A Couple of Multiples: The Reality of Living with Dissociative Identity Disorder
There’s never a dull moment for hosts, Drew and Garden System, who are a couple that have both been diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder. While they are navigating their healing journey, they continue to manage full time careers, raise four teenagers and a house full of pets. Not only do they aim to speak to people who have lived experience with DID and their supporters, but also therapists and anyone who wants to learn more. The podcast talks about Dissociative Identity Disorder in a way that someone who knows nothing about DID will be able to understand, and at the same time is designed to be a resource for therapists, while supporting and validating those with lived experience. Dissociative Identity Disorder is a highly stigmatized mental health diagnosis that has been subject to many myths and misinformation over the years. These myths, along with highly-sensationalized media portrayals, have led to many who still believe this disorder is not real and simply created by therapists who impose themselves on highly suggestible clients. The goal of the podcast is to dispel these myths and educate the world at large the truth about Dissociative Identity Disorder, and the reality of what having this diagnosis really looks like. The brain had to find a unique way to cope in order to survive the trauma people with DID faced from a very young age. Also, this condition is not rare, although many reputable sources still cite it as such. People with DID are ordinary members in your community that you might encounter in your daily life. Drew and Garden System want to shed light on the challenging symptoms people with DID face and share how they have overcome those challenges and found the gifts of joy that all of their parts bring to each other.
A Couple of Multiples: The Reality of Living with Dissociative Identity Disorder
Internal Relationships within Dissociative Identity Disorder
Drew and Garden System talk about how in the beginning a system feels separated from each other, even feeling like enemies. There often is difficulty in listening to selves, because it is hard to learn and believe what parts hold and about trauma that occurred. They talk about how they developed relationships within their systems, navigating selves with different values, beliefs and behaviors. Drew and Garden System share personal stories about improving relationships by building trust, figuring out what is important to different selves, compromising and coming together as systems. Also covered is the often necessary topic of adult selves looking after and reparenting younger or little selves. The episode concludes that offering gratitude to your selves for all the strengths they bring to your system as a whole helps all of yous feel appreciated and loved. Your relationship with all of your selves will ultimately help yous heal.
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Our amazing sponsors for Season 3:
The Institute for Creative Mindfulness, one of the largest EMDR Therapy training programs in North America is directed by Dr. Jamie+ Marich, the only EMDR therapy trainer who is “out” as a plural and offers the full EMDR Therapy basic training in a way that honors lived experience and destigmatizes dissociation in clinical work. We felt so validated when we were able to authentically participate in this training as Garden System! Go to www.instituteforcreativemindfulness.com for a full list of upcoming trainings, both online and in-person, offered by Dr. Jamie and her selected network of EMDR trainers.
Dr. Wendy Aporta, with Bearings Therapy, is a marriage and family therapist specializing in military and first responder individuals, families, and couples. She is proficient with clients experiencing PTSD, CPTSD, and dissociative disorders. For her, helping those with traumatic experiences is not just a job, it is a vocation. She is experienced in multiple modalities, and utilizes whatever is best for her client's needs. She stays abreast of the latest research and treatments to provide the best possible outcomes for her clients. Call Bearings Therapy today: 214-892-2158
As a certified Internal Family Systems licensed therapist, Tiffany Morgan, owner of Holistic Self-Healing Psychotherapy, specializes in working with dissociative identities through IFS and sculpting. Known affectionately as 'Ocean,' she brings lived experience with dissociative identities and anorexia. Offering consulting, psychotherapy, training, and authoring a book on personal and professional experiences in these areas. Visit www.tiffanycobbmorgan.com or call (520) 582-9313 for more information.
Alix Amar, LCSW offers Creative Art classes and series including the Creative Journal, Soul Collage and Altered Books, all on the Zoom Platform exclusively for people living with dissociation. The 8-week winter series of the Creative Journal begins in early March. For more information check out her website at
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