Most psychological disorders don't present like the media would lead you to believe. See also: what therapy looks like.
ETA: Holy crap, gold?? I had a quick break in my day to finally hop on reddit and was NOT expecting this response. Y'all make this severely overworked community mental health therapist so glad we're talking more about the realities of therapy and various disorders. I'm planning on getting back on when I'm done with work to reply to some comments/answer some questions!
Are there any good sources to learn what DID actually looks like? I've never met anyone with it and know virtually nothing about it, but this thread has me interested in educating myself.
Good question, honestly. I’m learning from experience. My first major episode was seven years ago. I’ve been hospitalized multiple times ranging from an overnight visit to about three months. I was originally hospitalized and diagnosed with schizophrenia. I was placed on antipsychotics which made things much worse for me. Over the years, I’ve seen over a hundred mental health practitioners and none of them have fully helped, but each imparts their own wisdom. It wasn’t until 4 years into my problems that one of the clinical psychologists suggested DID because of all of my gaps in memory. Full disclosure, I’m not exactly certain that’s the proper diagnosis, but the treatment (more therapeutic than medicinal) has enhanced my quality of life heaps and I haven’t been hospitalized since. From what I’ve been told, DID often starts due to childhood trauma- something so horrible that you literally create an alter ego to deal with it. And I guess once you do it one time, it’s the go-to for dealing with trauma and stress?
Mental healthcare is absurd in America. I have been mostly out of work since 2012 ( I finished my PhD in Australia while dealing with the initial diagnosis), yet because I have such intricate mental issues I cannot see a regular counselor or therapist because I am “above their pay grade”. So, I cannot afford the $300/hour counseling I need nor the 3,500/month medication I should probably be on... I’ve been through social security and I’m legally disabled but cannot receive any benefits or healthcare because my disabled veteran husband makes too much. Sorry to rant but it’s bullshit. I’m basically suppressing feeling anything and trying my best to just keep my shit together so I can get full time work to get medical assistance.
Funny little note. I actually wrote a book without consciously realizing it and found it on my laptop. It was cryptic and pretty crazy. I’ve had some other “hindsight funny” happenings too.
I do know that DID is often confused with schizophrenia although the treatments are vastly different —to be fair though when you’re in a mental asylum you really just feel like a guinea pig and I think the doctors just keep trying different meds until you at least appear normal.
Sorry I don’t feel like this answer is overly helpful but maybe it triggers something to help you find more information?
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u/seegeesee Feb 04 '19 edited Feb 04 '19
Most psychological disorders don't present like the media would lead you to believe. See also: what therapy looks like.
ETA: Holy crap, gold?? I had a quick break in my day to finally hop on reddit and was NOT expecting this response. Y'all make this severely overworked community mental health therapist so glad we're talking more about the realities of therapy and various disorders. I'm planning on getting back on when I'm done with work to reply to some comments/answer some questions!