I heard that medication will not work. My shrink wants to put me on meds and knows that I am multiple. I am too afraid to ask if he still thinks I am DID or something else. Confused
Dear Confused,
I am not experienced with DID, so others surely may have different feedback for you. It is crucial that you communicate your concerns to your shrink. Medication will not cure DID, but I suspect that many with DID do use medications at different steps along the journey to assist with managing symptoms such as anxiety or depression. Best Wishes, LindaHi Confused,
I'm sure your therapist would have said something if he/she changed your diagnosis! You don't say what kind of meds, but I am assuming they are for depression, or something similar? Some of my DID friends take anti-depressants and it helps them cope tremendously. In my case the drugs affect my alters all differently, so I refuse to take them....it actually creates more chaos for me...I would give them a try, and see how it affects all of you. Good luck. JennConfused:
I think a lot of people with dissociative disorders try medications during the healing process. They work for some and not for others. Sometimes it's the dosage of the meds that is the problem, because a dose might be just right for an adult alter but too strong for the kids. Even with monominds, though, it takes some trial and error to get the dosage right. So, your therapist suggesting meds doesn't necessarily mean that he no longer thinks you are multiple. Think about daring to ask. It would be another step in building the trust relationship that you need with him. J.B.Confused,
It actually took many years before I was able to take meds ~ with success. In the very beginning, prior to my official DX, my medical doctor tried just about everything. I was in my very early stages of treatment: I was not in any way stable. Some of the meds caused severe nightmares and others were never really given a chance.Later I was prescribed Paxil. The psych-doc let me give the word that would go on the label. The wording was "take twice per day for anxiety." We didn't have 'anxiety' per se, and with that description they didn't work. Some of the members (alters) became listless, had nightmares and others continued to be deeply depressed.
I have also had meds that caused terrible side affects, such as loss of short term memory (something someone with DID cannot afford).
Finally I found a psych-doc that is an expert in the treatment of DID and found a combination of drugs that works best for me. Sometimes they don't seem like they work because I still become depressed and actually feel normal--as if I am not on drugs.
Some people believe that if they take meds they are somehow a failure. This is not true. For me it meant getting well enough to be able to work with them, rather than against them.
Lastly, if you are in treatment and need medication, it is best to get it from a psychiatrist because they understand the mind and how drugs works. They will also monitor the meds on a regular basis. Emily
Confused: I discovered an alarming fact about therapists. I've found that some who say they treat DID mean that they think you have a chemistry problem and medicine will stop your "sick" ideas that you have alters or Littles inside. Giving meds is their way of making your brain go mono instead of multiple. That scares some patients because they feel the doctor is just trying to get rid of, kill, their alters, instead of honor and reason with them. So, its a good idea, I think, to know where your therapist stands on that issue, and also what you want done. Restin Wells
Joy writes: I wanted to say something about medication from my experience. I was dx as DID almost 9 years ago after having been wrongly dx schizophrenic and manic depressive and drugged up the ying-yang. I went off all meds and that is how the DID finally got found out.
My pdoc tried some anti-anxiety meds and antidepressants and those had varying effects. Finally he tried an anti-psychotic that has been found to be effective in stopping dissociative episodes without interfering with therapy or functionality. It is Risperdal and taken in low doses is has been found to be helpful in stopping or slowing sudden and uncontrollable switching or time lapses.
I have been on it for 6 years and it has really helped. I have done very effective therapy and by the grace of God and all the help I have received, I have become a therapist and work with other's w DID now. I still take Risperdal and I also take an anti-depressant and an occasional anxiolitic.
I feel like I need to tell people what is wrong with me. I want them to understand why I act the way I do. Should I say any thing? I don't think they will believe me? Very alone
Very Alone,
I too felt like I needed to tell people what is wrong with me.... actually I still do. However, disclosure isn't always the best route.When I returned to work after a long leave I made some mistakes with disclosure. I told one woman who then patronized me and wanted to make sure I was always 'okay.' My boss at the time wanted to ease my mind by telling me that everyone felt like they were other people. Well true--people space out when they drive (sort of dissociation), people also act one way around some people and another way around other people. This does not make them multiple though and it made me feel misunderstood. Another occasion my co-worker blamed another member for missing a meeting. She said she must have told Mar. Wrong... we work together.
I put some http://home.comcast.net/~riversrages/disclosure.htm">guidelines for disclosure together as I learned through trial and error. Emily
Very Alone:
I, too, have had times of wanting to tell people about being many. Sometimes it was about wanting them to understand me. Other times I wanted to stop hiding and be able to be me in the open. Telling has been a mixed bag for me. Some people handled it well, other people didn't believe me, and others simply didn't "get it." Telling isn't good or bad, there isn't a right or wrong answer. It's more about figuring out what is best for you. What has helped me with decisions like this has been asking myself a few questions: What is my motivation (why do I want to tell something or do something or say something)? What do I want to get from the other person (understanding, compassion, acceptance)? How will I feel if I don't get it (what are the risks)? How will I take care of myself (in healthy ways) if it doesn't go the way I hope it will? Asking myself these kinds of questions helps me to figure out if the risk is worth it to me.Another thing I learned in therapy was to take things one step at a time. Don't tell all right away. Start out giving a little bit of information and see how the person handles it. If they treat you respectfully with that much, you might consider telling them more. Before telling someone you are multiple, you might start out saying that you are dealing with memories of being abused when you were young. You don't have to offer any more than that. Or maybe even start with less - something like, "I've got some things upsetting me and I'm working on it." Go slow, one step at a time, that's what's been helpful to me.
To help with the loneliness, places like this where you can talk with other multiples is great. We know what it's like. For me, knowing other multiples has been a real lifesaver. Take care. J.B.
Very Alone,
I try to hide the DID disorder so no one believes that I have the high level of anxiety (they think I am faking it) but if I do tell, I get labeled and people become afraid of me because of the very diagnosis. So I am isolated because I don't quite fit any group." MaurineVery Alone,
Disclosing for us was important because we know longer wanted secrets in our life. Too many secrets in the past caused us a great deal of pain and anguish. Unfortunately, the response has not exactly been warm. There have been people that are afraid of us. There are some people that totally avoid us cause we're "weird". Yet, others believe we are possessed. No one, unless they too are a Multiple, will ever understand. We just wanted you to know our experience. Hope it helps. SCW
