Dissociative Identity Disorder, Imaginary Weddings, and Resilience
This week we're learning all about D.I.D., discussing imaginary weddings (completely embarrassing on my part), and the resilience of the human brain.
Dissociative identity disorder (DID was previously recognized as multiple personality disorder. It’s characterized by the presence of two or more dissociated self states, known as alters, that have the ability to take executive control and are associated with some degree of inter-identity amnesia. DID is caused by chronic childhood trauma and is highly associated with post traumatic stress disorder.
Individuals with DID report the highest rates of childhood trauma, particularly physical, sexual, and emotional abuse – generally beginning before the age of six – of patients with any psychiatric disorder. Because of this, DID can be conceptualized as a childhood onset, post-traumatic developmental disorder in which the traumatized child is unable to complete the normal developmental processes involved in consolidating a core sense of self. Together with disturbed caretaker-child attachment and parenting, repeated early trauma disrupts the development of normal processes involved in the elaboration and consolidation of a unified sense of self. Therefore, the child fails to integrate the different experiences of self that normally occur across different states and contexts.
DID has been found in children, adolescents, and adults. Unfortunately, early trauma may be a risk factor for later trauma. DID individuals report very high rates of adult rape, intimate partner violence, and other forms of exploitation, such as being a victim of trafficking.
DID is both a disorder and a form of resilience. Psychological compartmentalization of traumatic/overwhelming experiences allows for more normal development of the capacity for clear thinking, intellectual and creative abilities, the ability to understand reality, development of a sense of humor, the capability for attachment to others, and a capacity for insight – all important in the psychotherapy treatment of DID.
Here are links to all of the lovely people around the world linking together to combine baking and mental illness:
Debbie Hargreaves of Baking for Therapy
Lucy of Cupcakes for Change
Courtney of Bake and Bloom Wellness
Altreisha of Cake Therapy MN
Marianne of Baking Therapy
Ella of Bake Well Being
Obb of Obb’s Baking Therapy
The team over at Bake Yourself Better
I’m excited to see what we can all accomplish by combining our shared experiences of mental illness with our love of baking. I know we’ll be able to make a lot of change and to help others to be better understood. Please go check out their socials and to give them all the love.
Resources on DID:
https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Dissociative-Disorders), and the resilience of the human brain.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2719457/
https://www.sane.org/information-stories/facts-and-guides/dissociative-identity-disorder
Videos on DID:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0kLjsY4JlU&ab_channel=MedCircle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek7JK6pattE&ab_channel=AnthonyPadilla
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6kFD5xIFvWyLlytv5pTR1w/videos
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Baking-ish is a podcast produced and edited by Fahrenheit Co., a U.S. based entity run and organized by Ren Newman.
**I am not a mental health professional. Please talk to a healthcare professional before doing or changing anything within your daily life. These experiences and opinions reflect only my personal experiences.
