Other Specified Dissociative Disorder 1a & 1b are very similar to DID. Prompted by an OSDD1b system reaching out to share that they initially did not think that they would find a podcast dedicated to DID to be helpful to them. They shared that they were surprised to find that not only was it helpful, but they found many similarities in what they experience reflected here. It made us all wonder how many other people living with OSDD might feel the same…and how many folks with OSDD might be seeking reflections of their experiences and haven’t fully found it in the DID literature and shared stories in online spaces and haven’t yet found it. In this episode we are joined by an OSDD1a and an OSDD1b system, who both generously share parts of their journey of system discovery and healing.

Resources

An Infinite Mind

The Rings System YouTube Channel

General OSDD info

Carolyn Spring on OSDD & DID

Beauty After Bruises on Dissociative Disorders

Power to The Plurals on OSDD

This episode brings a light hearted view to the challenges and adventures of daily system life. From discovering their system to the evolving ways of “what works for them,” this conversation will inspire, validate and intrigue you. The Curious System offers a wealth of resources for DID and OSDD systems and their providers to explore.

Resources referenced in this podcast episode:

The Crisses

PluralKit

Otter ai

DID We Write

DID We Write Tildy's Little Book for Littles

The Rabbit Listened book

The Rabbit Listened read aloud

CTAD Clinic

CTAD Clinic YouTube Channel

Layering of Emotion CTAD Clinic Video

Growing Up Again Book

Alix Amar LCSW

Amy Wagner LMFT, LMHC

Petals of a Rose Documentary

Healing Together Conference

An Infinite Mind

An Infinite Mind Speaker Series

Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Dissociation Made Simple by Dr. Jamie Marich

Institute for Creative Mindfulness

This episode is filled with so much heart and wisdom. Amanda Ball discovered they were a system later in life and that discovery turned everything upside down. Amanda shares her story of how she discovered she was a system We dive into an authentic conversation that covers topics from loss, deep grief, and real stigma to aphantasia, preventing switching, relationships and much more. We recognize that not everyone can access therapy and even those who can are often on long waitlists. We discussed many accessible resources for healing that can be found free online.

You can find Amanda on Instagram. See below for their full bio!

Resources:

The Dissociative Disorders Alliance

An Infinite Mind

Beauty After Bruises

Theresa https://www.dis-sos.com/about-us/

Carolyn Spring

The CTAD Clinic Website

Dr Mike Lloyd

CTAD Clinic YouTube Channel

Adrienne & Co (Formerly Known as Dr. Adrian Fletcher)

Dr Arielle Schwartz

BIO: Amanda Ball (She/He/They) lives with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and collectively she and other selves are known as the ETERNITY System.

Amanda had a long career and held senior posts in the Food, Drink and Agricultural industry, mainly in Strategy, Planning, Training, Marketing and Communication roles and continue to champion British Food. Whilst no longer able to pursue a career, they continue to use their skills through mentoring and volunteering work and are a future trustee of a soon to be registered charity, ‘The Dissociative Disorders Alliance’. Their professional values are ‘Focus, Clarity, Direction’.

They strive to make the complexities of living with DID accessible to others, by sharing everyday experiences through advocacy work. Notable highlights to date include planning and executing the launch of ‘The Girls Within’ a book written by debut author and retired therapist Gill Frost. The book launch provided a springboard for a live Webinar, ‘Dissociative Identity Disorder, The Hidden Condition’ and a follow up Webcast ‘Demystifying Dissociative Identity Disorder’. The recordings, hosted on Karnac Books YouTube channel, have had over 16K views to date.

They also undertake public speaking and media work and have appeared as guests on BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine Show as well as other BBC regional stations, sharing their lived experience of DID.

With their symptoms and subsequent diagnosis being relatively recently (2016), life and their identity until then was focused almost entirely on work. As a result, they are still finding their way when it comes to rest and play, however their determination and curiosity gained through work and life experience, are proving helpful characteristics in their journey through therapy.

Running has become an essential part of everyday life in the Cotswolds, not just through the exercise itself but by providing social connections being a member of a local club. They have also started to keep a growing collection of house plants alive!

Episode 15 welcomes Melissa Parker, LMHC, (they/them), a plural therapist who has expertise in working with clients who have PTSD, DID, OSDD and who live with other trauma related effects. We took a deep dive into the challenges systems face when seeking care and finding resources. Sharing anecdotes from personal and professional experiences, we connect around the need for more compassion, love, openminded perspectives and a willingness to truly individualize care. Part of willingness to treat the individual involves professionals removing hard and fast barriers such as “a diagnosis of DID is an automatic exclusion to psychedelic assisted treatment.” As you will hear, psychedelics do have a place in treatment and can be profoundly helpful for some. Given the propensity for great harm, caution also needs to be exercised. Melissa takes us through how to explore the possibility while offering concrete suggestions for safety.

Many systems will feel both validated and inspired by this conversation, while professionals may glean a deeper understanding around the impact of language, mindset and perspectives when delivering care to systems.

Professional Bio:

Melissa enjoys working with older adolescents and adults who live with the effects of complex trauma. Melissa’s work and perspectives are rooted in anti-oppression practice, and the lenses of trauma-informed developmental, humanist, and transpersonal psychology. They take an integrative approach to therapy and utilize whole-person modalities such as EMDR, humanistic talk therapy, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP), and sensory/somatic-based interventions. Melissa also offers psychedelic integration therapy.

Melissa welcomes the opportunity to connect with individuals from all walks of life and seeks to work from a place of cultural humility and respect. They hold a special interest in providing support and therapy to mental health professionals who have lived experience with mental health concerns, trauma, and dissociation. They also have an interest and experience in supporting individuals who seek to integrate profound spiritual experiences into daily life.

In addition to their clinical work, Melissa draws on their experience as a trauma survivor and clinical professional living with PTSD and DID, to provide anti-ableism-based training, supervision, and consultation to therapists who are interested in deepening their work with clients who live with dissociation

RESOURCES

Melissa Parker LMHC

MAPS

Dance Safe Fentanyl Test Strips

Melissa Parker on Braving The Way Podcast

Raw, poignant and real. In discussing all things system accountability, Adrienne & Co lets us into their lives and what it’s been like navigating betrayals, fusions, and integration while simultaneously beginning a new life with their soulmate who is also a system. Adrienne & Co describes how they showing up for all parts of the system with love and compassion. They share where they’ve been and why they’ve taken a step back from advocacy.

This episode is full of important takeaways. Whether you’re a system or a provider who treats systems, this rich conversation is filled with examples of the work it takes for a system of parts to truly work together. Whether life is at a high or low point or anywhere in between, Adrienne & Co shows us all how to show up with a formidable combination of strength, vulnerability and compassion that ultimately moves healing forward.

We hope you are as moved and inspired as we are by this conversation.

Where to find Adrienne & Co

Adrienne & Co on Instagram

Adrienne & Co's Website

Mentorship Group

Psychology Today Blog

Thanks for listening to Healing My Parts Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.

Listen in as Jamie+ talks candidly about the topics of disclosure, functional multiplicity, how parts work together, the nuances of lived experience, sexuality, and the judgement that exists within the mental health field. They also share insights about their brand new, soon to be released memoir, You Lied To Me About God.

Resources

You Lied To Me About God: A Memoir

Dissociation Made Simple

Redefine Therapy

Institute for Creative Mindfulness

Navigating Self-Disclosure Course

Dr Jamie on Instagram

Dr Jamie on TikTok

Kay Redfield Jamison's Books