Letters from readers applying the information contained in my books and blog are a rich reward in my retirement. Trauma and dissociation is widespread and, unfortunately, so often dismissed by professionals in the field of mental health. So, nothing is more satisfying than to learn that my humble writing efforts reach the around the Globe and offer some help to individuals with DID. With blogs and social media support groups, there are now additional vehicles to bring comfort to many who continue to suffer from trauma and dissociation.
I received some kind words about my books, along with a question, from a reader who is both a DID therapist and patient. While he may post a review, the more important message was in his question. I felt his message included something in particular, a way to communicate the experience of DID, to those in the mental health field as well as to those outside of it. I think this reader nailed perfectly his experience of dealing with many voices.
The reader described his experience as being “like an uncontrollable, undisciplined meeting where everybody is speaking at the time” or “like listening to 15 radio stations at the same time, but being unable to understand or sort out what they say.”
Part of educating non-DID individuals as to the experience and truth of DID is figuring out how to communicate the DID experience. The analogy given by the correspondant, that it is like turning on 15 radios set on different stations simultaneously, is accurate and instructive to non-DID individuals. If your friends or therapist doesn’t understand or appreciate the experience, bringing in 15 radios tuned to different stations might be incredibly helpful. Perhaps this is something that should be done at each and every meeting of therapists who deny DID because they simply cannot connect with the experience.
The questions had to do with dealing with that experience of so many voices clamoring for attention at the same time. I suggested to begin journaling. My patient Ruth, presented in Chapter 5 , volume 1, had hundreds of alters all trying to communicate at the same time. We sorted that out fairly quickly. I asked her to invite the alters who wished to introduce themselves and write about their grievances to allow Ruth to bring in a few pages of messages to therapy sessions, according to degree of urgency or severity. The alters very quickly realized they all had a chance to get their problems addressed. They became very cooperative and took turns to be “heard.”
Reading out the messages and responding to the specific alters directly, it became a method to quickly engage them individually. The approach was problem orientated, rather than alter orientated.
Journal writing can be very effective, both as a form of self-therapy or incorporated into the therapy session. Writing has a calming effect in organizing what appears to be chaotic and confusing thoughts.
As a child, I learned that most of the time, if I could put my problem or question clearly in words, I have often come close to the answer myself. That is because the process of writing helps organize ideas and thoughts. If, having organized the ideas and thoughts by writing, with your therapist’s support you can begin to come close to the answer – which is the beginning of processing the trauma. Once Ruth’s alters were assured that they were being taken seriously, they would take turns to present their concerns. I did not try to go through a checklist of all the alters but only listened to those with the most urgent messages. Not all the alters needed to go through individual therapy. I encouraged communication among the alters, and the breaking down of memory barriers. In that way, when one was helped, others felt that their problems is helped as well because many do have similar problems and issues.
As readers of my books and blog know, I think it is very important to connect to one’s sense perceptions in order to understand the here and now experience. Grounding exercises, using the 5% rule and one-breath meditation are all techniques that can be helpful to address the concerns of all parts of the system.
