Chapter 10 – Establishing a Healthy Daily Structure

Time management can be tricky, and dissociative identity disorder adds some unique challenges.
Parts can be conflicted about how you spend your time, with different goals and desires. You may have dozens of unfinished projects, and probably give yourself shit about your lack of productivity. Parts may resent each other and battle for time, ignoring priorities like work or doctors appointments. It’s also difficult to meet commitments when your sense of time is jumbled, and dissociative amnesia is in the mix.

FAQ: “Can switches be forced?”

I believe that living well with DID requires applying the principles of empathy, respect, and teamwork. Those foundations are undermined any time you intentionally hurt a part of yourself, which includes forcing an unwanted switch. It’s a betrayal that can poison the trust you’re going to spend your whole life building.

Healthy Coping Skills for Dissociative Disorders

In the battle against trauma, healthy coping skills are a necessary weapon in your arsenal. They’re also surprisingly effective! The challenge is to notice that you’re stressed, and then intentionally do something safe in response. Having dissociative parts can make this trickier, because all of your parts need to develop coping skills.

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