It can be very difficult to ask for help for dissociative identity disorder (DID). People with mental health struggles, including people with DID, often need help and support from people on the outside, whether it be doctors, therapists, family, or friends. Sometimes, it is obvious to others that we need help (Dissociative Identity Disorder Signs and Symptoms). But what happens when we need help for dissociative identity disorder and have trouble asking for it?
Living with DID
How can I manage dissociation in the new year better than I did last year? This year, my dissociative identity disorder (DID) made celebrating the new year difficult. New Year’s Day could symbolize another year of dissociation, and another year of instability. But New Year’s can also be a time to recognize progress and to make resolutions that promote healing and change. That’s why I am choosing to make resolutions for my DID--I'm going to manage dissociation much better this year. You can, too.
A cope-ahead plan for dissociation will come in handy this holiday season. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, New Year’s, or nothing at all, this time of the year can be difficult when you have a dissociative disorder. Financial stress, sensory overload, and time-related triggers are just some of the things that can lead to an increase in dissociation. So how can you cope with all of these symptoms and make it through the holiday season? How do you make a cope-ahead plan for dissociation?
I have dissociative identity disorder (DID), and since I write about DID, it may seem like living and functioning with this disorder is possible. But is that the reality? Dissociative identity disorder is a complex disorder. There are dozens of symptoms for DID and no concrete cure. This disorder affects all aspects of your life. And even though I'm a DID writer who seems to have it together when it comes to my disorder, I have a confession to make.
Age regression occurs in dissociative identity disorder (DID) particularly, but also in other mental illnesses such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder. While many people with DID have young or child alters, called littles, age regression is something different. So what is age regression, and how do you cope with it?
As a person who experienced dissociation from trauma, I am thankful for dissociation even though it happens to this day. It can be difficult to be thankful for things when you have dissociative identity disorder (DID). When you have DID, you have experienced significant trauma that impacts your entire life. So what's to be thankful for when things seem to be so hard? Is dissociation from trauma something to be thankful for?
Many people with mental illness, including people with dissociative identity disorder (DID), manage the risk of suicide. In fact, people with DID carry the highest risk for suicide, as 70% of those diagnosed have a history of at least one suicide attempt. With such an increased risk, what can you do to manage the risk of suicide in DID?
After my dissociative identity disorder (DID) diagnosis, I had to accept that it doesn't go away. There's no medication to cure it and no therapy that works 100% of the time. DID is manageable with treatment, but even then, the DID diagnosis stays with you. It has been two years since my DID diagnosis, and I am still struggling. But does DID get easier as time passes?
There are people who fake having mental illness for many reasons, and dissociative identity disorder (DID) is one of the many illnesses that is faked. Some people claim to have DID, then come out to friends, family, and/or support groups that they have been faking their DID. But is it really faking, or is there something else really going on?
Even though dissociative identity disorder (DID) is considered a dissociative disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM-5, many people refer to it as a trauma disorder. Much like in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), people with DID often have a history of trauma and/or abuse. But is trauma always a requirement for DID?