My Sister Thinks I am Faking DID

Hello,

I just wanted to know if anyone had this situation occur; I finally decided to confide in my sister about my DID. I don't have an official diagnosis but my ex-girlfriend and my current best friend can attest to meeting and knowing my alters and how much they differ from me. After I told my sister, she seemed okay with it. I told her about my blackouts but how it didn't happen often and that it was recent (due to another alter that I didn't know about that recently showed up and talked to my best friend, which he told me about later). My sister, about a month or two later, decided to text me while I was visiting my best friend in Chicago (I live on the East Coast, so I live pretty far away), and tell me that I needed a doctor right away because I was insane and I was not right in the head and she said she was worried only because she loved me. ....You really can't say something like that and follow it up with "I love you"; she then said that she thought I was faking DID for attention. I, as Rini, have a lot of friends, so I am never for lack of attention; so that seemed rather silly to me. When Bernadette popped out when my sister was helping me move out of my apartment, she was exceedingly mean to her (this happened before I left for Chi), so B got really upset.

Due to the kind of person I am, I began to question whether or not I really had DID. I began to question my sanity and think, "Maybe I AM faking this" but then I thought of how ludicrous that sounded. Especially because I talk to my alters, my best friend has met all of them except Madeline and my ex-girlfriend often interacted with Bernadette. So, they actually reassured me that it was okay because this triggered a lot of panics and other problems with me. Bernadette was even offended that I would think that; I have known about them since right before high school and Bernadette and Bridgitte became the most active halfway through ninth grade when I transferred schools. I never knew what DID was or what it entailed until this past year. I just knew there were others there but not really sure what it all meant...I am just afraid of any misinformation.

Another things that happened was that my sister threatened to tell my mother if I didn't so I asked my mother to get me a therapist's appointment as soon as I returned home. She agreed but my sister wouldn't drop it...then when I worked up my courage to tell my mother she said "Yeah I know your sister pulled DID up online for me." Well, thanks, sis. She also accussed me of never having experienced any trauma in my life, nevermind the fact that I have little to no memory of life before my brother was born (I'm 10 years older than him) and after that my memory is a bit off but not a gaping hole.

So has anyone else had trouble with talking to their family thinking that they are faking this? Luckily, I have a wonderful best friend who doesn't think that but it still bothers me that my sister thinks I want attention and that I would go as far as faking something like DID. I think there are better ways to get attention ><

Concerned,

Rini

Rini,

I think this is a simple case of fear of the unknown. You faking your illness is easier for her to believe than you having multiple souls inside you. From the outside it does seem fantastic. I don't know your story or what you went through, but it seems your sister might not have went through it, or she has no memory if it either. That also might be a reason why she is so freaked out by this. It's easy to get mad when you're scared. Try not to let it bother you too much as you seek the help you need to get your system under control.

It's like i told my own sibling last night. Just because you don't remember leaving the light on doesn't mean it didn't happen. I don't have MID/DID so i can only speculate on all of this as an outsider. I hope things work out for you

What sister does not give their siblings a hard time?

Jsilver: Thanks, that did actually help; it makes more sense with the way you put it. I went through a lot of things, and not many of them are clear, but I am the oldest of five (two of which did not survive when I was younger, apparently), so I am not entirely sure about what happened either. My sister and I also deal with things a lot differently; I take a lot of things to heart whereas she shrugs most things off.

Also, thank you for referring to them as seperate "souls". That's how J (my best friend) and I refer to them as well; he believes that this and DID in general may be something much more complex than what we all think of it in the sense of psychology/psychiatry.


Tylas: True, true XD

Denial in the family of someone with DID is typical. In fact, the research literature points to parental denial as contributing to the trauma experienced by their children.

Una: Thanks for posting; yeah, I know it's something that people who would not consider it "normal" if they don't understand it but the problem is that they don't try to understant it :/ And that's an interesting comment about the parental denial, which is something I should look into further; thanks for sharing that.

Rebekah,

The reason i call them souls is partly because in the book i read (set this house in order) thats how they were refereed to. Secondly it seemed to me they were all more or less sentient of their own accord and to me that means they each have their own selves. I'm really glad i could help. I won't lie and say that DID/MPA isn't fascinating to me which is partly why i am reading these posts in the first place... but i'm just glad to be of some service while i am here.

Jsilver: Thank you ^_^ What book was that, may I inquire? I would like to read it sometime; it sounds like it would offer some interesting points. And I would rather have it be fascinating to someone than for them to deny the existence of the condition completely!

*Minerva*

Minerva,
I sent you guys a pm about it but i'll say it in here too The book is entitled : Set this house in Order. By Matt Ruff. You probably already know or guess but while there are elements of humor, and exciting danger theres also a very real disturbing aspect to the book. Just a warning. When i read it there was about a hour where i was just frowning...


jsilver

Rini

I am going though a similar experience with my mother. I called her last night about my new alter and she cut me off said my hormone pills are making me insane and I need to get help. Even before my DID dx she would get very defensive about my past. Like Una said it's most likely parental denial. She said a few other hateful remarks that were very unlike my mother. She even attacked me on the phone today. My mother has never been like this, it's almost like I struck a nerve. I have never been afraid of my mom (that I can remember) but am afraid to speak to her now.