Multiple Personalities Support Group

Dissociative identity disorder is a diagnosis described as the existence in an individual of two or more distinct identities or personalities, each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment. At least two of these personalities are considered to routinely take control of the individual's behavior, and there is also some associated memory loss,...

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Jimbobaronio 01/14/2016

Since 2010 I have been chasing a hunch. The feeling I am not just one individual.

I have been seeing a therapist for about 15 months twice a week.

about 6 months ago she said that she did NOT think I had DID.

Then three sessions ago she asked if I would be will to take a dissociation assessment test.

It would help her gauge my level of dissociation as she was not quite sure why I had not responded so well to treatment.

I took the test and now she has had a "break through" she now thinks I do have DID.

I have thought it since 2010 when I first wondered what the fuck was wrong with me.

Okay so NOW how do I tell people?

Not like I want to make a world wide proclamation or anything. But there are a few who should get the information as they have been helping me the last few years and it would be nice for them to know why I am not functioning like before.

I once was a corporate executive making over six figures a year. Now I am broke on food stamps and government medical.

My life is night and day from what it once was.

Ugg....

Any help in how I can broach the subject and not completely freak anyone out would be helpful.

Thanks to you all and all my best

john12as 01/15/2016

this is a common question for many people with any kind of mental/emotional wellness challenge.

Educating ourselves and the people in our support network about DID or dissociation or even PTSD will go a long way to engaging in dialogue that is productive.

Sometimes having an objective third party present who knows what they are talking about can help.

mamoth 01/15/2016

Stay strong good luck to you. I don't have any advice on this one as its never gone well for me but I just wanted to give you a thin a up. Your doing what ya can and that's what counts.

FickleFairy 01/17/2016

There is no easy way to deal with the fallout of telling or not telling. Either way, it's gonna be tough. People will have to readjust their attitudes and perceptions and most people don't have the education to be mature and not flip out.
I hope more people respond to this because I have the same concerns and I end up using avoidance on A daily basis. Friends think i prefer to be a loner but im lonely and i hate having to hide when im "not being myself! " and dealing with a lot of back lash from dissapointed, disillusioned aquaintances. I know choir is uncomfortable with me, too.

freedie 01/17/2016

I consider my diagnosis of DID very personal information and very few people know of it. I tend to explain PTSD and dissociation to people more than DID. People seem to understand PTSD and dissociation much better, and are more open to learning about these two problems vs. DID which has gotten sensationalized by movies like Sybil etc...Since many symptoms of DID overlap with PTSD and dissociation, I feel I am giving most people enough information for them to understand what's going on with me on a day to day basis.

stephanietram 01/20/2016

consider very carefully who to tell and how to tell. My family dynamic was really altered because of telling them. It has been several years since the diagnosis and only during the last 12 months while I took on responsibilities and showed myself capable, and dropped as many outward signs of inward stuff, that they have started treating me like a regular person again most of the time.
I did have my husband read excerpts of a book that described how things are for me. That was helpful for him, but not for us.

Jimbobaronio 01/23/2016

Thanks for the replies.

It sounds like Less is better, which was my reason for asking.

I'll stick with dissociation and PTSD for now. I have told a couple of people over the last few years.

One is okay and understanding

and one does not "see" it, as he described.

freedie 01/23/2016

I think it depends on the individual you are dealing with too...I'm sure your instincts will tell you how much info someone can handle or not handle.

I'm glad to hear that at least one person in your life was ok with your DX and understanding...always good to have someone like that in your corner =)

FickleFairy 02/07/2016

Honestly, the people I tell do not give a rats ass. People are so desensitized it's a joke. I purposely don't tell the ones who would like tear up. But I probably should only tell those ones.

indistinct 02/07/2016

Jim, thank you for sharing what you're going through. I'm in the same place and only just learning about dissociation. I, too, used to fit that classic definition of success with the high-profile, six-figure job I dearly loved. Now I've lost all the "stuff" and leaving my home or making a simple phone call is an excrutiating ordeal.

I have no answers for how to talk about it to family, but I like your idea that maybe the place to start is just to tell people who need to know that you have a diagnosis and this is what it is. Answer any questions they ask (unless they're intentionallly ignorant or hurtful). Sort of like the advice they give parents on how to talk to kids about the big issues: be matter-of-fact and brief. If they're asking questions, they're ready to hear the honest answers. Otherwise, give them time to process.

Just don't get sucked in to defending yourself. YOU don't need that, and biting that hook isn't going to change whatever conclusion a person who is more interested in their opinion than your experience jumped to anyway.

Wishing you peace.

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