If you’ve been reading the blog for a while and any of the experiences here resonate with you, if you have always had a sneaking suspicion you share your body/head/life with other people then you’re probably wondering what to do next.
You have several options
1- Do nothing, ignore it and hope it goes away*
2- Find out more, there’s a lot of information about DID available, books, websites, blogs, forums and organisations. There’s no such thing as ‘too much information’ but there is a lot of misinformation out there. Here is a list of resources I found useful.
- The Stranger In The Mirror- Marlene Steinberg. This book has lots of information about dissociative disorders and also has some questions, taken from the SCID-D (the standard diagnostic interview for dissociative disorders) which will enable you to assess your symptoms.
- Attachment, Trauma And Multiplicity- Valerie Sinason (editor). A collection of pieces from various professionals in the field, discussing many different perspectives of DID- its origins, presentation and cultural attitudes.
- The Pottergate Centre For Dissociation And Trauma- Centre director, Remy Aquarone is both experienced and happy to help in any way he can. The Pottergate Centre also offer free scoring of the DES (dissociative experience scale) and SDQ20 (somatoform dissociative questionnaire), these two screening instruments can give you an idea of the extent of your dissociative symptoms and can provide ‘evidence’ that, in theory you should be able to take to your healthcare providers to enable your diagnosis, care and treatment to commence.
- ISSTD FAQs- International Society For The Study Of Trauma And Dissociation.
- PODS- Positive Outcomes For Dissociative survivors. PODS is a survivor led organisation, there is a lot of useful information on the website but proceed with caution, a lot of the material can be triggering.
I’d love to say all you have to do is read the information, obtain your scores from the DES and SDQ20 and there you have it but sadly, I know that it’s not that simple.
Whilst other countries are able to diagnose and treat DID timeously and appropriately, the UK can’t. The NHS does not know what to do with DID, mental health professionals are poorly trained and poorly informed about dissociation. The NHS is riddled with ‘professionals’ who continue to question the ‘existence’ of DID and as a result a number of professionals don’t have the courage to deal with it.
The correct diagnosis, care and treatment is not a privilege- it is your right but it’s a right you’ll have to fight for. If you’re already in ‘the system’ then you should raise your suspicions with your current team, you may get lucky but sadly, the chances are you’ll be met with blank faces at best. I hope you get lucky, you know your own truth and you are worth the fight. There are people who can and will help you.
Don’t give up
Xxx
*this won’t work, sorry.
