Anything you can tell me about DID?

Hello! I'm new here, and I'm trying to learn more about DID. I don't personally have it, but my friend and I both think that she might. She has the symptoms. If there is anything I might need to know in order to make it easier for her, please tell me. As far as I understand, it's caused by trauma as a child? I'm trying to learn more to be a better friend, but I don't know where to start!

heyo! yeah DID or OSDD can only be caused by repeated childhood trauma. if your friend thinks she might have it you should definitely encourage her to see a psychiatrist to get diagnosed. we're not professionals here so we can't say if she has it or not.

so my buddy has a blog on DID. you can pm me if you want to know what it is, cause i don't feel comfy linking his blog here! here's an explaination on DID that he wrote which is very helpful:

Symptoms and Origin:

DID develops almost exclusively in children 7 or under, but onset can range up to around 9 years infrequently. DID develops when a child still lacking in concrete identity undergoes extreme repeated trauma. Naturally dissociating, the child in pain replaces their self image with that of another, substituting another better suited to withstanding pain. Memories become fragmented to protect the core personality, who may not be made aware of abuse until later in life. These created personalities, or alters, may assume control separately or together. Because of the nature of this disorder, to protect a young child from pain and negative memories, many are not aware they have this disorder until later in life. Alters are made to protect a hurt child. Repeated and extreme trauma is necessary for DID to develop, usually alongside severe emotional manipulation. New alters can be formed after the initial development when new trauma or large life struggles come up that no preexisting alter is capable of dealing with.

Symptoms of DID are widely varied. The primary symptom of DID is dissociation- a term that is used to describe the severe and chronic disconnection from reality. This can include lapses in memory, “fuzzy” or “blurry” feelings or perceptions of the world, loose or absent sense of self, difficulties making coordinated movements, etc. Dissociation takes many forms. Significant amnesia is required to make a diagnosis of DID, and with many disorders, a significant impairment in normal life functioning must be present.

Always includes: dissociation, amnesia, separate personality states

Usually includes: headaches/body aches/other physical unexplained symptoms, handwriting/voice/typing differences, ease of hypnosis/meditation, mood swings, depression, anxiety, poor eyesight or hearing

Can sometimes include: hearing voices, other hallucinations, inconsistent allergies

People with DID are often diagnosed with other mental illnesses comorbidly.

better than i could ever explain lol! and here's something he wrote on how to be friends with someone who has DID:

How To Be A Friend To Someone With DID

Whether your friend has just told you they have DID, or you’ve known for a long time, there are right and wrong ways to approach situations with them. Talk to your friend for specifics about them, this absolutely won’t apply to everyone but is a good place to start!

-Treat them like a human, like a person worthy of respect. Never ridicule, sensationalize, or dehumanize them.

-Understand that severe early childhood trauma causes DID, and that it’s likely not appropriate to ask for any details. Don’t press your friend for information, but be available to listen if you can.

-Understand that switching alters is often difficult to detect and you may not be able to distinguish them. Talk to your friend for specifics on how you should react.

-Know that dissociation is at the core of DID, and your friend will likely experience confusion, memory issues, and other dissociative symptoms. These are also not okay to mock and it is never okay to take advantage of these symptoms.

-As with any friend, know that you are entitled to time to yourself and space. People with DID have suffered through far more than anyone should have to, and may come across as “negative.” Support and care for them! Know that you should also be supported and that it’s okay to have space when you need it.

-Someone pointed out also that you shouldn’t assume you have the same friendship with all members of the system. Your friend may seem very distant or not remember things about you; please do not take offense to this. You can definitely try to befriend the entire system, but recognize that they are all complex individuals and you will likely have very mixed results.

Communication is the most important thing!

hope that helps. big thank you to my buddy for all these articles he's written. good luck to you, mate! good luck to your friend, too!

- mags

Meet her where she is if willing to discuss if she is just understanding safety or waiting until the chaos settles in her therapies. Some are not as impacted as other so answers will vary on psych forum I'm more of an as need basis unless some sort of extenuating circumstance. I would want my friend to treat me accordingly give me a call one or twice every few weeks ask how I'm doing. If we are the hang type friend ask what she wants to do depending on what her overall temperament is made up of.

I can't stand for someone to go over my head about something that needs to totally come from the person. Has she done something that is causing you to leave her and not be friends and you are considering this as maybe I shouldn't leave due to what is happening losing control of her life being as two people that don't understand DID/PTSD just yet because everything feels okay. I would caution you to view it from that angle before any rushes to judgement. She might need you more than ever the toll of therapies is absolutely real she might need to call you everyday for her normal a normal friend until the newest wears off. She might be totally unaware system it takes some use to getting use to talking when someone else is talking inside without them shutting up first...The interruption, the fact that you are not alone. The fact that they are mean and sometimes always needing attention she might get very angry at you too in the process before she unpacks it with a therapist the shame of hearing and thinking all this time I was singleton. The shame of just now needing therapy it can be very destabilizing for some people. The supports who don't understand the frustration of going at it alone trying to understand the protectiveness of alters not allowing you the correct verbiage to break free so that we don't invalidate our selves because others perception to the outside world is you seem fine. The ones that want you to be okay everyone isn't experiencing it everyone isn't traumatic so now it took all this time to be not numb and detached let me allow that for myself for a while. We want to now be strong back in the inner world again safe to our selves we are diagnosed now we don't have to trick ourselves into symptoms anymore. The constant talking to affirm to teach teach again to praise and not always scold but to use it when necessary. The reliving of when you was about to lose your mind and there was no expert unless you got one starting out most of us had to wing it! The humiliation and embarrassment on what you lost jobs approvals the selves who took it out on all of this must be considered. Then you never know what she needs that she didn't get as child a safe close friend someone to talk about all of this must be considered just be a listener is all I can say most time she can't help don't judge don't say she faking even if she says she is . If you need a time out stand by and go away for a while. If she needs raising and some systems out here do then you are on your own with that....It is going to really hurt if someone actually knows how to raise a system...I tell you how you know if she has education corporate america god on her side then she probably doesn't need that because we don't like a whole lot of attention. This is for people that don't have no filter snobbish druggies pimps those that don't want to be quite their are totally me people too loud ....The exception to the rule if you are forced out the other way around and you were made into that more for protection for what ever reasons guess what that safeness they use to have shouldn't be far away and you can get back to that. The nice middle class married low key loyal education just about family money everything else is to your private lives ....Not a menace to society robbing killing allowing all the music/ stars to dominate the system...them types...I guess them the fun types we internalize and need to at least know about not live in oh soo different.

Hi

Remember you are a friend, not a therapist or counsellor. If there is someyhing REALLY important, repeat it as if you hadn't said the first time round. If you are going to meet, a txt or call before is handy, or there could be a no-show because time is arbitrary and takes on a reality of its own which frequently doesn't match the singular world.

Don't worry about who has the body, just be predictable and consistent. If you need to cancel an arrangement, be honest and say why.

Your friend has to function/adapt in the real world and doesn't need complex adaptation from a friend, nor is overt fascination or questions about 'who are you' warranted. Your friend will share when ready. This may never happen - don't take it personally.

Just be a respectful friend, nothing more, nothing less.

Marley

What has been said so far is good. I want to add the special ingredients of patience and boundaries. For both of you. I lost a lot of friends for the system when I was host. There can be personalities you don't like or are severely disturbed. Your friend is your friend but the other parts are their own people and you may need to navigate carefully.
Terrin

Thank you for all the replies! I can understand some things now and it's been a bit easier for both of us to know more. I know that previous sentence probably makes zero sense, but that's okay.
I don't really believe in treating her super differently. Is that bad? I can't tell. I don't believe in treating her like a different person because in the end, she's still my best friend, and I'd still do anything for her. I understand that things are different now because she's just now understanding what is going on fully. I have already met two of her alters, I think, and they seem lovely. I definitely will try and be more understanding and considerate when hanging out with her, but that shouldn't be difficult. She's really strong, and I know that she'll make it through this tough time because she always does. Her friendship means a lot to me so if there is anything I else I need to know please feel free to tell me! I don't know how to react completely because I have never experienced anything like this, but I just really want to be a good friend. I'm not a therapist, but I still want to be able to help. Once again, thanks! Hope you all have a wonderful day.