Skip to main content

information about survivors’ needs

 Brief information for supporters about survivors’ needs 
cited from First Person Plural

Partners, family, and friends of someone who has a complex dissociative disorder play a key role in supporting them to cope with everyday living and in their journey towards their own recovery. It may seem like an overwhelming or impossible task but there are many relatively simple things you can do. 

For instance, understanding the huge importance of consistency, stability, structure, routine and predictability needed by your loved one in day to day living goes a long way towards helping them feel safe. It helps if you can remember to relate to your loved one, however they are presenting, with understanding, empathy, trust and to be nonjudgemental. 

Supporting someone who has a complex dissociative disorder is challenging and, at times, hard. The person’s needs can be rapidly fluctuating and it is important that the level of support at any one time is enough, not too little and definitely not too much. The person is responsible for their own recovery and needs the time and space to resolve their own issues. There may be occasions when, in crisis, the person needs you to temporarily take control and make decisions on their behalf in order to ensure their safety. Your role however for the most part is to support, not to rescue.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

An indepth look at D.I.D. Myths

THIS IS NOT AN EXTENSIVE LIST OF DID MTHYS Myth: Dissociative identity disorder (DID) is only about having multiple personalities. Fact : DID is a disorder characterized by having dissociated parts (alters) as a result of chronic childhood trauma. While alters are the best-known symptom of this disorder, they aren't the only or even necessarily the main symptom. Because DID is the result of trauma, it's highly comorbid with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), and flashbacks, emotional numbing, nightmares, emotional dysregulation, and pessimism about the future are common. Individuals with DID often have other comorbid disorders as well, including mood disorders (such as major depressive disorder), anxiety disorders (such as social anxiety disorder), personality disorders (such as borderline personality disorder (BPD)), eating disorders (such as anorexia nervosa), or conversion disorder (American Psychiatric Association (APA),
Post a Comment
Read more

Things you can do to help if I have been triggered and/or have switched into a distressed headmate

 For supporters / professionals who do not have special relationships with my different headmates:  ™ Stop what you are doing  ™ Keep your voice calm and gentle (firm admonishment – no matter how calmly toned is not usually helpful, it is particularly not helpful when addressed to a terrified child who will always experience it as a threat)  ™ Do not touch – not even a gentle hand of reassurance or guidance – unless in my distress I am in immediate danger which I have not noticed e.g. walking into traffic  ™ Tell me where I am, why I am there, who you are, tell me the date (year included) Where? may need detail e.g . not just name of town but precise location and further explanation if necessary. It can also be helpful to point out objects in the environment which emphasise it being now, not then e.g. a computer  ™ Reassure me that I am in a safe place now  ™ Encourage me to take slow, deep breaths  ™ Encourage me to sit up or stand with my feet on the floor  ™ If I am pacing or wal
Post a Comment
Read more