I have been recently diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, as in it has officially been written down in my records. I was wondering how to cope with the disorder. I mean, how to cope with …
living life to the fullest with dissociative identity disorder and other mental illnesses
It takes awhile to learn how to cope with DID. I’m going to give you a link to the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation which provides state of the art protocols for the treatment of dissociation disorders. One thing I have to say about coping with it in general is that it is more difficult to cope with skeptical and dismissive treatment providers than it is to cope with the illness.
http://www.isst-d.org/default.asp?contentID=49
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Did you find this link helpful?
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My wife has DiD and so I only really know her version. She found a therapist that she liked a lot but she had to go through a few therapists who thought she was bipolar or had a brain tumor. Her psychiatrist eventually ended up putting her through meditation to form a sort of safe place that she could visualize, and from there she could meet her alters “face to face”. She was able to design rooms or cages to place the dangerous or disruptive alters, although they do at times get out. She hasn’t seen that therapist in a while and so that part of the healing process was never completed. In any case, she is married to me, and we have a son together. Our lives are nothing flashy at all, and it is a struggle, but that is only because we have practically no family support. We live a relatively normal life, and she doesn’t switch all that often. Lately, she has been allowing her main protector/keeper of secrets alter out and I am working on cultivating a relationship with this alter.
To be honest, I knew about her having DiD for a while, but it was just data or info. I didn’t really feel like I was experiencing it. Then one day I suddenly realized the difference between my wife and her primary alter. I actually began to have anxiety attacks for about a month, although there were other issues like problems with my own medication and problems with my siblings and parents. Anyways, it has been very strange to live with, but I love it. Some nights she ends up switching back and fourth very rapidly and I am unable to keep up. I feel odd when I am unsure of who my wife is like I am a bad husband for not being able to recognize my own wife, but we always end up laughing about it. She tries to understand me. I try to understand her. I try my best not to look at her like a science experiment but this whole experience has been absolutely fascinating.
I know that her life has been very rough. She has seen some very terrible things. She has had to fight with whether or not the world is real or a dream. The concept of losing time is scary. The concept of suddenly not being where you were is terrifying. But even more so, the sudden change in what you are feeling sounds the worst. In one instant you feel fine, and then all of a sudden your somewhere else, your bra is slightly shifted, maybe a headache, or even just feeling tired. Not being able to feel the gradual experience of getting tired, or feeling a headache slowly come on, or that sock that has been slowly slipping off.
Anyways. You are not alone. About 1 in 100 people have DiD or something similar to it. It isn’t fake. You are not crazy. You are not doomed to live some unsure existence that is unfulfilling. My wife is very close to completing a Bachelor of Science majoring in Psychology. And I, her husband, am close to getting my Bachelor of Science as well. She has chosen to leave the abuse behind her, and to end the cycle of abuse. She is doing a damn good job of it too and I am so proud of her.
I am currently trying to build my blog profile thingy, but I have a ways to go. Feel free to check out my blog though, and maybe you can find my wife through me as well. I don’t know how this website really works though since I only just signed up yesterday.
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Thank you so much for your response. If you want, you can giv your wife my email. It’s rayette.rucker23@gmail.com. We also hav a YouTube channel. It’s My Multiple Life. Thanks for reading.
Ray
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