Well, as the only post here is the announcement, I thought I'd place a post of my own.
What's DID like?
Imagine that you had a twin that you didn't know about.
Imagine that this twin interacted in your life whenever you weren't around. They talk to your friends. They go out and buy things for you. They put miles on your car when you aren't around. You'll go around your home and find things and wonder how they got there. Your friends will "remind you" of things that you presumably did, but have no recollection of.
No imagine that this "twin" actually uses your body to do these things.
Imagine being in your car, and looking out the windscreen and being perhaps 100 miles from where you thought you were perhaps 60 seconds ago. Imagine your therapist bidding you good-bye, but you thought you just sat down.
Imagine that you are diagnosed with a condition that many people don't believe exists.
On the other hand, if you've dealt with this, and accepted it, imagine being able to handle most any situation you come across because there is "someone" who will step up to the plate and deal with things as they need to be dealt with. Imagine being able to deal with a what would for others be painful medical procedure, with calmness and little discomfort.
Imagine beign able to step aside and let someone who is able to, deal with things that might be fearful.
Imagine how strong a person you really are when you find all that strength in your own self.
The interesting thing about Dissociative Identity Disorder is that out of what was terrible adversity, one finds unusual strength. These people are almost real-life super-heroes! We have "alter" identities that handle most anything we encounter.
I remember as a child when a group of adolescents came up to me wanting a fight. I really didn't want to fight, when one of them hits me across my face, breaking my glasses. I still didn't want to fight and tried to leave. One of them told me I wasn't leaving without a fight. The next thing I remember is being on top of one of these kids hitting him. I was terrified, and for years I was frightened about what happens when I "go away".
Years later, and after so much therapy that did little to help calm my fears, I was working with an individual who uses EFT. I came to a realization. What was amazing in that situation so many years ago, and despite my fear that I would seriously hurt someone if I "went away", was that NOBODY was seriously hurt! The one who protects me took over when I wouldn't be able to avoid a physical confrontation, and did EXACTLY what was necessary to protect me. These kids never hurt me again.
While DID can be so terribly frightening, it is simply a means of a "system of individuals" working together to help that "system of individuals" get through life safely.
It's funny that so many people who don't, or aren't willing, to understand DID are Christians. You'd think that such people are used to dealing with a "system of individuals" with the concept of a trinity. Still, it's these people who (at least in my observation) seem most likely to be unaccepting.
In any case, that's my experience. weird though it may be.
--Dee
Subject: What's it like? 
Mon Jan 14, 2008 2:00 pm
