Change in breathing when an alter comes forward?

I don't know if it's just me or if this has any explanation, if it's connected somehow... so I thought I'd ask you guys, if you have the slightest idea. I'm happy to hear all your thoughts on this.

So, I'd say that in our system, we're largely co-conscious - I'm in charge but from time to time I get the feeling of someone else "peeking through". Like when we're triggered. I'll give you an example that's pretty common for us.

Having someone fighting is a trigger for us. My mom and brother fights quite a lot these days, or at least they have done so, it's calming down, thankfully. Anyways. In the situations where we're actually doing something and I have to be there and be "normal" and can't just walk away (which means I stay in the triggering situation), there's this thing happening.

Lets say that mom and I are talking. She's upset. Angry, or not caring about anything (it feels like). At those times I feel like there's an alter (called R to make it easier) with me in the background, to handle it. I'd say that R is a protector but also a cognitive one. Instead of crying or being pretty emotional which I would normally be if something triggering happened, I'll feel pretty numb. Also, I feel like my facial expression is changing - looking in the mirror I know I wouldn't really recognize myself. And here it is - the breathing. All of sudden without realizing it, I've changed my breathing. From breathing normally (for me), I go to breath much slower, and "calmer". But it isn't any deep breaths - they're pretty small, although they're slow.

Then when the trigger is gone and things are okay, I start to feel like myself again, my breathing being normal and so on, as it was before I was triggered.

Is there anything that you can relate to? I hope I explained it good enough for you to understand, I haven't written it down like this before. I'd be very happy if you wrote down anything that comes to your mind, about anything really - it doesn't have to do with the breathing, although that's what I'm wondering about. Just hearing that you relate (if you do) to what I'm describing overall (the co-consciousness), would be great.

I've never felt a change in my breathing.

When I had co-consciousness with "black" before, I didn't even notice my breathing at all. I was so far out of reality at that point that everything was "numb"

but "numb" isn't a good way to describe it IMO. it's more like "not there" and "floating"

IDK sorry that wasn't really helpful. Perhaps someone else can answer that better.

So, I'd say that in our system, we're largely co-conscious - I'm in charge but from time to time I get the feeling of someone else "peeking through". Like when we're triggered. I'll give you an example that's pretty common for us.

I am conscious with 6 parts, although they are not all 'active' inside at the same time. I also have the feeling of parts 'peeking through' and being more at the front sometimes. At other times they will front, and I will lose time.

Instead of crying or being pretty emotional which I would normally be if something triggering happened, I'll feel pretty numb. Also, I feel like my facial expression is changing - looking in the mirror I know I wouldn't really recognize myself. And here it is - the breathing. All of sudden without realizing it, I've changed my breathing. From breathing normally (for me), I go to breath much slower, and "calmer". But it isn't any deep breaths - they're pretty small, although they're slow.

I, the ANP/host, used to feel numb in a lot of situations that would normally make other people emotional. I still do to some extent, but at times emotions (from trauma time) come through and at others I feel more, I don't feel numb anymore. But at other times, I can feel a part there (closer to me) and my emotions seem to disappear, just like that, and I too feel numb.

I can feel my facial expression changing when a part is more at the front with me sometimes, and I can also 'see' it too (but it's a parts face I see) at times when I am dissociating to a greater extent and a part is taking over.

I think I used to always breath very shallowly and it was slow and calm, rather than quick (as with what happens if you fee anxious). I notice this now sometimes (when not in a triggering situation) when feeling dissociated and I try and take deep and long breaths to help ground me. I read somewhere that people with DID are known to breath very shallowly.

Hello! Don't be alarmed. Changing physically or physiologically just happens when you/we switch. Its all good. I have a personality who... has a cough. Do your alters have different voice pitches/patterns?

Greg wrote:I've never felt a change in my breathing.

When I had co-consciousness with "black" before, I didn't even notice my breathing at all. I was so far out of reality at that point that everything was "numb"

but "numb" isn't a good way to describe it IMO. it's more like "not there" and "floating"

IDK sorry that wasn't really helpful. Perhaps someone else can answer that better.

Thank you for your reply!

matryoshkadoll wrote:

So, I'd say that in our system, we're largely co-conscious - I'm in charge but from time to time I get the feeling of someone else "peeking through". Like when we're triggered. I'll give you an example that's pretty common for us.

I am conscious with 6 parts, although they are not all 'active' inside at the same time. I also have the feeling of parts 'peeking through' and being more at the front sometimes. At other times they will front, and I will lose time.

Instead of crying or being pretty emotional which I would normally be if something triggering happened, I'll feel pretty numb. Also, I feel like my facial expression is changing - looking in the mirror I know I wouldn't really recognize myself. And here it is - the breathing. All of sudden without realizing it, I've changed my breathing. From breathing normally (for me), I go to breath much slower, and "calmer". But it isn't any deep breaths - they're pretty small, although they're slow.

I, the ANP/host, used to feel numb in a lot of situations that would normally make other people emotional. I still do to some extent, but at times emotions (from trauma time) come through and at others I feel more, I don't feel numb anymore. But at other times, I can feel a part there (closer to me) and my emotions seem to disappear, just like that, and I too feel numb.

I can feel my facial expression changing when a part is more at the front with me sometimes, and I can also 'see' it too (but it's a parts face I see) at times when I am dissociating to a greater extent and a part is taking over.

I think I used to always breath very shallowly and it was slow and calm, rather than quick (as with what happens if you fee anxious). I notice this now sometimes (when not in a triggering situation) when feeling dissociated and I try and take deep and long breaths to help ground me. I read somewhere that people with DID are known to breath very shallowly.

Thank you for explaining in such a good way about your experiences.

-- Sat Nov 02, 2013 10:59 pm --

iamenough8299 wrote:Hello! Don't be alarmed. Changing physically or physiologically just happens when you/we switch. Its all good. I have a personality who... has a cough. Do your alters have different voice pitches/patterns?

I haven't switched "enough" to know about their voices/patterns - I've always been the one in most control (at least having control over what's said). I haven't thought of the voice when there's someone co-on with me, if it changes I don't think it changes that much as no one has seemed to notice (not even me).

The SO can sometimes hear who's out just by noticing our breathing so we definitely experience this

lifelongthing wrote:The SO can sometimes hear who's out just by noticing our breathing so we definitely experience this

What's the "SO"?

SO means like a boyfriend or girlfriend or husband or mommy or daddy or sister or friend. It means significant other

lifelongthing wrote:SO means like a boyfriend or girlfriend or husband or mommy or daddy or sister or friend. It means significant other

Oh okay thanks for explaining.

Hi. I get a change in my breathing when Rage switches over. I was wondering about that. She huffs and puffs like a dog after running a marathon, lol. But she doesn't say much. I guess you can't if your breathing a lot like that. Is that the only alter that breathes different? That alter of mine is the only one that does that though.