Life with autism and DID is overwhelming. Use the 6 steps in our roadmap so that you can know stability.
Life with autism and DID is overwhelming. Use the 6 steps in our roadmap so that you can know stability.
Creating safety is always the first step in trauma recovery if you have autism and dissociative identity disorder.
Establishing trust with a dedicated therapist and creating social support are difficult but essential when you have autism and DID. But you can begin building trust anytime with the Healer who is always accessible.
Symptom management for trauma symptoms is key when you have autism and DID.
Education about your mind and your body is important if you have autism and dissociative identity disorder.
Stability with autism and dissociative identity disorder involves learning to communicate with all the parts that make you "you."
Emotional strength is necessary to solidify your progress. Keep moving forward and keep recovering if you have autism and DID.
Phase 1: To Know Stability
We based our 6 steps on the ISST-D Guidelines for Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder in Adults. They are the pathway through Phase 1 of the Guidelines: “Establishing Safety, Stabilization, and Symptom Reduction.” In these 6 steps, we also see the reflection of the 8 C’s of Internal Family Systems. The 8 C’s of IFS, which are Creativity, Connectedness, Calm, Compassion, Clarity, Curiosity, Confidence, and Courage, are the core attributes of Self-leadership that we can all access. (Internal Family Systems Model by Richard Schwartz, Ph.D) These attributes play a crucial role in the therapeutic process, aiding in the establishment of Safety, Building Trust,
Symptom Management, Education, Internal Communication, Emotional Strength, and ultimately, creating stability
Safety Through Creativity
Our 1st step, Safety, is not just a state of being but a journey we can enrich through Creativity. Elizabeth Gilbert beautifully says, “Fear does not understand creativity.” As autists, we are more likely to self-harm and misread social cues that lead to danger. We use our Creativity to invent a safe environment, generate ideas for avoiding or minimizing self-harm, and develop methods for coping with unsafe people. By exercising Creativity, we can solidify progress toward Safety, inspiring hope and a sense of empowerment in our journey towards healing dissociative identity disorder.
Building Trust Through Connectedness
Being safe is the key to moving into the 2nd step, which is Building Trust. Safety is essential because Bessel Van Der Kolk says, “danger turns off our social-engagement system.” Once we are safe, though, we can engage in healthy, healing relationships. Building Trust, of course, creates Connectedness. The most important relationship we have is with God. Jesus is our Healer and Rescuer, and the Holy Spirit can be our closest and most trustworthy Advocate and Counselor. With autism, other healthy relationships can be complex due to challenges in socializing. However, as Susan Cain declares, “Love is your birthright.” Another place to start Building Trust is in a relationship with a good therapist. A therapeutic relationship can bring about profound progress on our journey toward stability. Creating healthy, safe relationships with friends and family also helps us Build Trust, providing a sense of support and understanding in our recovery journey.
Symptom Management to Create Calm
Safe people can help us to co-regulate our emotions and help us experience the 3rd step, Symptom Management. Co- and self-regulation provide a sense of Calm. Many tools can help us self-regulate to create Calmness, including breathing techniques, polyvagal theory, activating the parasympathetic nervous system, and regulating our limbic system. As autistic people, we also need to incorporate sensory regulation.
Education Through Curiosity to Create Clarity
Dysregulation is linked with decreased cognitive functioning. (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10917239/) If we are in a state of dysregulation, we have difficulties absorbing new information. When we continue to access Calmness despite autism and dissociative identity disorder, we can move into the 4th step, Education. It is easiest to educate ourselves when we have Curiosity. Autists may naturally excel at this step if multiplicity and autism are special interests. Our Curiosity engages us in the learning process, making Education an exciting journey that leads to Clarity about our past and present.
Internal Communication Through Compassion
When we have Clarity about our mind, body, and spirit, we are able to have Compassion for all of our fragmented selves. Compassion for ourselves enables us to access our internal world and work on the 5th step, Internal Communication. If we can have internal dialogues with our dissociative system, and work with our parts, new pathways to stability open to us.
Emotional Strength Through Confidence and Courage
As we work through the first five steps, we know stability more often. With more stability, we can find the Confidence and Courage needed to solidify our progress. In the 6th step, we will find the Emotional Strength provided by Confidence and Courage that is needed to move further into our recovery. As survivors with autism and dissociative identity disorder, we already have some attributes of Emotional Strength because this enabled us to survive. However, we should strive to acquire even more.
Know Stability to Move Into Phase 2
We hope that as we come to know stability through working the 6 steps, we will have the capacity to make more progress in Phase 2 of recovery from Dissociative Identity Disorder: “Confronting, Working Through, and Integrating Traumatic Memories.” Memories will arise at different times, even as we are still working on Phase 1 to create stability. However, we will be best prepared to confront, work through, and integrate our traumatic memories if we know stability.
With autism and dissociative identity disorder, your greatest stability comes from relationship with Jesus. Trust in Him and as your roots grow deep into God's love, they will keep you strong.
