know I have some kind of "inner child" .. it's been both a point of intimacy and empathy between my husband and I, but also a source of some potential conflict, and so we have to work very hard at knowing what part is who when where, etc. :) We don't mind the delicate dance - we LOVE each other regardless, but if getting a grasp on the distinction here might help us with our communication, I'm all ears! :)
~WU
~WU
- Post starter
- #7
From what I have read regarding the inner child, it seems apparent that you can act and talk like a child when in touch with the inner child. it also said that the same inner child can be many ages and or have many different names depending on how they feel at that particular time. idk. This seems a little bit more than just re-parenting oneself? when does it cross that line and become DDNOS/OSDD? I have a good idea of when it becomes DID.
- Moderator
- #8
Sideways
VIP Member
I know that for some people, their connection with their inner child is strong enough, and close enough to the surface, that they can at times take on behaviours of that child. But this is not everyone's experience. Many people seem to use it more to conceptualise their inner dialogue with their conflicting internal emotional states.
Schema mode therapy provides a basis for conceptualising different forms of inner child, like an angry child or vulnerable child, and uses it as a tool to help overcome dysfunctional core beliefs. But schema therapy is an extension of cbt, and achieves all this without any connection to dissociative disorders at all.
So it is possible that an inner child can be symptomatic of a dissociative disorder, but often this is not the case.
Do you have a connection with an inner child that you're worried might be dissociative? Or is it more that you're just trying to wrap your head around what is a pretty weird concept!?!
Schema mode therapy provides a basis for conceptualising different forms of inner child, like an angry child or vulnerable child, and uses it as a tool to help overcome dysfunctional core beliefs. But schema therapy is an extension of cbt, and achieves all this without any connection to dissociative disorders at all.
So it is possible that an inner child can be symptomatic of a dissociative disorder, but often this is not the case.
Do you have a connection with an inner child that you're worried might be dissociative? Or is it more that you're just trying to wrap your head around what is a pretty weird concept!?!
- Post starter
- #9
Thanks @Ragdoll Circus. i have connected with the inner child, but the inner child is split. One that holds the traumatic memories and one that is dissociated. I'm not sure what to think of it.
- Moderator
- #10
Sideways
VIP Member
For me (& I have DID, which influences this), I'd describe both as 'dissociated parts'. It's possible to have more than one inner child, especially when you move up the dissociative spectrum.
So, when you say that the second one is dissociated, can you describe that?
- Post starter
- #11
- Moderator
- #12
Sideways
VIP Member
There is often quite a few memories, even from really traumatised childhoods, where things were sunshine and lollipops, or at least, the sunshine facade that we put on for the outside world. Kids have a very innocent understanding of the world, and emotions. Put a kid in front of a sad movie, they don't just cry, they feel sad with their entire being. And when they're greedily unwrapping a gift, or swinging they're way across the jungle gym, they're happy with their entire being and the whole world around them they interpret as a happy utopian place, even for a brief moment.
For many people, connecting with their inner happy (naive, curious, innocent, etc) child is a huge part of the healing process. They're in there somewhere: the child who wanted to believe that the whole world was a happy, safe place. For many, that child didn't get a chance to be out there in the world, but they still exist somewhere inside us, and we sometimes experience them when we play with a puppy, or want to jump in a puddle, or indulge in an icecream. Nurturing that part of us is a way to connect with our joy, which is just as important as confronting all the negative emotions that form part of trauma recovery.
For DID, this happy inner child, and the trauma inner child, may exist as 2 seperate alters. But otherwise, even without DID, knowing she's in there? An awesome opportunity to experience joy.
For many people, connecting with their inner happy (naive, curious, innocent, etc) child is a huge part of the healing process. They're in there somewhere: the child who wanted to believe that the whole world was a happy, safe place. For many, that child didn't get a chance to be out there in the world, but they still exist somewhere inside us, and we sometimes experience them when we play with a puppy, or want to jump in a puddle, or indulge in an icecream. Nurturing that part of us is a way to connect with our joy, which is just as important as confronting all the negative emotions that form part of trauma recovery.
For DID, this happy inner child, and the trauma inner child, may exist as 2 seperate alters. But otherwise, even without DID, knowing she's in there? An awesome opportunity to experience joy.
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