Claiming back the given name

At about age 8 I changed my name internally from the given name to Beth. I feel like I want to claim back the given name. I feel like there's a very suppressed part who still has the given name. Very suppressed, non-verbal and not young, old but small. That's how I perceive her.

The others in my system don't care if I reclaim the given name. But I feel concerned about this small old part that still uses the given name. I can try to talk to her but I don't think I'll get anywhere so I'm asking here how you guys would feel in this situation?

Thanks in advance.

Hi Sarandipity,

We'd see this as two very separate topics, tbh.

The suppressed part that still relates to the given name, we would want to try to communicate with her somehow. We have a non-verbal one as well, she can understand us when we talk to her (as far as I know at least) but she responds with images and emotions.

Some of her images are almost like, 'screengrabs' and 'film clips' from media we have seen, others are mental pictures that she seems to have created. But she's pretty good about getting her message across, especially when she combines the imagery with emotions.

For yours, if you haven't been able to communicate yet then we'd suggest keep trying, and if you can't get through directly then try to go through another alter. If you have an internal helper, or just ask around to find if someone is able to get through to her.

As far as claiming the given name, we can't really relate to that. I'm not even entirely sure what you mean by it?

For us, we have no attachment or interest to any of the past names we've had over the years. We all have our own names inside, that's what's important to each of us.

On the outside / legally, there was a birth name, then the adopted name, then Stephanie changed it to her name, then the Violets changed it to their name. Hopefully we won't change it again, it's a lot of paperwork lol.

Arin

I was originally born under another name and changed the legal name in my teens. Sometimes I think I wish I hadn't and want to return to it but I think what I actually want to return is that period in time before I was so self aware of being bullied and for the happy times, family holidays before my mother passed away, before the time I felt I had to be someone else to succeed and live up to the expectations of 'fitting in with normal', before life got so complicated!

If you feel you have an alter that is already using the name you wish to return to, maybe try and contact them first, ask if they mind you using that same name in the outside world?