alt.support.dissociation FAQ 1/4
ti...@tezcat.com
Archive-name: dissoc-faq/part1
Last-modified: 1994/09/06
alt.support.dissociation FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
========================================================
Last modified on 9/6/94
[OK, as a new newsgroup we don't have any frequently asked questions as of
yet, but this is in anticipation of the types of questions that will
undoubtedly be asked. Several people have contributed in one way or another
to this FAQ, and I will always accept proposals for changes/additions to
this FAQ, although I reserve the right to edit (with the author's approval)
any submission I may receive before placing it in the FAQ.]
This FAQ is for information only, and no portion of it may be reproduced
for any other purpose but information, nor may it be reproduced in any
other form but electronically, without the direct permission of the persons
writing any sections that you wish to reproduce. Authors of the various
sections will be credited in each section.
FAQ-Keeper and author of several sections: Tina Sikorski, aka Maelstrom.
(sections I've written will be marked tls, my initials)
Direct Contributors: The Sapphire Gazelles.
Indirect Contributors: several people from ASAR who commented on my
original posting(s) of a mini-FAQ on multiplicity, not all of whom I
remember, as well as people I have discussed this with in person or on the
net, most of whom are readers of and/or posters to ASAR.
Some of the "official" definitions in this FAQ are paraphrased from the
DSM-III-R. I do not have a copy of the DSM-IV at this writing, so people
who would like to contribute changes made in the DSM-IV on this topic are
much more than welcome to e-mail me, or post here.
Key:
- Still needs to be written
* Updated since last posting
+ New since last posting
[Note for first posting: Only those sections which still need to be written
are marked in this posting. Everything is new, technically.]
==== Contents
Section 1: alt.support.dissociation
Purpose of newsgroup (includes short history)
Who belongs here?
Posting guidlines/etiquette
Posting anonymously to alt.support.dissociation
Section 2: Dissociation and Dissociative Disorders
Definition of Dissociation
Definition of Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD)
Other Dissociative Disorders
Related Disorders
- Treatments for MPD and other Dissociative Disorders
Section 3: Multiplicity, an informal look
Dissociation versus MPD
An overview of MPD/multiplicity
Dealing with multiples: a suggestion
Section 4: Learning about/coping with dissociation (informal)
Overview
The Internet
Books [very incomplete]
Related groups
- Organizations
The sections are each accorded their own notes. This note could be
considered Section 0, and will always contain an overview of the FAQ.
=======================================================================
Section 1: alt.support.dissociation
Purpose of newsgroup (includes short history)
Who belongs here?
Posting guidlines/etiquette
Posting anonymously to alt.support.dissociation
**** The history of alt.support.dissociation, and its purpose
(tls)
The reason I had for suggesting/creating this newsgroup was originally
going to be to discuss JUST multiplicity (aka MPD aka Multiple
Personalities aka Multiple Personality Disorder aka Dissociative Identity
Disorder) and the problems arising from it, how to deal with it, what to do
about it, etc. etc. While discussing it on alt.config, someone mentioned
calling it alt.dissociation and including other dissociative disorders
as well as MP. I thought this was a wonderful idea, because many people who
aren't "really multiple" experience the same types of problems and handle
their dissociative states in a very similar way.
So, with that in mind, alt.support.dissociation was born.
The newsgroup is, then, for the discussion of various dissociative
states, sometimes referred to as dissociative disorders (see section 4 as
to why I use 'states' here), including problems that arise from them, and
ways to solve those problems and resolve related issues.
Other psychological states or disorders with similar issues and/or problems
will probably be mentioned here from time to time.
**** Q: Who belongs here?
(tls)
Anyone with an interest in being here, of course. A more specific list is:
people with dissociative processes, including but not limited to multiple
personalities; their SOs (that's "Significant Others" btw), friends,
colleagues and the like; therapists/psychologists with insights into
dealing with problems and issues arising from dissociation, and other
interested parties (although that probably covers just about everyone).
**** Posting guidelines and etiquette
(tls, based on both her own opinion and other peoples comments)
This is based, in part, on observations made by posters to other groups
with a similar topic.
Do not ridicule others. Because many of the posters here will be multiples,
they may come across as odd to others. Be understanding that some of the
people posting here may be letting, for instance, a younger alter post, or
one who is severely depressed, and so forth...or they may describe things
that seem unreal to you, but it is what they are experiencing.
Do not suggest that, because someone has not been diagnosed with a
dissociative disorder, that this automatically makes them wrong about what
they are going through. This rule applies to therapists/psychologists as
well as other posters. Especially for therapists/psychologists: do not attempt
to diagnose someone, unless they are asking for an opinion on what they are
experiencing. Those of us who are multiple who will be posting here don't
want to be told we are not...don't you think we'd know? [OK, it could be
something related instead, but if the multiplicity model fits us, and it
works for us, why not let us use it?]
Do not post about potentially disturbing subjects without giving some sort
of spoiler. A spoiler is a caution/warning that the contents of the post
may be disturbing for a specific reason. Some topics that probably
should be spoilered include: any details of abuse, discussion of suicide,
dicussion of or details about cutting, discussion of or details about sex.
A warning to people from ASAR: Do not necessarily expect the extent of
spoilering you would get from the people of ASAR. In particular, do not
expect that discussion about multiplicity issues is going to be spoilered,
for that is a good deal of what this newsgroup is for.
Please try to curb your desire to flame people. If you disagree with
someone, express it in a rational manner. This is in keeping with general
USENET etiquette, but given the recent problems on ASAR, I feel it bears
repeating.
**** Posting anonymously to alt.support.dissociation
(tls)
Because of the sensitive nature of the topics to be discussed here, some
people may not feel comfortable unless they have a way to post anonymously.
It is possible to use the server at anon.penet.fi and the one at
twwells.com to do this. (ASAR and alt.abuse.recovery readers should
recognize these two.) The various cypherphunk remailers will also allow you
to do this, I believe.
Information on how to use the anon.penet.fi server is available by
e-mailing he...@anon.penet.fi. I will also be periodically posting a summary
on how to use the penet.fi service.
Information on how to use the twwells.com server is available by e-mailing
anon...@twwells.com.
There are other anonymous servers that I do not currently have complete
information on, however, if you finger help.rem...@chaos.bsu.edu, you
will get a list of cyperphunk remailers, which also should allow you to
post to this group.
ti...@tezcat.com
Last-modified: 1994/08/28
Part 2 of the alt.support.dissociation FAQ
==========================================
Section 2: Dissociation and Dissociation Disorders
Definition of Dissociation/Dissociative Disorders
Definition of Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD)
Other Dissociative Disorders
Related Disorders.
- Treatments for MPD and other Dissociative Disorders
**** Q: What is dissociation?
(tls)
A dissociative disorder is a sate in which there is a disturbance in the
normal integration of one's identity, memory, or consciousness
(thoughts/ideas/beliefs). Said disturbance may be short-term or long-term,
may occur suddenly or gradually, may occur once or recur.
**** Q: What is Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD)?
(tls)
NOTE: As of the DSM-IV, MPD has been reclassified and is now called
Dissociative Identity Disorder. Anyone who has the DSM-IV is welcome to
re-write this section with any new information or changes that it may
contain.
Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD) is also referred to as "having multiple
personalities".
According to the DSM-III-R:
"The essential feature of this disorder is the existence within the person
of two or more distinct personalities or personality states. personality is
here defined as a relatively enduring pattern of perceiving, relating to,
and thinking about the environment and one's self that is exhibited in a
wide range of important social and personal contexts."
[....]
"At least two of the personalities, at some time and recurrently, take full
control of the person's behavior."
Other things listed as distinctive features include:
* Possibly not being aware of any other personalities, or being aware
of only some.
* Memory loss for alters when switches occur
[Note: Multiples themselves and some therapists say this is not necessary
for a diagnosis of MPD.]
* Only one personality being able to be in control at once
[Note: have they changed this yet? Multiples themselves say this is
patently untrue, and some therapists agree that it is not necessary to the
diagnosis..]
Things of note include:
* Quite possible for each personality to have widely varying traits.
* Most personalities have distinct names of their own
* The various personalities themselves may have seperate disorders
[Note: There is uncertainty expressed as to whether or not certain
accompanying disorders may be an associated feature of MPD, or if it is
simply a disorder that personality has.]
* Care must be taken in distinguishing between "inner voices" being of
hallucinatory or delusional origin, or actually being that of the
personality.
Age of onset of MPD is nearly always in childhood. The degree of impairment
may be minimal or extreme, based both on the personalities and their
interaction as well as the number of personalities (although the latter is
a secondary consideration).
Predisposing factors: in nearly all cases, there is abuse or other severe
emotional trauma preceding the disorder.
Prevalence: thought to be much less rare than previously thought.
[No other information available.]
Differential Diagnoses.
Psychogenic Fugue and Psychogenic Amensia have some similar symptoms, but
do not have the shifts in personality that MPD does, and are generally not
chronic.
Schizophrenia, which in part can include fragmented/multiple/disordered
thinking and can include the perception of "voices in one's head" as well
as a feeling that one is controlled by another entity or entities.
Borderline Personality Disorder, which is marked in part by severe
instability in mood, action, and thought.
**** Other Dissociative Disorders
(tls)
Other Dissociative Disorders listed in the DSM-III-R include Psychogenic
Fugue, Psychogenic Amnesia, and Depersonalization Disorder.
Psychogenic Fugue is marked by the assumption of a new identity and the
inability to recall one's previous identity, and involves a
complete switch of home and/or work locale. Usually this is caused by some
severe psychosocial stress (such as severe marital problems, being involved
in military conflict, or some type of disaster). Psychogenic Fugue is
usually short-lasting.
Psyhogenic Amnesia is marked by a sudden inability to recall important
personal information, when not due to organic causes. Usually this is
caused by severe psychosocial stress, as noted above for Psychogenic Fugue.
Both Psychogenic Fugue and Psychogenic Amnesia are most common during
wartine or after a natural disaster.
Depersonalization Disorder is marked by persistent or recurrent alteration
in the perception of one's self, such as a feeling of detachment from one's
actions or thoughts, or feeling like an observer of the same. Alternatively,
one may feel as if one is an automaton, without conscious will of one's
actions, or feel as if one is dreaming. Generally, Depersonalization
Disorder is caused by severe stress of some sort.
Dissociative Disorder NOS
This category includes any number of disturbances that may have a
dissociative symptom or symptoms, but that cannot truly be diagnosed as any
of the above disorders, nor a related one.
[Note: If I were to see a therapist, they might well not diagnose me as
having MPD, for the reason that I do not experience the type of time
loss/memory loss that is considered to be a characteristic of MPD (or at
least, I experience it very very rarely), nor is it impossible for me to
have several personalities function together/in unison. They might
therefore decide I fell into this category. This is only one such example.
Another might be a sort of altered state of consciousness in which one
function directly after a trauma of some sort, in which one focusses on a
single aspect of one's self or actions to get through the shock of trauma.]
**** Related Disorders
(tls)
[Note that I am not a psychologist, and that one might well disagree with my
definition of related disorders, but there is one in particular I would
like to include here, because I believe that the results of the disorder
may be similar enough to Dissociative Disorders, particularly MPD, that
people suffering from it may find some sort of help here.]
A Call to Psychologists/Therapists: if you feel that I am inappropriately
calling these related disorders, please don't hesitate to let me know, but
please do include the why.
Mood Disorders of all sorts seem to bring up similar functional problems.
Borderline Personality Disorder does as well, and is probably the disorder
resulting in the most similar problems and issues to MPD. [Opinion]
Identity disorder also would seem to bring up similar issues.
Borderline Personality Disorder is marked by an instability in mood,
self-image, and relationships, and includes much indecision about serious
issues of identity, such as one's goals, sexual orientation, self-image,
values/ethics/morals, and so forth. It is generally characterized by some
number of the following symptoms:
* Instability in one's personal relationships
* Impulsiveness to the point of self-damage, such as impulsive sex acts,
substance abuse, and the like.
* Instability of mood, particularly short-term episodes of depression,
anxiety/panic, or irritability.
* Inappropriate or uncontrolled anger.
* Recurrent attempts/threats of suicide or self-mutilation
* Identity disturbance/marked uncertainty about: one's self-image, sexual
orientation, long-term goals, career choices, values/morals/ethics
* Chronic boredom or feelings of emptiness
* Anxiety about and frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandoment.
Identity disorder is considered a disorder of childhood/adolescence, and is
marked by "severe subjective distress regarding the inability to integrate
aspects of the self into a relatively coherent and acceptable sense of
self." [DSM-III-R]. Symptoms include:
Severe stress regarding uncertainty about (3 or more of):
* long-term goals
* career choice
* friendship patterns
* sexual orientation/behavior
* religious identification
* morals/value systems
* group loyalties
Impairment in social/occupational/educational functioning.
**** Treatments for MPD and other Dissociative Disorders
NOTE: This is likely to be the most contradictory of all the subsections.
Although some agreement has started to be reached among therapists and
psychologists, there is still a great deal of skepticism about the validity
of MPD and what the goal in treatment is. I'm not sure if this applies to
other dissociative disorders. However, since I don't have any sort of
official treatment policies, for now, this section remains blank. Any
takers? Preferably more than one, so we get opposing viewpoints, which I
will then collate.
ti...@tezcat.com
Last-modified: 1994/08/28
Part 3 of the alt.support.dissociation FAQ
==========================================
Section 3: Dissociation, a less formal viewpoint
Dissociation versus MPD
An overview of MPD/multiplicity
Dealing with multiples: a suggestion
**** Dissociation versus MPD
(tls)
In discussions with people on this topic, the conclusion I have reached is
that dissociation in general includes multiplicity, and you could consider,
in a way, "dissociation" to be a spectrum of a way of viewing oneself.
An analogy I drew one night that has met with the most understanding in
trying to describe this is temperature.
Firstly, temperature is a scale that is, theoretically, without end, so the
analogy is not 100% accurate. But, if you picture complete integration of
one's thoughts/ideas/beliefs and so forth on one end (often referred to as
"normality", although I prefer to use the term "singularity"), and picture
utter fragmentation on the other, you get a decent idea.
Now, like temperature, one's degree of dissociation may vary somewhat. For
instance, within the spectrum of dissociation is a sub-spectrum of
multiplicity. One may be just barely multiple, having perhaps only a
handful of alters (maybe even only one), or one may have hundreds. Another
scale to measure by (this is another place the analogy falls apart,
unfortunately, but bear with me) is the degree of integration among the
alters---how much they can cooperate and share. (Note that I use the term
integration to mean that, rather than becoming a single person, which I
refer to as fusion.) Multiplicity not necessarily being a stable state, you
can vary over time. More accurately, dissociation itself is not a stable
state.
An example of dissociation not being stable is the feeling of being removed
from one's actions that someone who has suffered a shock or trauma may
feel. This is usually a short-term state, but it does, the way I understand
it, qualify as temporary dissociation.
ALSO like temperature, the way dissociation is perceived by the person
experiencing it may differ from the way it is perceived from the outside. I
may call 80 degrees (F) hot and 30 degrees cold, but to someone else, 60
degrees may be cold, or 100 degrees may be hot (and 80 degrees only
"warm").
So, in reality, its not a "versus" issue, but an issue of degree and of
perception. You may not consider yourself multiple, for instance, even if
you have a strong "inner child" (if you don't know, it will be discussed
later), whereas someone else may consider you multiple. In MY opinion, it
is the person who is experiencing the dissociation that determines what
they are.
An aside: you will note that in my writing I tend to use "I", even though
at the moment this is being written, there is more than one alter in
control and writing this. Someone might observe it would be more accurate
to say "we", but I use that (or we use that, if you like) in certain
circumstances only. Because we experience a great degree of integration,
"I" is just as accurate, as far as I'm concerned...we are acting in concert
when this sort of thing happens.
**** FAQ about multiplicity, answered from the viewpoints of multiples
(tls and the Sapphire Gazelles)
This section may appear seperately on other related newsgroups.
TERMS (definitions may vary somewhat)
* alter/persona: one person/aspect of the multiple.
* birth person: the alter that was present originally, before splitting
(not everybody has one)
* host: the body and/or the "main" alter (not everybody has one)
* shell person: an "outside" alter that is run by "remote control"
* MP: Multiple Personality/ies
* multiple/multiple unit: referring to a single multiple system
* multiple system: defined below
Q: "What is/are MP/MPD/multiple personalities, multiplicity?"
Multiple personalities [also known as multiplicity, MP (for Multiple
Personalities) and MPD (for Multiple Personality Disorder, something
most people who ARE multiple find insulting)] means basically
what it says: someone who has multiple persons/personalities living
inside of one body. These are referred to here as alters. (As of the
DSM-IV, this condition is called Dissociative Identity Disorder, but most
people here will probably not use the official term.)
Multiples, and people who come to deal with them, are aware of these
different alters as completely separate people, rather than
different facets of the same person. For instance, someone who was
utterly professional and cold at work but who was a rocking metal-head
partier at home would not (necessarily) be multiple just because
of the wide difference in the way they acted in different situations.
In fact, some multiple systems have within them alters who are very
similar to one another, differing so slightly that sometimes the
multiples themselves have difficulty telling them apart.
The differentiating factors can vary greatly. One of the possible ways to
tell them apart is names, but many multiples have several alters of the
same name. I even know one where they _all_ have the same name.
The various alters can be of the same or different gender as the
body, including being of no gender at all. They often have different
likes, dislikes, tastes, etc. They often have different body language, speech
patterns, and sometimes, voices. There are cases where eye color differs.
Many have different abilities, physical and mental. They may be
of widely varying ages. Sometimes they will self-identify as having
separate racial/cultural backgrounds or native languages. Often they have
different religions. Some studies have shown that different alters have
different brain wave patterns (EEG readings), although this is a topic
under dispute.
There can be as much variance within a multiple system as there would
be in your average room full of people.
Q: "How does this differ from different moods in a singular person?"
Example: A singular person may be, at heart, a quiet, introverted person.
If sie is suddenly very chatty, there will be a reason for this, such as
extreme comfort with those around, or nervousness. Or sie may be a
chatty, extroverted person, and if sie is quiet then sie feels ill or
uncomfortable. A multiple, however, may have alters who are extroverted
and alters who are painfully shy, or even mute or autistic. The differences
you see may be/often are due to different alters, not moods.
Q: "What precisely do people mean by 'the birth person'?"
The birth person, or core, is the alter that was present from the beginning,
the one born into the body, who was present before the multiple
system was created. Some multiples believe they were born multiple.
In any event, the birth person may be the host (although certainly
not always) and/or the main alter (again, certainly not always) and
therefore often goes by the name of the body, at least officially.
The birth person may be still at the age where the original split
occurred, having missed all the time in the interim. The birth person
may not be accessible to those alters who are generally out.
Q: "Do all multiples have a birth person?"
Some multiples do not think they have a birth person, or consider
all alters to be part of the birth person. Whether or not this means they
do not have a birth person, or that they just aren't aware of one, I'm not
sure. However, I'm not sure it matters...what matters is how the multiple
in question views themselves.
Q: "What causes multiplicity?"
In nearly every case, severe trauma at an early age (and by early, we mean
before age 5), although there are exceptions to this. Please bear in mind
that "severe" is a relative term.
USUALLY, the trauma is some sort of abuse: physical, sexual,
psychological/emotional, or religious/magickal. In most multiples, such
abuse began at a very early age and was long-standing.
Probably other trauma, such as seeing your parents die, could cause
multiplicity. Also, a few multiples exist that do not believe that they were
abused but have had dissociative role models, such as a multiple parent.
Q: "Are there cases where there was no trauma involved, where the person
became multiple at a later age, or both?"
Yes. A friend of Maelstrom's who she has known for many years recently told
her he was multiple. In his case, the initial split came during high
school, and there was no trauma (or, to be specific, there is nothing he
considered traumatic) that preceded it.
And, as mentioned above, children who had a dissociative role model, but
who were not abused, may themselves become multiple.
Q: "Why aren't all people who were abused at an early age multiple, then?"
Everyone deals with trauma in a different way. A constant among
multiples seems to be that they are intelligent and creative in
a particular sort of way. While there are people who were abused
who are intelligent and creative who did NOT become multiple,
they probably found a different way of dealing with it (repressing
the memory seems fairly common; sometimes, sadly, the way they
deal with it is "not at all").
What seems to happen in most cases is that, to escape the pain/trauma/abuse,
the multiple splits off a portion of their "self" (soul, mind, however you
would like to look at it), so that _that_ portion can deal with the
abuse/trauma and they do not have to. [It is possible that the split-off
portion may be the portion that does _not_ have to deal with the abuse;
there is at least one case like that known to the Gazelles.] This initial
split often occurs at the moment of trauma/during the abuse. The split off
portion somehow attains reality as a person, possibly through pure creative
force.
This is not necessarily the _only_ way that initial splits happen, nor does
the split have to be into just two people...the original could fragment
into many parts, all at once, for instance.
Once the splitting mechanism is in place, many multiples split easily,
often even creating an alter for dealing with specific non-abusive people
and situations. This allows the multiple to have the "perfect" person for
each situation.
Q: "How many alters can a multiple have?"
Err...infinite numbers, I suppose.
Each alter, from the birth person on, can split again and again
into 2 or 3 or 5 or more parts, and so on and so forth. Further
stress usually causes further splits.
Some multiples seem to create alters, rather than split them off. That
is, an alter will appear who really has little in common with any of the
existing alters, and doesn't seem to have split off from them.
Sometimes the alters merge into a new (or into an old) alter, lessening
the number, either because they need to form a alter that combines the
qualities of others, or because the degree of separateness is no longer
needed, or for no reason at all.
The highest number of alters within a system we are aware of is something
around 700, and we have heard claims of multiple systems with alters in the
thousands. The lowest is, as you might expect, 2.
Many multiples fall in the double-digit range, that is, 10 to 99. It seems
it is rare to have less than 5 alters. There are a number of multiples that
have a count in the lower hundreds (100, 200, maybe 300), but it also seems
to be rare to have more than that.
Q: "I've heard of something called a 'walk-in person', what's that?"
Despite the lack of belief many people have for this, there are a large
number of multiples who have what seem to be alters that did not originate
via a split or creation by the multiple system, but rather came in from the
outside.
It seems that, when one or more of the alters need help that the
system itself cannot provide, sometimes an outside source (a ghost,
a spirit, a "mythical" beast) shows up, moves in, unpacks, and says
"Where can I start?"
You don't have to believe it. But think of it as a kind of guardian
spirit, only this one lives inside the mind. (And try not to let your
skepticism get in the way.)
Q: "What's an internal landscape?"
An internal landscape refers to how the multiple "sees" the inside
of hir mind. It's where the alters live. It can vary greatly
both from multiple to multiple as well as from alter to alter
(for instance, one alter might live in a castle with a moat
and a drawn draw-bridge, whereas one "right next door" might live
in a city block). These are their internal homes, where they go when
they are not helping run things, or when they are hiding, or whatever.
Some people think that their internal landcape is actually a link to the
Astral Plane. Some people don't believe there is any such thing. I'm not
sure it matters.
Not all multiples have an internal landscape. (For that matter, not
everyone with an internal landscape is multiple.)
Q: "Can you explain how the various alters run the body/interact/etc.?"
No.
Oh, sorry. This differs so much from multiple system to multiple
system that I don't know where to start.
For some, each alter takes turns experiencing and performing
actions and talking and so forth, sometimes without the others knowing
that it is happening. For some, the alters can jointly run
the body, either in tandem (picture two or more alters sitting
around in a control room, discussing rapidly what to do/say and
sharing the feelings), or by partially merging/overlaying.
For those who have alters who are co-conscious, the degree of consciousness
experienced may vary by alter, by situation, or just by whim. The alters
sometimes may choose how much they feel/decide/interact.
The alters not currently helping run things may or may not retain
memories, emotions/feelings, and so forth. They further may or
may not have any access at all to such, either vicariously (like
watching a video) or more personally (accessing the memories and
feeling as if it DID happen to them) or something in between.
They might talk to one another, they might not.
Q: "Isn't this confusing?"
Yes. :)
When several alters are out at once, they may talk at the same time,
causing incredibly garbled sentences to emerge. Or they may listen at
the same time, causing, for example, each of two alters to catch every
other word in a sentence. When this happens, neither of them will
understand what was said.
Additionally, switches may cause disorientation, even within multiples
that are co-conscious to some degree.
For multiple systems that are particularly integrated/co-conscious, it may
be difficult to have a sense of self at times. It is possible to not be
sure who was "doing", and who was just watching. This seems to be
exacerbated with greater similarity between alters.
Q: "Do I have to lose time/have complete amnesia between alters to be multiple?"
No.
Many multiples are co-conscious between many or all of their alters, at
least to some degree.
Q: "What is 'switching'?"
Switching refers to a change in the configuration of who is "out",
"up front", or "in control" in a multiple system.
Switching may be as drastic as a complete switch between two alters,
where the new alter has no idea where sie is or how sie got there. It
may be as mild as a shift in the configuration, where one of the several
alters currently out departs and a new one emerges.
For some, switching involves little or no effort, nothing is lost during
the switching, and switching out of control does not necessarily mean the
alter doing so will lose anything either. For others, switching involves
anything from a brief fuzziness of recent memory or a small perceptual jump
to a complete sense of disorientation/fugue including time loss, not
knowing where one is, or what one was doing.
Q: "Isn't schizophrenia the same as multiplicity?"
[or: Some things "the average person" might mistake multiplicity for.]
Schizophrenia: It's not. Although some of the symptoms may look the same,
both to outsiders and the multiple. For a more detailed discussion on this,
see Section 2 of the FAQ.
Manic/Depressive, Bipolar, or Cyclic Disorders: Commonly referred to as
mood swings. Multiplicity may involve what looks like mood swings if the
alters are not in similar states of mind, and one or more alters may
themselves have mood swings, but it _is_ a seperate disorder.
Q: "How can I tell if I'm multiple?"
NOTE and CAUTION: We (Maelstrom and the Sapphire Gazelles) do NOT claim to
be able to diagnose a multiple in 3 easy steps. However, these are some
classic symptoms/signs that one is multiple. This is not meant to be a
complete list, nor does the absence of a symptom from this list mean you
are not multiple. If in doubt, and it is of concern to you, you may wish to
discuss this with a therapist.
A brief listing of some common symptoms:
* losing time/being in a new place or situation with no memory of how
you got there
* feeling "little"/like a child
* sudden disorientation/feeling as if you missed something
* memories seen as happening to someone else
* memories available only sporadically, possibly including non-abuse and
recent memories
* inadvertent use of the word "we" to refer to self
* frequent out-of-character actions that surprise even you
* actions that are overset with a haziness, as if you aren't really in
control of what's going on; feeling removed from one's actions
* other people noting one or more of the above in you
* likewise, other people discussing with you things they say you did/said
but that you yourself have little or no memory of, provided that you
were not under the influence of any sort of drug at the time
**** Dealing with multiples, a suggestion.
When dealing with someone who is multiple, remember that each
of those alters are *different* people. They just happen to
be wearing the same body. One may do or say something, and
another may either disagree or not even remember what happened.
Some alters have very specific jobs and you will only see
them when they need to do those jobs (or you may never see
them if they have internal jobs). Some may not even be aware
that the others exist. You may like some, and dislike others.
Nevertheless, try to some extent to keep in mind that you are dealing with
separate people. Sometimes its hard, but it *is* possible.
ti...@tezcat.com
Last-modified: 1994/09/06
Section 4: Learning about and coping with dissociation (informal)
Overview
Problems and Issues that frequently crop up
The Internet
Books [very incomplete]
- Organizations
**** Overview
(tls)
Please bear in mind that I am not a psychologist or therapist, nor do I
think that my suggestions are necessarily right for everyone. However, I
have also never been to a therapist, and as a multiple myself, I cope with
it just fine even without therapy. Remember that this is an informal look
of things one can do to cope with the problems and issues arising from
multiplicity and related conditions.
If you are experiencing severe problems and dysfunction/impairment of day
to day living, I _would_ urge you to seek out a therapist or psychologist
that is sympathetic and understanding of these types of disorders. If you
cannot find one easily, one can turn to the internet for suggestions.
This section on self-help and understanding is geared primarily to
multiples, but I think would apply to others with similar problems.
**** Problems and Issues that frequently crop up
(tls)
This is not meant to be complete.
Some issues that seem specific to multiples (but might in a way apply to
other related conditions).
* Alters with different religions, especially if one or more have
even a small amount of religious intolerance.
* Alters with different goals in life
* Alters with different sexual orientation (including no interest)
* Alters with large differences in likes or dislikes
* Alters who, themselves, have a psychological problem
* Course of healing: should it include integration/fusion?
Some issues that might well apply to all dissociative disorders.
* Recovering lost memories/lost time periods
* Re-settling into life after an abrupt change (whether via fugue or
the actions of an alter)
* Deciding on a course of action regarding exploration of issues mentioned
above (i.e., sexual orientation, uncertain goals, religion)
**** The Internet
(tls)
For things such as internal MP issues and how to deal with them, the
internet may well hold some useful suggestions. Remember that if you are
going through it, it is quite possible that someone else has as well.
Posting a note here with the type of problem you are having may well result
in a useful suggestion of some sort.
** Related newsgroups
alt.sexual.abuse.recovery
alt.abuse.recovery
alt.abuse.transcendence
These three newsgroups are for the discussion of abuse and issues arising
from it, and support of same.
alt.sexual.abuse.recovery is commonly referred to as ASAR, and is
primarily for discussion of sexual abuse by survivors of the same.
Survivors of other forms of abuse have been welcomed there (especially if
they experienced more than one type of abuse _including_ sexual). The group
also welcomes SOs, and just plain interested parties. PLEASE read the FAQ
before posting.
alt.abuse.recovery is, unfortunately, a VERY low-traffic newsgroup, but is
for the discussion of any kind of abuse, and issues arising from it.
alt.abuse.transcendence is a more blunt newsgroup and discusses
non-traditional approaches to recovering from abuse.
alt.support.abuse-partners
Persons who are SOs of abuse survivors encounter their own difficulties,
and this group is for the discussion of those issues and problems.
alt.support.depression
alt.support.anxiety-panic
These two groups are related in the sense that both depression and
anxiety/panic attacks seem to be common among multiples (and may be common
with other dissociative disorders, although I'm not sure).
sci.psychology
Information on psychology can be found here.
alt.psychology.help
A somewhat informal support group.
** World Wide Web (WWW) sites.
http://tezcat.com/~tina/dissoc.html
This is one of the pages I keep at home, and will have either pointers to
interesting information or information I myself keep online, including this
FAQ.
**** Books (and other literature)
(Contributed to by tls, Sapphire Gazelles, Daniel Holzman)
This is very incomplete. Also, we are missing authors for many of these
books, but the title alone might be sufficient.
Books specifically about multiplicity:
_When Rabbit Howls_ by The Troops for Truddi Chase
_The Flock: The Autobiography of a Multiple Personality_ by Joan Frances
Casey w/Lynn Wilson
_Katherine, It's Time_ by Kit Castle
_Sybil_
_The Three Faces of Eve_
_I'm Eve_ (sequel to _The Three Faces of Eve_)
_Multiple Personality Disorder from the Inside Out_ (The Sidran Foundation)
Books about dissociation in general:
Books about related disorders:
Newsletters:
_Many Faces: A Newsletter for People with Multiple Personality Disorder_
**** Organizations
(tls, but contributions are made by members of organizations in some cases)
There is something called the ISSD [or something like that], based in
Skokie, Illinois.
**The Sidran Foundation (e-mail: sid...@access.digex.net)
The Sidran Foundation is a national not-for-profit organization devoted to
advocacy, education, and research on behalf of persons with psychiatric
disabilities. One of the focuses of the organization is survivors of
trauma, and they therefore focus on such issues as PTSD, dissociation, and
multiple personalities.
The Sidran Press publishes texts about dissociative disorders, and by
contacting the e-mail address above you can request informative literature
and a catalog of their publications.
I have been in contact with one of the people who works for the Sidran
Foundation after her recent posting about it, and am currently planning on
working with them to establish a Web site containing information about them
as well as on-line copies of their free information and catalog. For now,
persons interested in their information can find it on my Web page.