Welcome,
I know what ya mean about the therapists. They either have never heard of it for the most part, don't understand, or spend the first 6 months of yer therapy reading up on it. There are a few out there that know and understand what this is. The biggest problem for them is the temptation to treat this as if it was actually something else since this is so similar to other things out there.
Best bet is to "shop around" a bit. Interview them and make sure they understand what yer going thru and what yer goals are. Even if they don't have a lot of experience with this, if they're at least willing to understand and learn and approach it right then that'll help much better than other options out there. They may even know and recommend ya to someone else. It can be a search, specially with the limitations of the state, but someone is out there that knows what they're doing, it's just a matter of finding the right person.
The important thing is to not give up hope and to never simply "settle" for how things are. We all deserve a good therapist, not someone that sees us as a bit of extra $$. Our friends should understand and suppourt us through this. Most importantly is we must suppourt ourselves thru this. Knowing that we can have and do deserver a good life for ourselves and our families.
-Gil
Discussion Topic
New here
Posted on 06/26/08, 03:12 am
I've answered a few posts since finding this board, so I thought I should introduce myself and tell you all a little about me.
I was originally diagnosed DID about 20 years ago, and I've run into a lot of professionals who think that DID is a false diagnosis. Most of them, I've found, seem to be abuse survivors themselves, or just don't want to admit that bad things happen to little children.
I spent several trips at Dr. Colin Ross's treatment center in Texas in the 1990s and I found that very helpful. In fact, I had integrated, or so I thought, after my last stay there in the early 90s. But then last year I started missing time again, and finding all sorts of things that I would never buy in my apartment. So, now I'm not so sure.
I'm not going to go into my history too much, so I won't trigger anyone, but I will say things were pretty nasty, all the way into college in the 1980s, so I guess it's no surprise that I'm DID. I'm trying to find a good therapist now, so I can deal with everything that is coming up right now in my life, but I don't seem to have much luck there yet. I really wish I could go into the public sector for my therapy, but I've been on disability for years now, so I am stuck in the public mental health system here in Arizona, and it totally sucks. I looked online for my last therapist with the public system and found out that the licensing board here has required him to be in therapy himself, and with a sexual disorders specialist at that!!!! Needless to say, I was NOT happy when I found that out, and now I'm really hesitant to go with another therapist in the public system, so I really don't know what I'm going to do. Although since it's the state that licensed this guy, I guess I would have a problem with anyone in the state, if they are willing to license this guy. I would really prefer to work with someone who has devoted a considerable amount of time to learning about DID and how to treat it, but here in Arizona it's such a controversial diagnosis that I doubt if I will find anyone like that.
Okay this is long enough. I should end now and let you read something else. I'll post more later.
Annie
I was originally diagnosed DID about 20 years ago, and I've run into a lot of professionals who think that DID is a false diagnosis. Most of them, I've found, seem to be abuse survivors themselves, or just don't want to admit that bad things happen to little children.
I spent several trips at Dr. Colin Ross's treatment center in Texas in the 1990s and I found that very helpful. In fact, I had integrated, or so I thought, after my last stay there in the early 90s. But then last year I started missing time again, and finding all sorts of things that I would never buy in my apartment. So, now I'm not so sure.
I'm not going to go into my history too much, so I won't trigger anyone, but I will say things were pretty nasty, all the way into college in the 1980s, so I guess it's no surprise that I'm DID. I'm trying to find a good therapist now, so I can deal with everything that is coming up right now in my life, but I don't seem to have much luck there yet. I really wish I could go into the public sector for my therapy, but I've been on disability for years now, so I am stuck in the public mental health system here in Arizona, and it totally sucks. I looked online for my last therapist with the public system and found out that the licensing board here has required him to be in therapy himself, and with a sexual disorders specialist at that!!!! Needless to say, I was NOT happy when I found that out, and now I'm really hesitant to go with another therapist in the public system, so I really don't know what I'm going to do. Although since it's the state that licensed this guy, I guess I would have a problem with anyone in the state, if they are willing to license this guy. I would really prefer to work with someone who has devoted a considerable amount of time to learning about DID and how to treat it, but here in Arizona it's such a controversial diagnosis that I doubt if I will find anyone like that.
Okay this is long enough. I should end now and let you read something else. I'll post more later.
Annie
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Reply #1 06/26/08 4:10pm
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Reply #2 06/30/08 9:53pm
Hello there, I love your screen name! Welcome to the group. I truly feel for you. I'm on disability too & can't find anybody in the public system that specialises or understands DID. I went with a wonderful therapist who knows a lot about truama but not DID. She gets DID but doesn't know much about it. It's frustrating & sad. Don't give up though. Keep looking. I was surprised to find somebody who I could see that actually specialised in trauma. I didn't think that would happen. I didn't give up looking. I do feel for you. Don't give up.
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