T wants me to make friends

Good evening, posting yet again ...

Last session the T asked me to make at least one (closer?) friend on the forum (or also in real life as well, although that does not seem very probable, given the low "population density" of multiples in the general population). It's not exactly easy since I don't feel like I'm close to anyone here, nor do I seem to integrate as a member of the community here. But I at least want to be technically honest when I tell the T tomorrow that I took steps to befriend other multiples, as he asked me to do.

Good evening

good evening

Hey,

Not a multiple here. But I've read quite a bit of your posts.

hahaha loved that part: "technically honest".

Sea

Don't think we've ever spoken, but if you want to try and be friends, you can PM me ^^ just tell a bit about yourself

We've found going to a group really positive.
If you're in the UK, First Person Plural plans these every once in a while, maybe one is near you some time? http://www.firstpersonplural.org.uk/

If not, maybe someone else has details for other parts of the world?

Seangel wrote:hahaha loved that part: "technically honest".

Well I did tell him it was a last-minute attempt ! He wasn't surprised, I'm not exactly the person with the best social aptitudes. I/we probably have some form of trust issues which makes it hard to interact in a more personal way with others.

Teatime wrote:We've found going to a group really positive.
If you're in the UK, First Person Plural plans these every once in a while, maybe one is near you some time? http://www.firstpersonplural.org.uk/

If not, maybe someone else has details for other parts of the world?

The UK seems to have rather good resources available for multiples. Without mentioning my precise location (I feel uncomfortable with that), remote areas of large developed countries tend to have resources for the most common disorders: psychotic, mood, maybe anxiety if you're lucky. I was lucky to get a T that knows about dissociative disorders, and I had to pretty much force my psychiatrist's hand to not end up diagnosed schizophrenic (I did for a short while) and trying every antipsychotic type available on the planet. There doesn't seem to be groups for dissociative people even in the capital and/or metropole of the largest administrative division I live in. There is a group for people with anxiety disorders except PTSD about 130 kilometers (81 miles) away from where I live. In what I consider "reachable areas", nothing seems to exist, although I have a friend who's most likely dissociative (definitely dissociative amnesia, probably DDNOS as far as I can tell), but that person is not exactly aware/accepting so talking about it is not much of an option.

Its a shame you can't seem to find anyone else with DID in your area. Wonder if that's because its not often diagnosed (Even though it is present) or everyone is hiding. I've not tried to look for others with DID, my mum and this forum have always been enough for me, especially since I'm not formally diagnosed I get would get too shy telling someone outside of friends that's what I have. Friends on this forum is the first step (and when Katy stops yelling that she hates guys we'll message you to say hi ).

Well, by a logical reflexion, it is quite likely that it isn't diagnosed much because most people are hiding, not to mention that DID is rather rare, even though it is probably more common than most known guesses.

My T is basically the go-to psychologist for people with dissociative disorders in the entire administrative region I live in, since he is the only one in public healthcare to treat patients with dissociative disorders. There is another psychologist in private practice who treats the same patient base, but my T speaks with that person on a regular basis for professinal exchange. Apparently, there are 3 DID patients in my area (approx. pop. 300 000 people), including me, and I'm the most complicated case of them. It wouldn't be surprising if there was really only 3 cases, since people with more complex mental health care demands are encouraged to settle at larger cities which have more complete specific health care services. I can't move there yet, but eventually I'll probably leave the area I'm in for the purpose of having a job in my domain of studies, so perhaps in a few years it will happen.

Friends don't need to have DID themselves, do they? How about joining a club of some sort, to get out and do something fun with other people? Older people make great friends and confidantes, especially if they are retired. Their schedules are flexible, and they know about all sorts of clubs and other stuff going on.

lifepuzzle wrote:Apparently, there are 3 DID patients in my area (approx. pop. 300 000 people)

Worldwide the prevalence of DID in the general population consistently is over 1% so that says in your area there are 3000 people living with DID. Your therapist only knows about 3 of them. 3 who are both diagnosed and in treatment with this therapist or his colleague. That is what is known as "biased selection", meaning there must be far more multiples in the area: all those undiagnosed and all those not in treatment at all and all those in treatment but not with these two providers.