Dear Ellen
My wife has DID and her littles needed time out to be littles. They come
out to watch a Disney movie or some other program for their age group. We
also have purchased stuffed animals and baby dolls for them to hold or
sometimes sleep with. They have to be reminded that they are good and they
are loved and they are safe now. She is just now getting to the point where
her older alters care and compliment her littles more than I do.
When we get hamburgers I will alert the littles it is hamburger time or that
we are going to get a snow cone or an ice cream cone, all things they need
as children.
Hope this helps
Take care
John
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Dear Ellen,
I believe you came to the right place. Whenever I feel lonely, angry, anxious, depressed, etc, I come to this site. Lynn W. does a terrific job with the newsletters and reading them makes me feel not so alone.
There are different ways to treat DID, as I am learning. It will depend
on how your therapist deals with their method of treatment. Some
therapists like to treat each part separately and some therapists treat
the clients as a whole, since they are such. Though your mind is split
with these different parts, you still have only one mind. My therapist
believes treating each part only helps the client feel better, not get
better. Regardless, I still sometimes sleep with a soft, fuzzy bear.
Sometimes I go to the playground and swing. There is nothing which says
you cannot swing. It makes you feel better and the side benefit is
getting exercise. I, too, did not know how to deal with my inner
children. I have one which screams so loud, she wakes me during the
night and I cannot go back to sleep. I have another that runs and runs
and runs. I get so tired and I didn't do anything, but she did. My
therapist said I need to learn to love myself. I tell him I first need
to learn about myself. I find it difficult to love someone you don't
really know. Very slowly I am accomplishing this task. (going at
turtle pace) I will get there eventually. I also needed learning to
slow down. I have so much going on in my life at this time, slowing
down seems impossible, but I still try.
As for your child part and being new to this, keep posted to this site
and subscribe to the newsletter which is full of stories and ideas. Do
not be afraid to sleep with a stuffed animal or a doll. Do what makes
your child part happy. You will be glad you did, and so will she.
Take Care,
Brenda
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Hello Ellen,
I have one suggestion that I would like to pass on to you that has
worked very well for my "Littles".
I have three small dolls. I selected each one because they resembled
in some way how I viewed my most
dominant Alters (alternative personalities). I talked to them, held
them and comforted them whenever I felt
they needed attention.
It worked for me.
My best to all of you.
Lindsay