Connect with people who understand what you are going through, seek advice and surround yourself with support. We're free, anonymous, and professionally moderated 24/7.
AngelContributor
Has anyone been diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder? I was wondering what people's view of this "disorder" is. Much of the information I have read is conflicting and even questioned as a disorder. Can you ever get over this or is it the case that you have it or not? Does anyone know if it is something instead of complex PTSD...the result of complex PTSD...or occurs in conjunction with complex PTSD? Sorry about all the questions!
In response to: Dissociative Identity Disorder
chemonroSenior Contributor
In response to: Dissociative Identity Disorder
Unknown userMember
In response to: Dissociative Identity Disorder
Unknown userMember
In response to: Dissociative Identity Disorder
MaggieSenior Contributor
I have DID, I was diagnosed years ago. It has been trial and error. I have a very understanding Social Worker. The mental health were of no help at all. One of my personalities has grown from 5 then to 7 and is now 13. The others have all stayed the same age. Many have shared the memory they hold and fade into the back ground, but others are there all the time. I dissociate a lot . I find I have become a hermit, fear of people and not being able to cope outside my home are real. I have found myself miles away not remembering how I got there. I have things in my cupboards that I have never seen before. I have no experience of integrating. At first I was terrified of the personalities and locked them in a dungeon in the back of my mind. They slowly came out and after and I took down walls I had put between them. They are all in one group now. On longer afraid of the personalities just the world around me. Friends have all walked away. A lonely road I find, but the abuse that brought this has to play a part also. I wish you all the best
In response to: Dissociative Identity Disorder
LillyEtAlCasual Contributor
In response to: Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dearprudence9Contributor
Hi, we have dissociative identity disorder. Diagnosed for a few years now. it has been very hard to find information, and from the few people I've talked to (not just in Australia) it is very hard to find the right help. People, even professionals, just don't get it or don't believe in it. From what I've gathered over the years, dissociation is a spectrum with everyday things that everyone experiences (like driving from one place to another and not realising how you got there) to the other end of the spectrum, where you have DID. I've heard of complex PTSD mentioned in conjunction with dissociative disorders as (from what I know) complex PTSD has to do with repeated trauma that can have to do with childhood too. From what we've been told, therapy is what helps people with DID. Learning to connect with the parts, building communication, working through the trauma, and, in some cases, working towards integration. Though not everyone decides on integration. Everyone I've talked to with DID is different. Systems can be different. Number of parts/alters can be different. I wish there was more understanding about DID, and more acceptance of it. We are not strange or weird. Just a little different. We are very lucky that after years and years of seeing different psychiatrists, ending up in hospital, tons of different kinds of medications- we found a psychiatrist who referred us to the right kind of therapist. It's still taking a lot of work, but we are a lot more stable now. Would love to hear about other people's experiences of finding out about their Parts/alters. We had no idea about DID, until we started work with our therapist and she met one of the other parts/alters.
In response to: Re: Dissociative Identity Disorder
CherryBombSenior Contributor
Hi @Dearprudence9,
You might want to connect with @Former-Member here, who has written about DID. Like you they have written about not many people believing him/her. They are looking for to connect with other people that have DID to get some advice.
CB
In response to: Re: Dissociative Identity Disorder
Unknown userMember
hi @Dearprudence9
as @CherryBomb mentioned i suffer from DID i have since i was 6 but i am 24 now and only just sought medical help. i went through a life time of people not believing me right down to my own mother hitting my when an alter was out and my not remembering it happened. i suffered lots of abuse from the age of 3 all through childhood wich according to drs is the reason for my DID and other conditions i have. i have put my story here but it is in great detail (its the last comment). i have three alters, the one im most connected to is Kelly she is 4 and has been with me for as long as i can remember. when i was really little kelly was was imaginary friend (yes i could see her) and i could hear her in my head. i no longer see her she is just an alter but i can still talk to her in my head. dispite the chatter she does insid my head she does not talk when she is out another unique thing about her is she is autistic even though i am not. recently i have discovered that i have 2 more sarah who is 6 and casey who is 8 i am yet to find out if that is all i have or if there are more.
one big thing i have discovered since i started talking to others about it is that its common for people with DID to feel that they are alone and no one understands i grew up thinking this till i met my fiance since then i havent felt i was alone he does everything to make sure i know that im not alone as old habits die hard and i often keep things to myself bottled up. i reacently talked to one person who feels that they are destined to be alone because of their DID and that i should just face the reality that im gonna be the same i actully couldnt believe it, it shocked the hell out of me. anyway one of the hardest things i had to deal with is that the first time i had to change theripist i had spent 2 years learning to trust and finally tell her my story and start to heal from my childhood truma and then she retired i was so upset over it it was a year before i finally went to another one.
so i had to learn that therapists come and go as long as my main support (my fiance) was with me still i was fine. anyway if you have any questions im happy to answer them as best as i can.
hi @CherryBomb
just thought i would clarify that im female
In response to: Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dearprudence9Contributor
In response to: Dissociative Identity Disorder
GilgameshSenior Contributor
I don't have it but I have a few friends that have it.
It's a defence mechanism to my understanding.
Help us push aside the stigma and discrimination surrounding complex mental health and change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness.
SANE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present.
SANE values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.
Help us push aside the stigma and discrimination surrounding complex mental health and change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness.
SANE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present.
SANE values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.
You’ll soon be able to use one secure login to access all SANE services.
For added security, members are now required to log in with their email address and password - member names are no longer supported for logging in.
If you had a Forums account before 19 May 2026 and haven’t set up your new login yet, you'll be prompted to set up your new secure login when you sign-in.
Fields marked * are required
