for those with DID....

[scarlit_sky]

how do you cope?

I'm not doing a very good job, but I did just find out that I have it, so......

What do you do if you think one's about to come out while driving? with family that doesn't know? at gatherings with friends, that you can't get away at? any other risky situations?

I'm new to this other personality thing.....

~Emily

[limestone]

hi

It must feel scary to fear it happening whilst driving.
What kinds of coping things do you currently use?

limestone

[scarlit_sky]

Right now I have jsut been limiting how much I drive and keeping track of when I dissociate so that I can see if there is a pattern to when/where.

I'm having a hard time keeping myself from dissociating, but I have been trying to remove myself from the situation that I am in at the time.

Any other ideas?

~Emily

[limestone]

I'm not sure if you've heard how if you're dissociating what can help some is either: saying your name, how old you are, where you live, what the date is etc etc or going through the senses and trying to reconnect e.g. things you can touch, hear, smell, taste, see and feel the ground underneath you - or rub your arms briskly or chew something really slowly or put ice on yourself.

if that is too simple say as I'm not sure if you've already tried the above.

[scarlit_sky]

I can try those. It sounds easy enough to do.

Thanks,
Emily

[lostghostgirl]

its really hard.
we've had to make a contract that no kids (under 16) do the driving, as that's gotten me in trouble before.

my family doesn't know either, but thank goodness, i live half the country away from them, so that makes it easier to keep it a secret. it is still very hard at family gatherings and such.

i journal a lot.
i write e mails to my therapist on days when I'm not seeing her, if i need to.
i run a website for people with DID: http://s3.invisionfree.com/A_Minds_Journey/index.php
make sure the kids have time to play every day, even if its just for a few minutes, doing something they like (coloring, playing with the dogs, exploring outside, swinging)
i do a lot of artwork to express myself/ves

hope this helps some. you're not alone.

[Tamrick]

Hi, I don't have DID and have only dissociated once, but I remember almost nothing of it and it lasted almost a week (apparently I was really horrible and not at all like myself. I can't therefore really help, but I just wanted to say hang in there. I would imagine journalling would be a good idea - funny enough when I dissociated I never wrotre anything and I had been writing in my journal daily for ages before that (maybe that horrible person didn't want to write stuff)Maybe try some other methods - use a digital camera to film yourself, write, draw, take pictures, tape your voice somehow etc...

Tamrick