"Medical vs. Psychology" - Treating DIDs

I awoke this morning with emotional upheavel. Feeling sad and drained. I had to ask....what's happening now?

"We" are sad because of the misunderstanding with Doc yesterday (no "transference" here). "We" are drained because a good night's sleep seems an impossibility for "us". "We" are seeing our Primary Care Physician today.

Did you know that 'some' PCP's laugh or sneer at the possibility they are treating more than one "person" or "identity" residing in one body? That treating one physical ailment does not ensure treatment for all "identities" and other possible ailments. Just in my own experiences, I have met two such Physicians. Each "identity" has their own physical ailments, their own set of beliefs, their own emotions, their own needs, their own memories...well you see where I am going here.

DID is a valid Mental Disorder! Why then, is there this vast separation between the Medical field and the Psychiatric field? Don't they talk? Don't they read? PCPs treat the body, Psychologists treat the mind. Shouldn't those with DID be given equal treatment for both? From articles I have read, DID is not readily accepted by the Medical Doctors. They believe it is a very rare Disorder and so they choose to ignore a patients attempt to make them aware of the Disorder. In "the real world", DID can go undiagnosed for many years. It is usually mis-diagnosed as Bi-Polar or even Psychosis. DID can be so subtle, so disguised. It is an extremely complex coping mechanism, nearly always formed in early childhood. Splitting off can continue for many years....and a new identity is established. So in my humble opinion, I believe Medical Doctors choose to ignore so they do not have to "deal" with the oft called Mumbo Jumbo of the Psychiatric field. Ignorance is Bliss, I guess....oh and lots and lots of money, spent by the patient and the Health care System in an attempt to determine what is happening physically to a patient.

Is it any wonder, then, that I had such a difficult time accepting my diagnosis of DID? It is what is it...like it or not...believe it or not...DID exists, it is valid and it deserves all resources available, including appropriate Medical attention!

No wonder "we" can not sleep at night!!!

Sarah~~~~

"The truth about our childhood is stored up in our body and although we repress it, we can never alter it. Our intellect can be deceived, our feelings manipulated. our perceptions confused and our body tricked with medication. But someday the body will present its bill, for it is as incorruptible as a child who, still whole in spirit, will accept no compromises or excuses, and it will not stop tormenting us until we stop evading the truth".

Dissociative Identity 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.

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.

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 control's 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.

There are several main ways in which the psychological processes of dissociative identity disorder change the way a person experiences living, including the following:
Depersonalization. This is a sense of being detached from one's body and is often referred to as an "out-of-body" experience.


Derealization. This is the feeling that the world is not real or looking foggy or far away.
Amnesia. This is the failure to recall significant personal information that is so extensive it cannot be blamed on ordinary forgetfulness. There can also be micro-amnesias where the discussion engaged in is not remembered, or the content of a meaningful conversation is forgotten from one second to the next.
Identity confusion or identity alteration. Both of these involve a sense of confusion about who a person is. An example of identity confusion is when a person sometimes feels a thrill while engaged in an activity (e.g., reckless driving, DUI, alcohol or drug abuse) which at other times would be revolting. In addition to these apparent alterations, the person may experience distortions in time, place, and situation.

When I was first diagnosed with DID, I left....rather RAN away from.....the Therapist I had been seeing for many years. I never returned. I refused to believe that I could ever have such a "label" put upon me! How could she betray the trust we had developed? I was angry! I was...in denial. Now years later, I sought help for Depression, Sleep Deprevation and lost time. My new Therapist (Psycholigist), after treating me for the past 8 months has diagnosed me with DID.

Now that I have accepted this diagnosis, so many things that have happened in my life, are starting to make sense. I can not count the times I have gotten into my car, with a clear destination in mind, only to end up somewhere completely different, with no memory of how I got there. There are clothes in my closet I don't remember buying. There are many "blank" spaces in my childhood memories. Friends will recount stories of things we have done or places we have gone, to which I have no recall. I have been to gatherings and met people, who seem to know me....but I have no memory of who they are, where we met.

More later...............

"Child Abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime."