indeed, the brain is complex and each person with DID will experience it differently...many waste energy trying to get others to understand when they never will. I agree that a more productive use of energy is learning how to connect with different parts and there are many strategies people with DID use to do this. This is what makes the healing process a marathon and not a sprint because like so many things in life, we will need to try different things to find out what works.
i recently heard something that helped me, for example. When i was a child, often my reality was bent by others around me...and so i did not learn what it meant to be true to myself...to have integrity to my own thoughts and feelings...i was lost and lonely , scared and hurt....
i have also been homeless and lived in a homeless shelter for 8 months only to be told that they couldn't do anything for me...luckily i had a support network because i was able to build connections...perhaps your homeless part is scared and lonely and needs a support network...and maybe others in the system could provide that...assigning roles sometimes gives parts something productive to do in the system since many are having a difficult time finding a place...as an adult i had to reassign jobs for those in my system because the protective role they once played can hinder functioning in everyday life.

Thanks, john12as
I have found the assigning of roles helpful to some of my team when I have tried that, so I will certainly think about that for this situation. Thanks for bringing it up and sharing that it has worked for you. I feel like I have lost so much time with this condition, I always seem to want to speed things along and that might not always be the answer

in a way I can understand your Mom. But I don't agree with her. From the very beginning I've always felt that of my friends Alters are seperate and distinct people. And tried to treat them as such. Where I've fucked up and damaged those friendships is when I've responded emotionally to them as if they were a single person. It can happen without thinking cos that is the default for Singletons like me, and a lifetime of habit is hard to overcome. I always quickly regret when I do this. If I lapse like this occasionally, I don't know what I can suggest to help you change your Mom in this

I've given up on my mom changing. She has the desire for good relationships with people, but only if it won't cost her too much or go places she doesn't want it to go, and that is pretty much the OPPOSITE of what I offer as a person.

And I/we don't mean to be like that, getting mad when a "singleton" calls us by the wrong name or thinks we did something we didn't. (Though we did!)

Its too !much! Everyone has stuff to look t and into, and really into the grand universe scheme of things, what's it really all about? We are but specks in the grand cosmos of living creatures

Hi Kitty, It's so hard to make other's believe that what we have is rare, but true. It's even harder on us when faced with the consequences of an alters behavior when you do not even remember doing it.

I think notes from your alters is a great idea. If you can some how have a group meeting with everyone together and explain that this is the way you want to communicate with each other, perhaps, they may agree. I never thought about that. The only way I knew that I switched is when someone told me or my alters would write in my journal.

I'm not quite sure how to help you, but I just wanted you to know that you are on my heart! Hug!

It's really hard for people to understand, especially when each case is so individual and the condition is rare. Very few people in my life know that I even have it. To be honest I've always been terrified for anyone to know.

Your mom has to realize that one book is only one perspective and that even the medical community can be divided on it's assertions about the disorder. The best way I've been able to understand DID is this. Everyone has different facets of personality, the student you, the work you, the party you. But this is different. These personalities are more compartmentalized, distinct. If your trauma occurred early on like mine your child brain was not able to process the trauma, that's when the first split occurs. An adult or protector steps in to take care of it. Each alter is a part of you because it's manifested within in you. But each alter is it's own life, it has functions, motives, desires, just like anyone else. They dress differently, have different body language, even the handwriting is different. They are there because it was our mind's creative solution to a problem. But that doesn't make them any less real. Everyone, even none DID have consciousness, it doesn't make them less real because it's not what people think they'd be. We just house a few more, because they came to help us and just kind of stayed permanent houseguests.

I have co-consciousness most of the time. Sometimes my mind gets very busy. So instead of trying to sort it out internally I'm trying the journaling method to. I've even given everyone their own color pen so that it is easier to make sense of it later. I'm hoping it works.

Hope so too!
I loved thee different colored pens idea! I was wondering why to do, causwpe I'm like, I don't want to have to go somewhere and buy like 27 different journals!!!!
Or however many of me there are