u/Suitable-Data1189

I'm not sure if I've already made a post about this, but sometimes I just mentally "reset". Suddenly I have no recollection of what is going on, why I am feeling a particular way, and so on. It almost feels like I just took over for someone else.

I think some people would call that switching, but I haven't actually read or heard that term in the context of experiencing IFS therapy for myself.

Is this a common experience? My official diagnosis is C-PTSD.

I've noticed when I speak with my verbal parts, they refer to me as the name of another part, depending on which one I'm talking to. I think I must be blended with a particular part, and the part I'm talking to sees me as being the part I'm blended with. But I don't know that I'm blended. I just think I'm me. My verbal parts used to call me one name, then they started switching between two names. Then a really big part integrated. Then the other parts started calling me the name of a part I hadn't paid much attention to (because I write characters a lot, and I never realize when they actually represent parts, even though that is always.) So now, I guess I'm spending a lot of time blended with this part, which is nice because one of my really critical parts won't pick on this one.

This is so weird though, because I still just feel like me, but I MUST be blended with this other part, who is a child part. It makes sense, because people in my real life naturally protect me and care for me, and it's always made me uncomfortable, but lately I've just been accepting it. I thought it was just because I'm chronically ill and exhausted, but it might also be that this part feels more comfortable with everyone protecting her. I know for sure, every part I've met (even the one who had a massive system of protectors) protects and cares after her... and right now I am her, I guess.

I don't know why people either hate me or protect me. I guess I must be childlike, even though it's not my intention. I can't focus whether or not that's wrong right now. I'm so emotionally battered. I just want to heal, so I'm very fortunate and grateful for my real-life army of protectors.

My therapist never says, "What would this part say...?"

I often see people say their therapists prompt them this way, and that it doesn't help them, because they don't know what that part would say. My therapist doesn't do that.

She will look at my reaction to parts, or very clear messages from parts, and talk about why that has come up. I feel I'm making a ton of progress with her guidance. I'm surprised this doesn't seem to be the most common approach.

I wonder how common it is for dissociative disorders to be misdiagnosed as OCD. I was diagnosed with OCD years ago when I told a psychiatrist about having intrusive thoughts my whole life.

I did engage on OCD type behaviors, and I found exposure therapy helpful to an extent. But, I didn't feel any real relief until I started IFS, and started listening to those intrusive thoughts as the voices of different parts. Then I was able to ask them why they would say these things (or send me images, or have these particular feelings).

Sometimes the thoughts are about fears they have. More often, it has been them trying to get my attention, or trying to use fear to paralize me, for my own protection.

When I was in therapy for OCD, the therapist told me never to engage with OCD thoughts, and to think of them as the enemy. But that didn't feel right to me. I always felt like they came from protective parts, however misguided. My instincts were correct. I always read that OCD will always be there, even when you learn to manage it. Based on that, I'm not so sure I actually have OCD at all.

I made an open group for anyone who was feeling a little anxious about the social aspect, and sent members a message saying, "Hey, no pressure! Do whatever you want!"

I logged in today, and every room in our house was complete, including three whimsical kitchens, three studious home offices, and no bedrooms! 🤣🤣🤣

I'm not changing anyone's builds! I did turn my little library into a magical birdie bedroom. But I'm leaving my whimsical kitchen! This made my day!

Hi! I just got my first fiddle. It's actually a two-string fiddle (D A). This guy on Etsy makes what he calls spoon fiddles, and they have two or three strings. It's a nice little instrument. Affordable for someone like me who just wants to see if this is going to be my jam.

Anyway, my question is, how important is your pinky finger to playing? That probably sounds a little silly, but my pinky fingers subluxate really easily, and I've had it happen twice already while practicing. So I just wonder if there are any pinkyless fiddlers out there, and if I will be able to improve without using my pinky. Especially if I end up getting a standard fiddle/violin - If I add two more strings, will I even be able to play?