How many people know you are DID? Telling people?

We have three people who know we are DID. Two of them know us well enough to recognize who is out.

The first is our T of course. It is still new with her as we took 9 months to trust her enough to let her see anyone other than host. She has met Sarey twice (Little) and Terrin once. But she has been amazing and compassionate and quick to learn who is who.

The second is our friend R who knew us seven years ago when Terrin was host. At that time he knew us all and could identify each personality by name. In 2010 we had a hospitalization that made C. host and chased all others underground until recently. C cut off contact with R until just last week because she was in denial about DID (even though we were "out" pre 2010) and didn't want to see someone who knew us as multiple. When C got back in touch with us this past November, it felt better, not "crazier" as She feared. So when Sarey contacted R, C agreed to see him. We had coffee with him on Saturday and it felt amazing.

The third who only has a theoretical knowledge that we are DID (has met Sarey but seemed thrown)(had it explained to her but seemed skeptical) is our peer support person from the eating disorder clinic. I think I will try to open up more dialogue with her.

A glaring ignorance is C's bf. She is determined never to tell him in case "it is imaginary" or it "goes away." She feels bad about keeping secrets from him but sees it as necessary. It doesn't really matter to me or Terrin but Sarey, who is often the first one to be seen by people, our little ambassador, would kind of like him to know her.

Who knows about your DID? How did it come out? Do you plan on telling anyone else?
Heather

My roommate knows and is very understanding. I have mentioned it to three other people who responded with disbelief. I'm not in a hurry to tell people.

My SO because she has seen/supported the latest journey - we live separately- sometimes she will say things like 'hello its good to hear you, I haven't spoken to you for a few days' - we speak daily. My neighbour has not been told but has understanding. We have started to isolate a bit because we are embarrassed because a little went to work and handed our notice in just after Christmas. She did a good thing but is sad now because she thinks we are ashamed of her. Just realised how bad that is.

We don't tell people. It is very much on a need to know basis. We do however have a card that we carry in our purse that informs about DID incase we get into difficulties.

My girlfriend and two of my closest friends were there when I was trying to figure what was this "weird imagiary friend" I had, so they know about my system. A third friend know about it because he's multiple too and we met on the internet first thanks to this.

My mom know since last November (I think ?), because we are so often co-present now that it's hard to keep it secret + she's the best at upsetting Alexis, and if I'm a calm people, Alexis isn't at all...

Who knows about your DID? How did it come out? Do you plan on telling anyone else?
Heather

My husband knows, my 2 best friends know.
Once my husband told my dad and my brother, but i never talk about me being DID once so ever.

1 of mij best friends is also DID. And the other best friend, she is a friend form highschool, about 20 years ago. I told her a few years ago, but she told me she Always knew. She didn't told me because she wanted me to tell her myself when i was ready for it. Still don't know what to think about that .

I find it difficult when people know about me being DID, it makes me feel uncomfortable and suspicious.

How many know? Well, let's see...

Everyone who reads this DID Forum. That's probably thousands right there. Including some I have met in person.

Everyone who reads my profile and/or my posts on several other large sites, nothing to do with DID yet somehow it does keep coming up (!); many thousands more, again some I also know in person.

Everyone who reads a professional online group I am on, where I have come out; that's over 100.

Everyone I told at work, and everyone they told. That has to be at least 20 people, likely many times that number.

Every therapist I interview, and everyone in my local community who contacts me for referrals. Another 20+ there.

All my family's health care providers. That has to be another 20 people.

My immediate family and many friends and relatives. Easily another 20 people.

So that is hundreds who know me in person and many (many many?) thousands who know me online.

The first person I told was my husband, immediately after I found out. It was quite a revelation! I told him I just found out I have DID and so does that man whose behavior sent me into therapy and so does my (then) therapist. He said "That explains a lot!" Yup. That's why my therapist kept behaving just like that man, and why interacting with that man exploded my life.

My SO and my therapist know about my DID.

In December, C (my SO) and I went to visit her brother and his wife (J) for 3 days (out of state). I really don't know them very well, and had never spent any time with them. In order for C to spend some alone time with her brother, J and I went to run some errands. While driving, we had been talking about me, my childhood, etc. I had already decided I would not talk about DID. I would just talk about vague stuff about PTSD. I told her my mother was a narcissist, and some other comments about early abuse. She calmly said " wow, it is a wonder you don't have multiple personalities!" ....BUSTED.

So, what else could I do, I said "well actually I do... I was recently diagnosed with DID." Her response was amazing, very respectful and caring. Wanted to know all about my parts - anything I wanted to share. I was blown away!!!

But then the real shock came when J said that the very first time we ever met (briefly in 2007 at C's mother's funeral) that both J and her husband noticed that I talked baby talk when talking to C! They wondered what's up with that??? They had not met me before and thought I was kinda weird! I had no idea, C had no idea, but both J and her husband saw it. My T says that stressful times push the kids out??? Guess that is what happened!

Well we all had a good laugh about it. And now they know I don't just talk baby talk. LOL A very unexpected experience that turned out really good.

-Carson

no no no and hell no.

I keep that to myself. the most I disclose is memory problems or PTSD.

Some of my friends know. One of them is multiple. One of them seems to be self-suspecting multiplicity. And I suspect the third is multiple but unaware or in denial.

And I don't particularly care if others know about symptoms I experience, so I freely talk about amnesia, somatic symptoms, and disturbed identity (but not specific alters). Whether others' understanding of that translates to comprehending my multiplicity is a different ballpark... one I haven't put much thought into, because it's a scary idea.

Notably, I'm still in my household of origin. Whether I'll be able to choose to come out when I leave—or if I'll be forced to explain—is up to me and the others in our system. Not that that's an issue—I'm sure we'll talk about it. (Or maybe not. I've been away from the rest of us recently. We'll have to see.)
Host/s

We've told all good friends and their spouses. I've told my 3 sisters and some relatives, the type who are able to be supportive. We've told a few people at work who suffer depression or anxiety. We've disclosed to several people in human resources at our academic institution but that was mostly in negotiating support resources.

Like shininglights, we speak generally to some work colleagues about symptoms, things dropping out of our memory, inability to focus, phobias. We haven't disclosed it's DID at work because we've determined that Johnny, who handles most of the job including the "public relations" aspects, at this point just doesn't need any additional, unforeseeable pressures, complications or questions. A couple years ago we came close to disclosing so we're pretty sure a couple long time colleagues, including some who report up to us, have figured out it might be DID.