Alters fighting each other
Hi, I just discovered this week I have 5 distinct alters within me. They usually take control and hijack my affect. I have one named Warden and another named V (short for vindicator). V hijacks the system with manic episodes, intense grandiose storylines, while Warden is a scared 6 year old part of me, that gets intimidated by this. In acts of revenge, he yanks away the affect to feel safe. How does anyone manage this? Any thoughts are appreciated. I thought this only happened within movies, but it feels very real.
@yellowBike2589
I genuinely hope you get the support that you need 💚
@yellowBike2589
Hi, welcome to 7 Cups. 💜 From the people I've talked to who have DID or other kinds of identity splitting, a big thing is just accepting that all of the different parts/alters are there, trying to listen to what they want, and finding a way to balance all of the different needs. (If you try to crush or bury a part, it usually fights back or shape-shifts into something more difficult.)
Warden wants to feel safe, and it's understandable that if everything feels really intense/scary (and they're 6 years old), they'd react by trying to mute feelings that are too much. On the other hand, V wants to have outlets where they can express power, energy, and intensity. Both are valid feelings/moods to have (and part of being human). Is it possible to care for both of them depending on who is surging up asking for support?
FYI, there's a section in the forum for dissociative disorders if you wanted to look at things that other people have written:
https://www.7cups.com/forum/trauma/DissociationRelatedDisorders_2335/
Another link that may be helpful, talking about internal communication between parts/alters:
https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/dissociativeliving/2010/10/obstacles-to-developing-internal-communication