Multiple Personalities Support Group

I have a lot to say on this. First, it is not multiple personality disorder. It is D.I.D.S. Meaning Dissociate Idenity Disorder. A lot of people seem to disbelieve it. A lot deny it. I, for one know it to be real. I can say I fought it for many years. I can say a lot and it's all true. But, I will add my horrid story only if people want to read it. I'm not a writer, I wish! And to the ones that don't believe, think on this... simple example... have you ever rode or drove down the street and all of a sudden... you think.. o how did i get here so fast or blah blah blah?? If so, you too Dissociated!! Have a blessed day!

One point of disagreement: The diagnosis of DID covers only those who are severely separated. For example, an official DID diagnosis requires missing chunks of time, as you mentioned in your example. Some of us still use "Multiple personality disorder" to include median multiples and those whose personalities are split along lines other than identity. We, the Brass Menagerie, are a median system and have never experienced lost time. We don't technically have DID. I have a friend who was once split along emotional lines. I've another who experienced a "railroading" of behaviors toward corresponding personalities, but both of those personalities have a single consciousness. All three of these cases can be classified as MPD but not DID.

On a side note, Fnaire and I wish we were sufficiently separate to be classified as DID.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)

Dissociative identity disorder (previously known as multiple personality disorder) is a fairly common effect of severe trauma during early childhood, usually extreme, repetitive physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse.

What Is Dissociative Identity Disorder?

Most of us have experienced mild dissociation, which is like daydreaming or getting lost in the moment while working on a project. However, dissociative identity disorder is a severe form of dissociation, a mental process, which produces a lack of connection in a person's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity. Dissociative identity disorder is thought to stem from trauma experienced by the person with the disorder. The dissociative aspect is thought to be a coping mechanism -- the person literally dissociates himself from a situation or experience that's too violent, traumatic, or painful to assimilate with his conscious self.

Is Dissociative Identity Disorder Real?

You may wonder if dissociative identity disorder is real. After all, understanding the development of multiple personalities is difficult, even for highly trained experts. But dissociative identity disorder does exist. It is the most severe and chronic manifestation of the dissociative disorders that cause multiple personalities.

Other types of dissociative disorders defined in the DSM-IV, the main psychiatry manual used to classify mental illnesses, include dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, and depersonalization disorder.

What Are the Symptoms of Dissociative Identity Disorder?

Dissociative identity disorder is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct or split identities or personality states that continually have power over the person's behavior. With dissociative identity disorder, there's also an inability to recall key personal information that is too far-reaching to be explained as mere forgetfulness. With dissociative identity disorder, there are also highly distinct memory variations, which fluctuate with the person's split personality.

The "alters" or different identities have their own age, sex, or race. Each has his or her own postures, gestures, and distinct way of talking. Sometimes the alters are imaginary people; sometimes they are animals. As each personality reveals itself and controls the individuals' behavior and thoughts, it's called "switching." Switching can take seconds to minutes to days. When under hypnosis, the person's different "alters" or identities may be very responsive to the therapist's requests.

Along with the dissociation and multiple or split personalities, people with dissociative disorders may experience any of the following symptoms:

Depression

Mood swings

Suicidal tendencies

Sleep disorders (insomnia, night terrors, and sleep walking)

Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias (flashbacks, reactions to stimuli or "triggers")

Alcohol and drug abuse

Compulsions and rituals

Psychotic-like symptoms (including auditory and visual hallucinations)

Eating disorders

Other symptoms of dissociative identity disorder may include headache, amnesia, time loss, trances, and "out of body experiences." Some people with dissociative disorders have a tendency toward self-persecution, self-sabotage, and even violence (both self-inflicted and outwardly directed). As an example, someone with dissociative identity disorder may find themselves doing things they wouldn't normally do such as speeding, reckless driving, or stealing money from their employer or friend, yet they feel they are being compelled to do it. Some describe this feeling as being a passenger in their body rather than the driver. In other words, they truly believe they have no choice.s

I could go on. I had 33 known personalities at the same time. I went throught severly extensive therapy. To the point that I believe they mostly .. if not all have intergrated. One will never be woke up. Hence, I will never be the personality I was mean to be. There's nothing I do not know about this disorder. I am sorry to say.

Hello and welcome to our group. It sounds like you have had a lot of people question or doubt you, that won't happen on here. This is a great group of people who really try to support and understand each other. Most of us have also been through extensive therapy and know all of the definitions. One thing I have learned since coming on this site is that none of us will ever know everything about this disorder. I personally don't even like to call it a disorder or see it as something to fight against because I believe it is an amazing self defense mechanism and am proud to say I have multiple personalities. I feel very fortunate that my mind was able to save itself, however it had to do it.

A lot of people who were dx'd before the name change still use MPD as opposed to DID and I personally believe they are two separate disorders so I always use MPD to describe myself. Like Oren said some people use the term to decribe different forms of dissociation if they don't firmly fit into the DID mold. His and my opinions are opposite because I believe that MPD happens when your birth personality can no longer function in the world at all and a myriad of others fill the void, I believe DID is when the original personality is still out and about but has alters to deal with their emotions and is basically a depleted personality. Still yet a lot of people with DD(NOS) identify more closely with the multiples than with other dissociative disorders because they have other parts that are separate and distinct yet they are not other people. They could be colors, sounds, numbers, animals, trees, you get the point. I think everyone needs to work out what they are and where on the spectrum they fit in for themselves. I don't think the people who write the DSM know everything anymore than any of us do, look how uninformed they have been in the past. 40 years ago homosexuality was listed as a mental disorder.

I am constanly amazed by the creativity involved in a multiple system, every one is unique and special in it's own ways. Every system has it's own way of operating, communicating and eventually healing. We have no desire or intention to integrate but I still believe we will become who or what we were meant to be. We are working together and things run more smoothly everyday. I absolutely believe we will reach our full potential. I absolutely believe we will heal.

As you can tell I tend to ramble So again welcome to our group and share your story as you feel comfortable doing so, please feel free to ask any questions either in a post or a PM, or just read other posts until you feel more comfortable. It was nice to meet you, I hope we can talk again.

Sunny

blessings sundrop, just want to say hi, and ty. for reading. i also want to say, sometimes intergration can make one feel like a death and i think it is.even though that part isn't gone, it feels like it is. as you can't talk ... in the mind and get a response back any more. i remember when a very intellegent alter was being intergrated. we had come to know each other.even those they were parts of me, they were still their own and i will always feel that way.in fact i have to say i miss them. and i can't prove they are not still spilt at times. but i can say i believe they mostly are. the problem i have and have had so many years and i can't figure out... why is it when i try to prey at night, my mind constantly goes to other thing? that is very upsetting. another is it is upsetting when i have to take my meds,. as i have health issues that i have to take meds for. sometimes i will have took my meds. and i guess i forget or i wonder .. did another take them or did i take them? this can be very dangerous am i'm sure every one knows. i've tried many different ways to try to get this right. and still misplaceing things.i'm wondering if it's an age related thing, or d.i.d, or a health problem. i think your right. at my age, my core personality is said to be asleep and walls are built and alters are protecting that part. i have worked so hard. i think the sleeping one was the one that saw my adopted daddy die when i was 5. as my therapist and i worked in many ways to get that part to talk and share the experience. a lot of very bad things that was seen, happened, etc. was bought out. but, not that. i have lived beening terrified of heart attacks and blood clots, strokes. i still am and have heart problems. i am the only one that saw daddy pass. yet i can't see it. i don't think i can handle that. at 62, i see no reason to be digging any more . i don't mean to bore any one. i'm not a writer, i wish.lol. have a blessed day every one..

Fnaire speaking.

I agree with you about Integration. I am surprised by how many people, even alters, tell me that it's not dying- that everything that is Fnaire will still be here. That's all fine and dandy, but *I* would be dead. I don't think it's right to expect anyone to integrate. It's not my fault that I came into being in Oren's body. I'd drive my own if I could, believe me. I just want to live and have as normal a life as possible.

I also feel like integration would be like a death or maybe even something worse. What if it feels all cramped and mooshed up and there is no escape from it. I don't mind sharing a body as long as I can continue to exist.

I also know I would miss them individually if they started to disapear, I honestly don't believe I could handle it. I have had more than a few integrated people tell me they miss the others terribly.

You're not boring us That's what we're here for, to listen and give support and try to give advice. I feel like I will never stop digging, is that how it felt for you and then at some point you were like "I'm done!" or was it a gradual tapering off? Even after 20+ years I am still digging, studying, probing, prodding...It truly feels like it will never end.

I sometimes cannot meditate because I am too wrapped up in other emotions or events, maybe that is one reason you are not able to stay focused on your prayers. Do you belong to a church or anything? For me religion has always been a tricky subject with many of us having different beliefs but we have been managing.

I'm very sorry to hear about your father. To lose a parent at such a young age is horrifying enough without the added fact that you were there.

Sunny

Hi ALL,

I just joined this group in hopes of understanding dissociative identity disorder. Is there a support group for family members of DID? I didnt see one. My therapist has stated several times that my husband has several personalities, along with bipolar disorder, and ptsd.

Between the ptsd and bp, I forget about the did.

Welcome, Thewarisover. This group is both for multiples and friends and family of multiples. I myselves am both. I come here not just to work things out for myselves, but to seek advice in helping out my two good (sets of) friends who are also multiples. We will be more than happy to help you in any way we can.

Hi and welome to the group. Like Oren said everyone is welcome here, multiples, friends and family. If you have any questions just ask

It may help you to read over some of our old posts since understanding is what you're after, we talk about a lot of different things on here so hopefully you'll find what you need.

Welcome and feel free to post or respond to any post or PM me if you feel more comfortable.

Sunny