Article on kotaku about mental disorders in batman

So I was perusing kotaku and found an article about mental disorders that appeared in Batman, and I think they did a good job about explaining most of what happens. I posted a comment at the end, and did not expect to end up spending hours answering questions about DID. I just wanted to know if I did ok. I don't have DID myself but my fiancee does have it (mae the first) so I took it upon myself to answer questions. I don't know what you, as the DID community think about this, but I just wanted to dispel any rumors or bad thoughts the general public have.

http://kotaku.com/thank-you-for-this-my ... -672831471

Sorry, got a bit fuzzy as I kept reading, so I didn't get to finish looking through the comments. But, yeah, you did a pretty good job explaining. I'd never have the patience to do all that either... Hehe.

That made my night. The article itself was interesting (especially since I just watched Batman Forever, which tries so hard to incorporate psychology, including DID with Two-Face, but his is the worst part of that film), but I really loved seeing the respect shown to you on there. I've told a few of my friends about it, and they've shown us great respect in their asking.

Awesome job, Dom.

-Jeff

That's so cool. Represent!

Fascinating.

Thanks guys I was worried that I might have mis-answered a few things, I was also worried that I might have offended the DID community

Round of applause from us, you did a good job and have no idea how you have the stamina to answer that many questions and stand up for us also read some of your questions on the other part you linked to, can't read them all as too many people are making us angry with their disbelief....all I can say is come and live with me for a month and then tell the world it doesn't exist (no thats not an offer... the anxiety of a stanger in the house would be unbearable)

-- Sun Jul 07, 2013 12:52 am --

Oh - and congrats on the engagement

We went to bed last night feeling very angry over all those people who say that DID doesn't exist and so I will say it here and you're welcome to tell those 'crics' that I would be prepared to live in a house full of cameras, for a few months (with others 'nomal' or DID and support available) for a documentary or mental health study....a) to prove that it exists b) to help mental health professionals, doctors etc better treat it.....I'm sure I'm not the only one who would do it

Please can you tell the one that was saying about the hospital where in the ciggie break they all switched to adult parts, and later on remembered what they said
a) DID was developed as a coping mechanism - the parts were created to let us function and appear normal to the outside world/be who we are expected to be. For example *trig* - I was hit as a child (only remember it a few times), dad would hit walls, throw chairs etc. if I then went out into the 'normal' world, I would have lived in constant fear that someone was going to hit me, throw things at me etc which wouldn't have seemed 'normal' and what was expected of a 4 year old. Therefore, to cope I was a happy simley but quiet girl at school who did everything I was asked to do. So I was probably (can't remember) more fearful at home and when I left the house/got to school (I have no idea) I would have switched to become the expectated content child willing to please.

To survive, you have to 'fit in' and become who people expect you to be, and therefore when the nurse calls for the adult parts, they manage to switch...some of them probably had to learn the hard way initially if the nurses stopped kids going out to smoke, that only adults are allowed to do certain things. Similarly - activities involving sharp knives etc they would have also learnt that only adults are allowed. However, in free time, the kids probably saw something 'childish' like pink, colouring, toys etc that made them switch into a younger part...sometimes you can't control it, from my experience the 'rules' inside us know which places it is safe for the kids to come out in (although they have come out in public when we're trying to find our car and get completely lost) but it's things like that which make you set the rules in order to reduce anxiety, protect yourself and function.

b) DID don't remember things then the person asked them about a conversation later and they knew....this is twofold for me, may be different for other people. Firstly, most things I forget seem to be further away in the past like what I did two days ago...I just have no idea. Secondly, again, DID was built as a coping mechanism to allow us to function in 'normal' life and therefore, sometimes whilst the event itself we can't remember, someone at the back tells what happened to the person at the front to allow us to look and act normal. I just want to say that for me, this information often comes back with no emotional connections, so often when telling it back I don't feel happy, sad etc like I did during the initial conversation. This coping strategy allows us to tell others what happened without having to relive the entire experience all over again. For example *trig* I still have flashbacks for 3 years ago when I went into college and they believed that I was going to harm myself (Which was true). So they refused to let me leave and it took over and hour and 8 or more people coming to talk to me whilst I was stuck in a room scared of going back into hospital. When I retell this there is no emotional attachment, as if I had to tell it and relive the fear, upset, confusion etc I would be in tears before I had told much - this cutting off of emtions allows me to let others know what happened in a safe way.

If you want a hand answering any of the questions PM me....some people just got me very worked up the other day. I may not have an official diagnosis but can't deny it's existence as I'm unable to work because I'm a different person every few hours or days which means we wouldn't be able to function in a workplace as a child one hour, a depressive another, anxious the next day and organised the next.