Re:dnms and dissociation

Hi,

I found Schmidt's website about a year ago. I was also interested in how her ideas would work with DID, "bad" internal parts -- introjects -- and some of the programming/ritualistic elements you seem to infer.

This is what I found:

1) I read the "Resouce Sandwich" professional article at her website, which I believe outlines a prelimiary version of the DNMS. I tried installing one of the resources on my own. I used David Grand's tapes as bls.

2) Then I tried two things... deliberately bringing into consciousness a difficult memory, in the presence of that "resource" and, conversely, bringing into consciousness the "resource" when I had a spontaneous flashback. (With spontaneous flashbacks I used em's instead of tones.) In both cases, the horror and pain seemed lessened by the presence of that internal resource. It was a very dramatic shift.

3) When I was redirecting myself and asking what the unmet need might be vs "what's the worst part?" or trying to recount to myself every horrid detail, I found I got "stuck" less in grisly scenes and sensations. I found myself focusing on wanting things like safety, companionship, kindness and compassion -- all things the "resource" could provide.

I also found that I came out of flashbacks more easily and that once I had "brought in" a resource to an incident or memory, that it did not recur, or recurred with much lessened intensity, even memories that had haunted me for decades. I found focusing on needs and resources worked (for me) much better than the standard emdr questions like "how does it feel, note that, let it strengthen", etc.

I think it's difficult to explain how an internal support can so change the sense of a memory, but it did for me. As well, focusing on needs vs traumatic details was very grounding and gentle (for me).

4) Obviously I'm not a therapist, and I'm not trained in dnms or emdr or THERAPY but my experience with this technique was positive, and I wanted to share it. I hear that not all people can use bls or emdr, on their own, safely, so I'll say, "don't try this at home", even though I did. :-)

5) You mentioned leakage from "parts" to the functioning self. I've always had problems with introjects who seemed hellbent on my destruction or unhappiness, and thus contributed to such "leakage" and the subsequent instability and crisis -- I've found no magic treatment that resolves this issue. The stronger an introject, the more it may NOT wish the "whole system" to heal -- who would wish to make themselves obsolete?! I think that ties directly to the question of "programming", but that's another subject.

6) I think often therapy boils down to patience and kindness, on the part of clients toward themselves, and on the part of therapists towards their clients. I've not found any "magic pills" but I've found that what magic there really is is based on common sense -- stuff like exercise, antidepressants, compassion, needs meeting and strengthening and/or cultivating internal and external resources.

Apologies to Ms. Schmidt if I've mangled her ideas and to Dr. Inobe if this is an inappropriate post for this forum.

Replies:

Re:dnms and dissociation, by , 07/06/03 installing resources, by client, 07/07/03 Re:installing resources, by client, 07/07/03

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