DDNOS What works for you when communicating with your parts!?

[beaneeboo]

I have OSDD. Been diagnosed for 8 years. Only started specialist therapy for dissociative disorders 14 months ago. I do find it difficult accepting my diagnosis. But I can also see how that in itself is part of an elaborate internal system to keep me from addressing the trauma and realising the full extent of it. One of the side effects of the disbelief and denial (as well as amnesia) is me not really communicating with my parts very well.

However I've been trying a bit more to address strong feelings and body symptoms coming up lately by talking with my parts, even when I don't exactly know who it is. It surprises me how the act of just trying to do this can have a positive impact- like a need is being addressed somewhere within. Every time it happens I can feel a change internally.

I don't really know the best way to address communication with parts. I'm wondering if others have good PRACTICAL EXAMPLES of what works for them to connect more internally... I'm not able to have full blown convos but often I get an immediate reply in the form of a thought-voice (somewhere between a thought and a voice)... but more than that, my somatic symptoms can disappear once I've attempted to address a need... looking in a mirror and addressing my parts has working really well..

Anyone else want to share what's worked for them? No matter how small...

 

[Dark.Green.Feathers]

i get urges from other parts to express themselves, or more so that’s the need. if there’s thoughts and ideas/opinions that aren’t mine and quite loud or persistent, i let them be typed or written out and that part may be out for a while but it has over time helped open things up. allowing others to express themselves in the external world. helps to feel better and a bit less emotionally constipated too. being heard and stuff. my communication is still quite early on but this is something that helps and lets us see what eachother are feeling and experiencing

 

[whiteraven]

I don't really know the best way to address communication with parts.

I have DID, but it's been a long while since I've heard from any of my insiders. That said, I used to engage in things I normally wouldn't, things I thought or knew someone inside enjoyed. For example, I have a few younger ones, and I know they like bears and elephants (pink ones to be precise :-), so I would play kid's movies, and even better if they had bears and elephants in them. I bought coloring books, encouraged writing in notebooks or leave messages on paper, and made all of that easy to access.

 

[beaneeboo]

Thank you @Dark.Green.Feath and @whiteraven - interesting to hear 2 quite different approaches...

Loved the idea of emotional constipation! I can really relate to this as I'm sure lots of people can... I'm currently in a situation where I've had to move back in with my mum temporarily for a couple of weeks. Day 3, younger (distressed) parts are taking over, because the dynamic at my mum's is such that they can't be seen or heard (like it was when I was growing up). So their feelings are strengthening and strengthening (overwhelmed, upset, feeling invisible, angry). They can't express themselves openly (there's a need not to, to keep everything hidden by the system and to ensure the traumas aren't exposed. So no one knows about my diagnosis. But yesterday this part just took over and I struggled all day to stay as adult me to do what I needed to do around my mum (talking on a carer role), because the younger part was bleeding into me so strongly. I couldn't stay awake at one point the feelings were so strong - my brain just konked out.

I did things like take myself off for a walk to be alone with them. I talked to them in the mirror and acknowledged how they felt and that I could see and feel them. I don't really have an idea of what they like to do and I don't know how to find this information out. They tend to come forward when they feel difficult feelings but I don't have an idea of what they like doing...

 

[Friday]

MOD NOTE @beaneeboo … Would you like to keep this thread here on the PTSD side of the forum, where “parts” has hundreds of definitions/types/experience, so possibly more tips/tricks, but also more disconnect; or moved over to the OTHER DISORDERS side of the forum to help you navigate this new diagnosis, whilst also having PTSD as a baseline? (The OTHER DISORDERS sub forum is purely for PTSD+).

Either answer is good!

 

[beaneeboo]

Ummmmm oooh, I don't know?! I mean I guess the OSDD thing is a bit more specific as a diagnosis so I'm maybe wanting to hear from others with that diagnosis for strategies they've learned and tried out? I'm open to any feedback but I think those with experience with dissociative disorders would be good ... so where is best for that?

 

[beaneeboo]

Ummmmm oooh, I don't know?! I mean I guess the OSDD thing is a bit more specific as a diagnosis so I'm maybe wanting to hear from others with that diagnosis for strategies they've learned and tried out? I'm open to any feedback but I think those with experience with dissociative disorders would be good ... so where is best for that?

Should say I would love to hear from those not just with osdd but obviously did as well