How to explore D.I.D. with therapist?

Hey guys, new to this forum and I just have a few questions and concerns. Hoping I can get some advice!

I've been seeing a therapist for several years now (I think it's been about 7 or 8 years on and off (mostly on), and I'd like to start exploring my dissociation with her more deeply...but at the same time I'm scared as heck to do so.
It seems that every time I start digging too deeply and go exploring my dissociation I "crash" mentally, and my mind starts getting VERY loud (lots of "separate" thought processes).
I'm still not quite sure I have D.I.D. as I know several people who do have it (I belong to a weekly support group my therapist runs), but me and my therapist have acknowledged that I definitely have some dissociation going on...and sometimes I think I very well might have D.I.D. (my therapist is the one who made me aware of it in the first place. She read the description to me from her DSM book and told me she'd been wondering if I might have it...this was several years ago).
I have made it a point to tell my therapist that I don't want to explore D.I.D. with her too deeply because I'm afraid I'll crash...and she's been very supportive of that. She's insanely patient with me and I appreciate it.
And I've grown a tremendous amount in the last few years of my life, and things really seem to be looking up for me (am 2 semesters deep into college, and am at a point in my life now that I'm looking for employment...something I haven't been able to do in my past)...so it feels like I shouldn't go digging around with my "mental crap" because it could risk all the great things I'm doing.
It's just that I've been doing a whole heck of a lot of floating lately, and losing a great deal of time (lost an entire week last month towards the end of the semester...just completely blanked out) and even though I'm scared of crashing...I have this inner desire to really sit down and to more fully explore my dissociation and the possibility that I may have D.I.D.

I'm just wondering what you guys think?
Were you scared to explore your dissociation at first? I feel so guilty about it, and for some reason I'm always so afraid that my therapist wont believe me (even though I have no reason to fear that from her. She's never given me any signs of doubt...and she's experienced with working with others with D.I.D. She see's at least 3 others with D.I.D. who I know).
Also...how should I go about telling her I want to explore it? I don't even know why I need to ask this question...I know the answer. I just need to be honest with her, and tell her exactly that...that we've briefly discussed the possibility of D.I.D. with me, and that I'd like to explore it more with her help.
And do you guys think I should just leave well enough alone? In the last year I've been so stable in my life. More mentally stable then I've ever been in my entire life!...problem is...is every month or 2 I seem to have issues with my "mental crap" (having a noisy head with lots of different thoughts that are separate from my thoughts, or losing a lot of time...or just completely floating around and not being able to stay grounded). My biggest fear is crashing. I'm doing WAY too good in my life to crash right now. I just hope that I've grown enough that I'm more capable of handling this now then I have been in my past.

Anyhow, sorry for the HUGE post. Just looking for some general advice.
I'm scared, but for some reason I have a desire to really start exploring D.I.D. more.

(((Hugs)))
And thanks in advance!

It sounds like you know exactly how to discuss the matter with your T, but you're really asking "Should I?" This is a tough question with no easy answer, in my opinion. You might want to discuss with your T the pros and cons of doing so... like, if you explore the odds are that you will definitely have some regression and increased symptoms for a while, but in the long run you may be significantly better off than you are now. Can you tolerate living the rest of your life accepting your experiences as you currently have them? Are they mild enough that you can deal with them without worrying about crises or breakdowns? Maybe then it is ok to not go deeper. Maybe it's not worth the risk. There is never any life without struggle, but there is a life without chaos and crises. I've struggled with this question on and off since I originally had my own breakdown. Every time I've started to explore, not just the DID but also my past, I've started to decompensate. This is not ok in my life. So then I stop. But, then I find that many of my symptoms have stuck around anyways and that I am tortured not exploring it. So, I finally made the decision to go for it... very, very slowly. And, I'm glad I have even though it's torturous at times. I guess I just finally got to a place where I could handle it without breaking down completely. If you've been in therapy with the same T for 7 years, something tells me that you might be in a good place to go for it too. You have long-term support and a trusting relationship. It's all about pacing. But, like I said in the beginning, it's also about weighing the pros and cons and doing what's best for you.

Thank you for the reply!
I do know how to bring this up to my therapist...I'm just so nervous about it for some reason. Always have been. I get so nervous and scared when I even imagine in my head talking to her about it...like I'm a bad person for saying anything to her.
I'm always so scared she's going to think I'm faking it too.
Grrrr
I HATE making a big deal out of things too. If only I had more concrete proof...I have all sorts of symptoms of D.I.D. but the one big one that keeps me from convincing myself that I am indeed D.I.D. is that I honestly do not feel I have separate personalities. I'd know if I did surely? There'd be signs. Things would show up that I didn't buy, or people would call me names I didn't recognize...something. Some kind of concrete sign. I've even invited any such alters to come out and write in a journal I keep...nothing.

I don't know. I don't even know what I'm doing to be honest. I think it's just been a long week and I'm tired.
I know I dissociate. There's not getting around it...it's just I relate with so much when I hear people (in my group) discussing what they go through with D.I.D., and then I come here to this site and just left a right I'm finding things that other people go through that I do as well...
It just leaves me wondering. And I've been wondering for so long.
I just want answers I think.
Grrrr

Sorry again for the long post!

p.s.
I just really want to thank you so much for the reply boopsy! I found it very encouraging, and you've helped me make my mind up that I do want to bring this up with my therapist.
I love your advice on talking to her about the pros and cons of exploring it. I would've never have thought about doing that! What a great idea!
Thank you!