DID/ DD SUPPORT GROUPS HELPFUL TO MEMBERS

This article was written after many hours of discussion with individuals living with and healing from a trauma related dissociative disorder. In addition to each individual's involvement in a DID/DD Support group for between 2-5 years, each was, and is, actively involved in individual psychotherapy, a requirement for participation in all of NEEDID's groups. Further, one's involvement in the groups being discussed here had several other requirements.
For all involved, confidentiality and safety were priority issues that were strictly adhered to. No graphic or detailed discussion of any past or present abuse and/or self-injurious behaviors were allowed, but rather individuals were encouraged to discuss such issues with their individual therapists. All group discussions were kept positively focused, often towards problem solving through the sharing of individual experiences and knowledge. Group members tended to support one another, while acting as resources for each other as well.

Participation in a peer-run DID/DD Support Group seems to provide many survivors, living with and healing from trauma related dissociative disorders, with positive experiences that they are often, at least initially, unable to find elsewhere in their lives. While each individual who participates in a NEEDID support group is required to stay actively involved in individual therapy, involvement in a support group appears to enhance the healing and recovery process in numerous ways that individual therapy by itself often cannot. Many individuals consistently report that their involvement in a peer-run support group has served as a beneficial adjunct to their individual therapy and healing/recovery process. One woman said, "My therapist totally supports my participation in these groups, and has noted she has seen improvement in my condition. This is mainly because I don't feel alone and that support is always available from someone who understands..."

One of the most significant experiences that a DID/DD Support Group can provide for its members is a safe environment to interact, explore, and share with others that can truly understand. Although each participant has a unique background and is at his or her own stage of healing and recovery, many of the issues and effects of past trauma on one's life provide a commonality. Isolation, confusion, fears, trust issues, low self-esteem, and difficulties sorting through it all are just a few of the many issues that survivors often experience. Being able to interact with understanding, supportive others and share mutual issues, experiences, struggles, and concerns, for many, helps to break the isolation that is so often a part of a trauma survivor's life. The feelings and realization that one is not alone with what she or he is feeling and/or experiencing can be a powerfully validating and healing experience.

Involvement in a peer-run DID/DD support group also seems to help members gain increased insight into themselves, their diagnosis, symptoms, and course of therapy and healing. In listening to and sharing with others, one often hears elements of her or his life, issues, experiences and/or reactions that she or he initially felt were unique to her or himself. Many of the issues and experiences of living with a trauma based dissociative disorder sound familiar, and members, over time, realize that they are not "crazy", but rather experiencing the many effects that early trauma has had on their lives. They are no longer alone in their experiences, but rather feel connected to and validated by the group and the realization that each is a survivor experiencing normal reactions to one's past abuse. For many, while their therapists repeatedly told them that their experiences were a result of the early trauma that they had experienced, it did not become an acceptable reality until they were able to listen to and connect with others like themselves in a DID/DD support group.

As a result, the group member begins to see the abuse and his or her related self-image in a different light. From initially thinking that the problem lied within oneself to, in time, being able to accept the reality that something bad had been done to him or her, the individual becomes better able to see his or her life from a more realistic perspective. This change in the way one views the abuse in her or his life seems to have a positive and direct effect on the way that each views her or himself and the healing/recovery process. The acceptance and knowledge gained through the group experience provides the foundation for one being able to see and accept the past and the impact that it has had on his or her life. As a result, each is better able to see that she or he now has choices and changes that can be made to help each regain control of one's life and well being. The survivor realizes that his or her task is now to heal and recover.

In addition, members reported that, in most cases, their participation in a peer-run DID/DD Support Group has decreased their reliance and dependence on both their therapists and local crisis services. As trust and relationships among group members develop, they begin to use the group and its members to provide the support and understanding that they seek outside of therapy sessions. One woman described her experiences by saying, "Having a peer who understands to provide support and assistance can often help us prevent a crisis. At times life can become so overpowering...that a readily available person to talk to and provide some support can reduce the need to rely on mental health and crisis services, many of which are not equipped to meet or understand our needs".

In conclusion, peer-run DID/DD Support Groups appear to provide a safe and supportive environment in which individuals can learn from and help one other. The benefits that each member derives from such appears to reduce one's isolation while increasing her or his self-awareness and understanding of the recovery process. This in turn seems to benefit the individual both emotionally and socially, while enhancing her or his therapy and healing process as well. Involvement in such a group can provide a beneficial, affordable adjunct to individual therapy, resulting in less reliance on individual therapists and other mental health professionals, while also increasing the potential for one's healing and recovery.