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Check out the 2022 Planners Unboxing Video on YouTube Here!

United Front: Ship's Log Undated Planners

See changes in each Planner

This is a planner like none other. Crafted for plural, multiple & DID systems, with selves-help & coaching tools, bullet-joural-like flexibility. This plural-centric planner provides places for your& entire "Ship's Crew" to log, plan, and deploy missions while adventuring through (external) human space.

A stand-alone volume, but also designed to pair with the Ship's Log Planner Course or United Front book bundle, especially United Front: Adventurers, this is a tool that will help support your plural or multiple system whether you prefer planning or logging. Work on system-wide issues together, tackle life's adventures as a team, and craft your own amazing internal community.

• Monthly "Sensor Log" to help spot areas of your& shared life (internal & external) in need of attention
• System Safety Plan (no purchase necessary: our free instructional System Safety Course is available here)
• Ample notes pages for system maps, headmate lists, internal meeting notes
• Daily timeline to track switches/fronts, events, appointments, etc.
• Examples to help your system figure out how they'd like to use the planner
• And much much more…

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Undated Planner

There are 2 undated planners currently available: Version 1 is based on the 2022 dated planner and Version 2 is based on the 2023 dated planner.

• 54-week planners
• start on any day of the week or year, easily adaptable to any 7-day "week"
• 12 "monthly" or periodic assessments near the front of the book
• 12 blank 7x6 grid 2-page spreads that can be used as a monthly calendar or as a grid for other information or creating your own cheat sheets in the planner (we've used it for meal planning, tracking classes, etc.).
• Version 2 has additional cheat sheets and a different cover than version 1
• UNDATED planner Version 1, available as a PDF downloadable & printable right now at Gumroad. Starts $5USD, pay what you wish. New: Undated Planner Version 2.
• Coil-bound Softcover Undated Planner from Lulu: Version 1 or Version 2 starting at around $18 USD³ + shipping. Available internationally.
• Hardcover Undated Planner from Lulu: Version 1 or Version 2 starting at around $21 USD⁴ + shipping. Available internationally.

Our Planner Comes Home

After years of creating and designing the "Passionizing™" planners, and feedback from several plural systems over the past couple years, we can say this planner works for plurals. Not all plurals, not every plural or every situation. Of course not. But it’s flexible, helpful, and builds good habits.

What Time-Management System Does it Use?

There are a lot of ways to time-manage. The only one that works is the one you& actually use. In that way, all time-management processes can be effective, and we attempt to teach folk how to come up with something that works for them rather than push folk into any particular system.

The idea of the "Ship's Log" planner is to both provide structure & flexibility for your& officers & crew in how to manage your& human mecha spaceship, and keep on top of your& shared external life as well as keeping an eye on internal system operations.

This isn’t a schedule book, but y'all can use it that way if that's what works for y'all. Y'all can use it to plan ahead. Or — y'all can use it to track what has already happened. Y'all are not locked in to any particular way to track or manage your& time. We do a blend of both — jotting down what we plan to do, and jotting down things that we accomplished. Our companion system mostly uses the log as a log of what has happened already, rather than planning ahead.

Flexible By Design

Y'all can use as many or as few of the features included in the planner as y'all like. For example y'all can meal plan or meal track in the planner, but we keep the labels for that as unobtrusive as possible so y'all can repurpose those lines to something else if y'all want. See the tips on how y'all can use the Ship's Log below, & suggestions for how to go about coaching yourselves into creating a plan (or tracking what happens) each week & month. The planner itself includes many tips and tricks on the instruction and example pages.

How Much Profit Are We Making?

We prefer total transparency: our modest mark-up on the products is $4 for print versions (as of current exchange rates in Aug 2022) and $5+ (due to sliding scale) on the electronic versions. Thus we make $4-5 (or thereabouts) per sale after merchant fees, before income tax & self-employment tax.

If anyone cannot afford the PDF version, please let us know. We don't want money to stand in the way of plurals getting help they need. We have our own needs and expenses, and put a lot of time, thought, and development into these products, so we put a modest price tag on them to reflect that. However, we would really really rather y'all have the help you& need than us make money, hence the low profit margin to keep this affordable. PLEASE ask if y'all need assistance. Our Patreon supporters are there to help us with "scholarship" offerings etc. — so don't feel bad. They'd love to hear that we were able to give out free copies of our PDF because of their support.

What are the tangible differences between the hardcover vs. coil-bound softcover?

We personally prefer the hardcover version of the planner because it takes wear-and-tear and roughhousing. We are clumsy and not gentle on our belongings.

We also have the coil-bound Ship's Log and we're quite impressed with it. We decided not to do a perfect-bound softcover, and believe it was the right choice.

Both the hardcover and the coil-bound "lay flat", which we feel is essential for a planner you're going to actually use. The coil can be folded back on itself to show only one page; you can't do that with the hardcover. But also note that doing that can push pages out of the end of the coil.

One year we went sticker-happy in our planner, and the hardcover took it in relatively good stride, but if y'all are a washi-tape weilding affictionado with sticker packs and so on — the coil-bound version may take the added thickness of each embellished sheet a little better.

We are concerned that if we used the coil-bound and we were handling the planner every day, turning back to our quarterly or annual planning pages, or to our safety plan, etc. — it might lose some pages along the way (perhaps some washi tape could fix it though!). Our biggest concern would be losing the covers, or being clumsy and dropping it, etc. We are adding a half-title & extra back page in the hopes that if folk lose a page, or one of the covers, the "throwaway" pages we're including will help out.

Passionizing™ Planners

We recommend the hardcover for legacy and durability. The line of spines on the shelf is cool too. The coil-bound will have to be handled more carefully, but the price is more reasonable. And if y'all have a good app for filling in PDF forms, or want to use your own bullet journal or other journals outside the UF system with some of the UF exercises, the PDF can be used instead of a paper planner (or y'all can print out some of the exercises and use them).

Y'all can help with future planners

We would love more feedback to continue to tweak the content. What works? What do you hate? What do you find that you neglect & never use, or you forget to use? What’s wasted space? How can we make it better? How can we make this more fun?

Play with your& planner, experiment with it, but most of all — USE it. Do with it whatever you’d like — please let us know what happens & how it works out so we can improve it next year. Life is a work-in-progress, so is a life-journal.

We would love photos of how folk are using it, too!

Many thanks & blessings,
Criss Xes

Tips for using your United Front Ship's Log Planner

Setting up your& journal: y'all can start playing with it as soon as y'all get it. The System Safety Plan, Quarterly Plan, and setting up the year in your& planner can keep y'all busy planning for 2022 before it even starts.

Please see the free United Front: Ship's Log Planner Course for tips on planner set-up, additional downloadables/printables and exercises to help out! This way we only have to update this info in one place :)

The Final Index - 2023

Change Logs

Decisions about 2024 Planner

• Decided to roll with just undated planners, will issue Version 3+ after continued testing and feedback about using Version 2 and the new Sensor Log.

2023 Planner (compared to 2022) & Undated 2 planner

• Added 2 segments to the Sensor Log: Treasury -> Stewardship and Bridge -> Targeting, including adding descriptions for these new segments in the instructions.
• Added back in many of the cheatsheets from the 2021 planners.
• Renamed House Rules to Articles of Engagement to match United Front books.
• On the daily pages on the dated planner, lifted the date so there's space above the timeline.
• In the dated planner monthly view, made the weekdays across the top lighter & smaller to facilitate those who wish to change the arrangement of the 2-page month view.
• In the Undated planner, added a number for each "week" in the planner thus 1-54, in case anyone wants to log something by 7-day bundles, and to help folk track how many "weeks" they have left in their planner.
• Fixed various errata from the 2022 version. Hopefully have not introduced NEW errata in the 2023 & Undated 2 versions :)

2022 Planner (compared to 2021) & Undated 1

• First time the Ship's Log has an undated version (there had been undated versions of the Passionizing Planner, and there's still one available for sale).
• a 2-page month-view spread to oversee your month. The former Monthly Review prompts (Accomplishments & Lessons) are now at the bottom of this spread.
• The undated planners have only a blank 6 "week" by 7 "day" grid without labels to use as desired.
• There's a new design for the <Month> in Review page: there's lines & prompts for Reflection, Gratitude & Looking Ahead.
• There's an unlined note page on the left side of the Month in Review — folk can draw, add their own bullet-journal inspired tools for the month, use it as a place for additional notes, to attach post-its or cheatsheets to their planner, etc.
• Overhauled monthly assessment tool that combines the Life & Ship assessment tools from 2021 into a simpler 1-page tool with redundancies removed, and completely re-written instructions. The 2021 dual assessments were taking us a long time to complete each month, and we noted some redundancies — so we completely reimagined the 2 life assessments that were in the 2021 planner, embracing the “body as a spaceship” idea, and the fact that plural systems are working as a group. Now there’s one combined assessment for 2022.
• Almost all of the cheat-sheets and other tools have been removed. this planner is already larger than last year even with them removed. Stay tuned for more about where these are going (There is a workbook in progress, but since it's not ready most of these were added back to the 2023 planner).
• The instructions are much more terse and abbreviated. The online course will have to bear the weight of longer explanations. Again, to keep the planner size reasonable something had to be moved out of it.
• A more complete safety plan in the planner, matching the online safety plan course (and the errata listed below taken care of; plenty room for new errata).
• A long list of positive ideas for (generally inexpensive or no-expense) activities to use for goals, rewards, or to inspire your System Safety Plan Crew Equipment Review in the back of the planner.
• Squeezing in a couple more lines for notes on the weekly notes pages. Changed "A-HAHs" to "Notable" (to pull out a-hahs or highlights of a meeting or notes).
• Added a half-title page. This is a relic from the days before books came with covers, a "junk" page that might get worn, torn, or fly loose or be used to bind the book into a cover. This gives an extra front page for notes, cheatsheets, doodles, headmap or list of residents, etc. Whatever y'all wish.
• Added an extra page at the back of the planner — same reason as the half-title page. These are numbered, and have a little "blank on purpose" disclaimer". The hardcover or a perfect-bound softcover would have this page anyway. The coil-bound version would not, and the coil/spiral is more likely to lose pages, so we think this is a vital addition for those who want the coil version.

And features that will always remain in the planner:

• NO holidays. Pick your own, or don't put any in the planner. We don't want anyone seeing well known trigger words in their planner. You like a holiday, you add it. This also makes it more friendly for folks outside the US or non-mainstream belief systems.
• System safety plan will be embedded in the planner so that y'all always have it handy.
• Numbered pages.
• Create your own table of contents for your content in the front of the book; there is an Index for the built-in features.
• Flexible daily pages with ways to track time, meals, moods/habits, progress, wordcount, etc.
• Meeting notes each week for system meetings, external meetings, class notes, or therapy appointments
• Monthly assessments and other worksheets for planning

Errata

Ship's Log 2022-1.00

• In the dated planner, on the monthly spread for October, October 31st is accidentally greyed out. Oops.
• p. 312 (dated) or 316 (undated) - The instructions aren't correct, but more importantly, the months should be July, August, September.

Ship's Log 2021-1.00

• Extra notes pages for the coil-bound. We've always found the extra blank pages added to a perfect-bound softcover or hardcover book at the start and end to be useful — the coil bound gets right to business with no added leading or trailing pages. This is bothersome in many ways, as there's no title-page or index buffer between the cover and the book, but also less extra space for adding your own "stuff" to the book at the start and end, which we've always used. Next time we create a coil-bound version we'll add bonus "Notes" pages to fill this purpose, and maybe a half-title page in the front of the planner (industrial-age printing press books used a half-title page before the full title page in case the cover of the book was lost, so there was an additional protective page before the real title info). To make it easier on us, these changes may be in all the versions.
• We want to unbold the abbreviations for the meal/exercise track/plan section so that it's easier to repurpose that section if someone doesn't use it that way (i.e. less obtrusive yet).
• When we changed the page heading font to match other United Front materials, we may have gone a little overboard, and we will make the font size for dates in the daily pages smaller, and shift some of the whitespace a bit. It ended up rather close to the top of the page in the printed versions, and we like to write in the margins & put holiday names around the date.
• page 8
  • "Contents of safety plans…" typo.
  • Change instructions to point to full instructions for System Safety Plans in United Front: Recruits — available in the free sample as well or you can use the latest materials & instructions for free at the online course here.
  • Middle of the page the line should be Developing a Wellness Toolbox - replace Toolkit with Toolbox and instructions should direct users to brainstorm for a larger list on a separate sheet to copy items from into various sections of the safety plan. This is now the Crew Equipment Review in the online course & downloadable worksheets.
  • On line for Daily Maintenance Plan: Reminder List "Quarterly" is misspelled.
  • Middle of the page the line should be When Things are Breaking Down or Getting Worse — Batten the Hatches. Signs… i.e. the page title was accidentally omitted.
  • Last line of "Crisis Plan" paragraph, "we are not a laywer" should be "lawyer". We are neither a lawyer nor a laywer. Not a typist either.
• page 10 - missing closing parenthesis ")" after "page 39".
• page 12 - "maritime" pilot. Oi. We did run a spell check. Imagine how many typos there would have been if we hadn't! We blame InDesign.
• page 18 - spelling/typos: car maintenance schedule
• page 20 - missing (m) marker on &/or addition of and italicization of following entries: prudence (m), forgiveness (m), humility (m), modesty (m), self-control (m). Missing (c) marker on &/or addition of and italicization of following entries: integrity (c), vitality (c).
• Pages 23 & 25 - “Personal Development: Relationship…” (spelling typo)
• page 150 - "House Rules" should really be "Articles of Agreement" in alignment with United Front books. References to the page should also be changed (p. 31 & 107 and the index on 313).

Legacy Notes

The Final Index - 2022

The Final Index - 2021

References

These books, articles, papers, etc. influenced the work this planner is based on. Links below are affiliate links to Amazon, we will get a minor kickback, though it will not change your price.

• Allen, David, 2001. Getting Things Done: The art of stress-free productivity, Penguin Books.
• Brand BL, Myrick AC, Loewenstein RJ, Classen CC, Lanius R, McNary SW, Pain C & Putnam, FW, 2011 (December 5). A Survey of Practices and Recommended Treatment Interventions Among Expert Therapists Treating Patients With Dissociative Identity Disorder and Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0026487.
• Byrant D., Kessler J., & Shirar L., 1992. The Family Inside: Working with the Multiple, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
• Carson, Rick; 2003. Taming Your Gremlin: A Surprisingly Simple Method for Getting Out of Your Own Way, HarperCollins Publishers.
• Covey, Stephen R., 1989. Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, The: Restoring the character ethic, Simon & Schuster, Inc.
• Covey, Stephen R., 1994. First Things First: To Live, to Love, to Learn, to Leave a Legacy, Simon & Schuster, Inc.
• Hallowell, Edward M., M.D., 2006. CrazyBusy: overstretched, over- booked and about to snap: strategies for coping with a world gone ADD, Ballantine Books.
• Fredrickson, Barbara L., 2009. Positivity: groundbreaking research reveals how to embrace the hidden strength of positive emotions, overcome negativity, and thrive, Random House, Inc.
• International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, 2011. Guidelines for treating dissociative identity disorder in adults, third revision. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation, 12(2): 115–187 (as accessed on their website late 2018).
• Kezelman C.A., Stavropoulous P., 2019. Practice Guidelines for Clinical Treatment of Complex Trauma, Blue Knot Foundation.
• Luban, Ruth, 1996. Burnout: Keeping the fire (audio & guidebook)., Learn Incorporated.
• Messina, James J., 2009. Compassion Fatigue Presentation http://revx .me/5 (PowerPoint Presentation), accessed on 12 August 2009.
• Messina, James J., 2009. Preventing Burnout http://www.livestrong .com/article/14719-preventing-burnout/, accessed on 03 August 2009.
• MindTools.com, 2009. Recovering from Burnout http://www .mindtools.com/stress/Brn/CopeWithBurnout.htm, accessed on 15 August 2009.
• Moran, Victoria, 1999. Creating a Charmed Life: Sensible, spiritual secrets every busy woman should know, HarperCollins Publishers.
• Putnam, Frank W., 1989. Diagnosis & Treatment of Multiple Personality Disorder, Guilford Press.
• Richmond, Lewis, 1999. Work as a Spiritual Practice: A practical Buddhist approach to inner growth and satisfaction on the job, Broadway Books.
• Shwartz, Richard C., 1995. Internal Family Systems Therapy, Guilford Press.
• Spira, James L. (editor), 1996. Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder, Jossey-Bass Inc.
• Tolle, Eckhart, 1999. The Power of Now: A guide to spiritual enlightenment, New World Library.
• Wattles, Wallace D., 2007. The Science of Success: The secret to getting what you want (The Science of Getting Rich, The Science of Being Well, The Science of Being Great), Fall River Press.

Shuffling editions and bundles around, stay tuned for more, in the meanwhile you can find Poetic License on Amazon (link below) and the other books in the series (in progress) at Leanpub.

The United Front series

Buy the in-progress United Front series through Leanpub as ebooks!

The United Front series (2013-current) - Positive, proactive and collaborative self-help for people with multiple personalities. This series is based on the United Front Boot Camp (see "United Front Boot Camp") and the System Trust Issues episodes of the Many Minds on the Issue podcast, as well as myriad years of helping plurals, multiples and traumatized DID systems work together. We present methods of increasing communication and collaboration amongst your inner people, building leadership skills, and ways to navigate external situations and life as a functional multiple system. Click to learn more about the bundle on Leanpub.

Right now this is the only book bundle in the store and contains United Front "trilogy" of books: Recruits: Building Internal Community, Rebels: Reforming the Good Guys, Adventurers: Enjoying External Life.

If you pay for the current bundle, you'll get to read the books as they're written and get the whole book bundle as they become are completed AND you can participate in each book's private online forums on Leanpub to help give feedback while they're being written. See The United Front bundle for more info!

If you purchased our former The Crissing Link: United Front or the bundle that contained United Front while it was part of The Crissing Link series — please contact us for a coupon for the new series bundle and thank you for your support!

Coming Soon: United Front: Ship's Log 2021 dated planner New.

The Crissing Link Series

Praise

Have you ever felt different? How different are you? If you've ever felt out of place, and thought perhaps people would notice and say something, then you will resonate with this series. People with mental health issues are often troubled by shame and misunderstanding. Being plural is often considered to be at the top of the heap: ridiculed and stigmatized by the media, people who discover they are multiple and attempt to come out of the closet to anyone are certain to be misunderstood and vilified.

In a feat of courage and strength, Rev. Criss breaks down the barriers and declares herselves to the public. Having figured out that her imaginary playmates weren't so imaginary, the 16 year old Crisses begin a 30+ year-long journey of selves-discovery, figuring out who owns their body, how to work together, and how to pull their collective life together — and come out a winner.

Their first book introduces you to some of the major players in their life, taking you through their history and introducing you to 18 of The Crisses. This sets the stage and the backdrop of The Crissing Link series: memoir, manifesto, & more. The Crisses aren't satisfied with just changing their shared life for the better — they want to pioneer a better life for everyone with a mental health issue.

Purpose

The purpose of this series is to help assist people with mental differences, and most especially plurals, multiples, or those who experience being many. The books cover topics from a point of view of empowerment and taking control of one's life, feeling less alone in the world through techniques for improving internal communication, assistance with therapeutic models in an age when therapy sessions are limited in length and duration, and a spiritual challenge to find healing in the middle of all the echoes of pain and trauma.

These books are suitable for people with PTSD, traumatic experiences, childhood abuse issues, depression, anxiety, and other non-multiple mental health issues as well, but all except Poetic License are written primarily with multiple readers in mind.

The Crissing Link series contains

Poetic License (2009) - A poetic journey through the labyrinth of multiplicity.

This is simply an introduction to the series and both an autobiographical overview of our life (thusfar), a who's-who of 18 major players in our internal landscape, and an overview of a philosophy without going into the trenches. Safe for almost all ages, most appropriate for ages 13+.

Poetic License: Available in paperback and Kindle ebook on Amazon

Split Decision (2013-current) - One multiple's tales of falling apart and coming back together.

This is a memoir and will take you into the trenches and take you through the subjective roadbumps and triumphs in my life -- told as stories, and in subjective detail. While perhaps safe for nearly all ages, this one will be triggery. Will update after I'm done.

Multiple Choice New (2013-current, NOW FREE!) - A multiple system's arguments with the concept of integration.

A manifesto, and surveys of psychiatric literature, essays debunking psychology's myths and suppositions on the necessity of integration, exposing the real choice that lays ahead both for the reader if multiple, and for the world of psychology.

Case Histories New (1986-current) - Our past life memories.

Memories we've been having since 1986 and writing down, which read more like fiction or fantasy.

Core Discoveries New (2015-current) - As inside, so outside. (And vice versa.) A multifaceted philosophical journey.

In all honesty, the root of all things important in the universe is Love. When love and sex have become confused from childhood molestation, it can arise to sexual addiction and acting out. These are tales meant to help take you on the journey from sex to soul to Higher Self with us. Sexually explicit.

Are these books of interest to non-multiples?

Poetic License is a simple overview of my life and what goes on in my head. It is suitable for non-multiples of all types, and almost all ages.

United Front (now it's own series) and Multiple Choice are self-help books intended for multiples, and probably mostly suitable for multiples, those who love them, and those who help them through therapy. They may also be of interest to those in the psychology profession, or those doing research on the internal workings of multiples (such as students, authors, screenplay writers, actors looking to play multiples on stage or screen, etc.). All the teachings in United Front can be applied to anarchistic external groups of people, though. So the book could be of use to restoring order amidst chaos and lack of leadership. Multiple Choice could be of interest to persons with health issues who are unhappy with how "the establishment" thinks they should be treated.

Split Decision and Core Discoveries are memoir-style, and suitable for anyone with literary interest in multiplicity. Age recommendations will follow the writing of these books, as I'm uncertain yet where it will go. However, we expect Core Discoveries to be sexually explicit -- anywhere from steamy romance to many-x-rated.

Other Books by The Crisses (Rev. Criss Ittermann)

• The Passionizing™ Planner: Practicing the art of following your heart. - an undated, start-anytime, self-coaching planner. Softcover version and Lay-flat hardcover version. The cover art looks lousy, but it prints fine.
• The Passionizing™ 2018 Dated Planner. A more advanced and gadgety 2018 self-coaching planner. Lay-flat hardcover version. The cover art looks lousy but it prints fine.
• How to Get Your Web Content DONE!: How to write, what to write, and why you’re writing it - ebook on Amazon.com
• SURRENDER™ to Passion: Worried to Wonderful in 28 Days - how to change panic energy and anxiety into heart-centered living. Print & ebook through Amazon.

If you're in the NY area or want a signed copy, then contact us.

Other Self-Help Books for Multiples

Amongst Ourselves by Tracy Alderman & Karen Marshall

Help through the trouble spots...

Amongst Ourselves is a groundbreaking workbook for people diagnosed with (or who believe they have) Dissociative Identity "Disorder" (or Multiple Personality "Disorder"). The book encourages inward exploration that is best done when you're relatively new to multiplicity, working with a therapist, working on rooting through the messier parts of your multiplicity, etc. It's quite different from United Front which is centered around internal relationships and improving communication and collaboration: this book is more for digging through hot-spot issues such as safety, triggers, etc. It does not approach multiplicity from a strongly "you must integrate" angle, but it also doesn't approach the self-help work from the position of respect for your internal parts: everyone is "alters" and it is assumed that they're all a part of "you". Much of the book addresses the 2nd person ("you") although it's not difficult to read it as "you-plural".

However, as of the writing, Karen (the multiple on the project) had not integrated nor considers it strongly as an option for themselves.

When you get this book, you also need a brightly colored journal or a 3-ring binder, and plenty of writing instruments -- you are expected to work through the exercises as you go. It is also a good book for friends, family and loved ones to look at or read; it is full of straightforward discussion of what is needed.

Other Memoirs

Mending the Shattered Mirror by Analie Shepherd

Chilling account of therapist abuse

We haven't read the book — we got bits of the story first-hand from the author when we tabled at Healing Together in Orlando (February 2019). Knowing some of the story, in a time of our life when we're getting more and more angry at psychology as a whole and specific bad therapists and researchers in particular just wouldn't work for us.

But this book talks about the dangers of allowing a therapist to lower the therapeutic boundaries, to encourage reparenting in the therapeutic relationship. What starts out as a casual lunch with a client outside of the therapeutic distance becomes a hand on the shoulder, a hug, a little with their head on the therapists' lap becomes — something scary, frightening, and all-encompassing.

Please read our page on reparenting, protect yourself, and if you need it — read this cautionary tale!

When Rabbit Howls by Truddi Chase

Unbelievably disturbing, but could be helpful...

I recommend this book with great caution & caveats.

I don't think Truddi wrote this book for people who are multiples. This book is very dramatic, immersive, and can cause a great deal of triggered flashbacks for those of us who have suffered several types of child abuse. It was written for the masses, before abuse survivors all over the world were collaborating on the Internet. That said, it reads like a thriller novel, it's a real page-turner, you could lose sleep over it. Victims of abuse will likely find it very disturbing indeed. However, there is actually therapeutic value in that, so if you are a victim read the book in collaboration with a therapist to explore the issues it brings up.

I underlined passages, from a few words to whole paragraphs. In a separate book, I wrote down the things that twigged us the most and we worked through each item as to why -- often drawing or autowriting from residents that are not (or cannot be) co-aware. Scary scary stuff. In fact, we put trigger warnings on the cover of that journal -- going through it is a real Multiple Moment trippy thing because we still don't "get" much of what our youngests and most-damageds have shared in that book -- and are afraid to dig further.

Truddi's book helped me in the way that anthropologists are helped by archaeologists -- the things that twigged us in this book helped us piece together details of our own abuse issues and paint a more complete picture that might resemble what happened to us during the times that we have no memories. Whether that had real value to us on a daily basis is uncertain. Life now has a subtle horror film soundtrack behind it.

However, this is a great read for people interested in multiple personalities who want to get a REAL glimpse into the child molesting devils that walk this earth, and those who don't believe in ritual abuse...the level of sickness this book goes into is unparalleled in the other books I've read.

Clinical Works

Diagnosis & Treatment of Multiple Personality Disorder by Frank W. Putnam

Central work on MPD/DID

This is my clinical bible on being multiple. I don't base my being multiple on it -- it's where I turn to when I want to argue with the field of psychology as a whole. Putnam goes into the anatomy of multiplicity, the roles often adopted by residents, helpful tips for therapy to help with triggers and other issues, he mentions non-human alters, he mentions how integration is not always the answer and even when attempted it doesn't always work.

Putnam now works with children with dissociative disorders and has also written a work on the development of DID in children.

Ok, that all said, there are plenty of things I disagree with given my insights into my own experiences with myself and other multiples -- but this book is very helpful nonetheless. I don't expect that any one book would get "everything right" for such a complicated, unusual, and ill-understood mental landscape. What I do expect is that people who write about it write from either a wealth of experience, clinical understanding, personal experience, or bountiful qualifications that they are merely stating their opinion. Dr. Putnam has a wealth of observational and clinical experience to share, and his own personal experience with people he is helping.

I take each individual statement of Putnam's as a possibility within the wide and deep realm of multiple personality, but I do not apply his individual statements to individual multiples. Individuals and their expressions of multiple personality vary widely. I have my own perceptions and insights and share them here, in my books, and at kinhost.org. Dr. Putnam gives me a book I enjoy arguing with -- and I enjoy quoting. I would venture to say there's no better book for a clinician to familiarize themself with the phenomenon and possible ways to explore it from a clinical standpoint, but I would also tell you that your experience of any one individual with multiple personalities is not easily reflected by ANY one book. Read away, but then be prepared for any individual multiple to go entirely "out of bounds".

Because of this, curious multiples are cautioned to read the book with a pile of salt. You are not every multiple. Putnam knows many multiples, but you are your own entity and write your own rules. Consider Putnam's work to be comforting whenever possible, argue in the margins, ask yourself "Is this true for us?" -- but do not feel left out, excluded, misunderstood or alone when he presents something unfitting or unfamiliar to you.

This article is always in tweak/development mode, but it's more advanced now than the podcast episode on the topic: Panic Reactions: 8 Important F-Words (012) New.

This article is analyzing appropriate reactions to panic-worthy situations (PWS), and will mention how we carry these panic reactions with us outside of the actual situation in itself.

What are Panic Reactions?

Life is full of panic-worthy situations. All living things have defensive measures they take when something adverse happens to them. Plants secrete resins, some animals have defensive poisons, some attack, some freeze, etc. Some plants and animals have defense mechanisms that are always engaged, such as thorns on bramble bushes to protect their berries, or chameleons blending in with the background. Others only react to a panic situation with a defense after the situation begins.

Not every situation elicits the same defense. Various species have developed a "menu" of reactions to choose from. A lion may attack or retreat. Animals may "play dead" when hurt or just as a result of a threat.

We (Crisses) have identified a minimum of 8 panic reactions. These are Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn, Follow, Fortify, Fabricate and Facilitate. The generally recognized ones are Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn, Follow. We have added 3 to the list, and there may well be others. We describe each of them below.

Usually the Fight/Flight and Freeze/Flop reactions are thought to be purely physiological responses where other responses (such as Fortify) are thought to be more complex not-purely-physical reactions. In a reductionist sense, perhaps Fortify is a modified Fight response. There has been some study, for example, of the Fawn response and they set it apart from the purely autonomic responses. One day they may change their mind about it. We think Fawn is a panic response affected by oxytocin. Time will tell what they think of this topic.

How do Panic Reactions happen?

Generally speaking we don't choose our reaction to a panic-worthy situation (PWS). These reactions are programmed into our subconscious and not really part of our frontal cortex. When our body (usually brain) becomes alerted to a PWS, it will engage a special range of chemical and hormonal reactions to them that changes our metabolism and primes our body and brain for certain sets of responses.

For an in-depth discussion of panic states please see the conference session on Better Spoons: Passion & Presence as a Daily Energy Source by The Crisses.

Training and desensitization can help people avoid this innate chemical reaction and maintain more control over their responses during a PWS (see the Facilitate reaction, below). So what is or is not a PWS may vary between individuals. A fire fighter is trained not to panic when there's a raging fire. They may still feel fear, but are still able to maintain choices and control their behavior in response to fire.

Where does anxiety, PTSD & C-PTSD come in?

Living in a state of panic outside of PWS is generally not healthy (it has physical repercussions and erodes healing and immune response), but there are times (PWS) when panic-reactions are fully warranted. Our body is attuned to these situations and panic reactions have saved lives and been recorded in our genome in some way. It has been shown in studies of animals that children will carry specific sensitivities to react to related PWS experienced by ancestors with them for several generations.

People living with PTSD and C-PTSD can carry panic states well past the timeframe of a specific PWS. When we have flashbacks and intrusive thoughts, it puts our body into the a state of readiness for panic reactions even when the situation doesn't warrant it. This state is sympathetic nervous system activation or what we call Panic Cycles.

What does ANS activation feel like in the body?

Subjective experiences of autonomic nervous system (ANS) panic reactions can vary from person to person. Panic reactions are characterized by intense fear or discomfort and can manifest in two main ways: hyperarousal and hypoarousal.

These feelings can vary in intensity. The Subjective Units of Disturbance Scale (SUDS) New page describes a 0-10 rating scale for ANS panic experiences.

Here are some examples of how panic reactions may feel in the body, generally dialed up to a 10:

Intense Hyperarousal (Fight or Flight Response) Examples

Intense fear

A sudden and overwhelming sense of fear or impending doom.

Rapid heartbeat

Heart palpitations or a pounding heart, often accompanied by a racing pulse.

Shortness of breath

Difficulty breathing or feeling as if you can't get enough air.

Sweating

Profuse sweating, often accompanied by clammy hands or a sweaty forehead.

Trembling or shaking

Involuntary shaking or trembling, sometimes affecting the whole body.

Chest pain

A sensation of pressure or tightness in the chest, which can be mistaken for a heart attack.

Dizziness or lightheadedness

Feeling faint, unsteady, or as if you might pass out.

Hyperventilation

Rapid breathing, sometimes leading to tingling or numbness in the hands and feet.

Feeling of choking

A sensation of a lump in the throat or difficulty swallowing.

Restlessness

Inability to stay still, a strong urge to flee or escape the current situation.

Intense Hypoarousal (Freeze or Flop - Shutdown Response) Examples

Numbness or detachment

Feeling emotionally detached or disconnected from one's surroundings.

Derealization or depersonalization

Sensation that the world or oneself is not real or unfamiliar.

Slowed heartbeat

A decrease in heart rate, sometimes feeling like the heart is beating too slowly.

Shallow breathing

Breathing becomes shallow and constricted, as if not enough air is being taken in.

Muscle tension

Muscles may feel tense, tight, or rigid, as if preparing for danger.

Feeling paralyzed

Difficulty moving or feeling as if you are physically stuck in one place.

Mental fog or confusion

Difficulty thinking clearly, making decisions, or processing information.

Emotional numbness

Feeling emotionally blunted, unable to experience or express strong emotions.

Sense of impending doom

A vague, persistent feeling that something terrible is about to happen.

Loss of appetite

A decrease in hunger or lack of interest in food.

It's important to note that these are general descriptions of the most intense subjective experiences — individuals may experience a combination of symptoms, and various levels of intensity from 0 to the worst issues imaginable.

Panic reactions can be distressing. Understanding how panic feels in the body can help individuals recognize and manage their own reactions more effectively. This can also help professionals assess the distress level of their client.

These are the physical panic reactions, and there may be additional issues in the body such as flashbacks — see UNSAFE New for more about how the body may respond when panicked.

What determines which Panic Reaction we choose?

Each (plural system member or singular, animal, tree, vegetable, insect, reptile…) system is wired for some preferred defense mechanisms and panic reactions. The panic reactions are generally autonomic nervous system reactions, to a degree, and aren't selected consciously.

Panic Reactions and Plurality

One interesting thing about plurals is that we can cycle through more panic reactions than most singular folk do, as a general rule. So many plural systems try on various panic reactions to try to "solve" their current PWS. Many plurals have C-PTSD, which means that they go through routine or repeated PWS and get many opportunities to test out how different reactions go over and pick the one they believe results in the least trauma for the situation or relieves the most pain or damage.

Some plural systems have repetitive trauma experiences in several domains, locations, or scenarios, which can lead to a far more diverse system with several layers (polyfragmentation, with subsystems and/or groupings of headmates, potentially created around testing reactions to very different scenarios). The more erratic and varied the situations, the more reactions we may have tested in combination with triggers or situations/state dependent memory situations.

This makes more sense when you consider that plural systems have different brain activation "thumbprints" depending on who is fronting. We suspect that science will discover that plural fronts affect DNA activation as well (as seen in physiological changes between whom is fronting); it follows that different fronts will have different autonomic nervous system reactions to any given PWS, and thus a plural system probably reacts differently to each of a variety of PWS by way of activating (triggering) different system members to front depending on the situation.

It is possible that this inherent ability to access many panic reactions drives our having different identities (rather than the different identities driving our different reactions). It depends on how you view human development, and how foundational survival is to identity formation. Consider that since we have the ability to access these different reactions, it's possible our system has cycled through various reactions to repeated PWS to determine which reaction is most successful to avoid further trauma. When a reaction seems to work (ease suffering, shorten the length of a given PWS, or make that PWS cease to happen altogether), that reaction may be selected to be reinforced and kept "on hand" for future PWS.

Panic Reaction as a developmental lens

So at least for trauma-based plural systems, the Panic Reactions may be closely aligned to different types of residents. When you account for the myriad types of PWS and the 8 panic reaction possibilities, you can generate countless residents if you look at formation through a panic reaction lens. Folk with C-PTSD usually have been traumatized in many ways. For example we were traumatized at home, at our sitter's house, at school…and consider our childhood to have been "No safe refuge" — we had very few safe spaces. The resident who handled emotional abuse situations didn't handle physical abuse issues. Even if the panic reaction was the same, the PWS was different, so we ended up with more than one resident attuned to handle different situations in different ways.

This is a very trauma-forward developmental lens, and thus very limited. But as a temporary and limited lens, it still may help with understanding why stuck alters who are still cycling through their own panic reactions or stuck in specific panic reactions behave the way they do. We use it to help us gain more compassion for stuck folk and rebels, to see how their reaction may have helped or served the system at some point — versus how being stuck in that reaction or applying it to other situations may be unhelpful or dysfunctional in the Here & Now New.

The "8" Panic Reactions

Here are the 8 (9…10…wait! ack) panic reactions we have identified and an explanation of how they appear and what types of residents may be based off of them. The first 5 are recognized by psychology, if you dig into literature: Fight, Flight, Freeze, Tend & Befriend (Fawn & Follow respectively).

Fight

This is the classic "fight back" "fight or flight" panic reaction. It may include standing one's ground, defending boundaries, getting angry, being protective, being aggressive or defense only.

Many classically-labeled "protectors" are "fight" types though if you look at this whole list, you can see how everyone in the system is a protector of sorts.

System members who use the Follow panic reaction may also have a good measure of Fight panic reaction as well, so many system "rebels" may be fighters. This means once they're in the Here & Now, and onboard with system agreements they can be very effective protectors and do a great job of defending system boundaries.

Flight

This is the classic running away panic reaction. It does not have to be physical. It can include an individual system member retreating from a situation, and someone else fronting. It can also be part of a system member fleeing (dissociating from) the situation.

Flight can also be seen in any reaction where there are urges for constant movement such as pacing or driving, or an intense need to get out of a specific place. Some folk have to "keep busy" and use flight energy and busy-work to put off dealing with PWS.

Many of the folk in-system who are ill-equipped for confrontation or defense default to this panic reaction. Often when a protector is triggered front in a PWS, there may be a fronter who fled the situation.

Freeze

This is a panic reaction that includes "playing dead", stopping in one's tracks, going catatonic or fetal position. It may also include partial sensory freeze reactions like mutism, going rigid, numbness, being unemotional or deadpan expressions, unresponsive.

This is sometimes seen in stuck traumaholders. In our case, someone even ended up with a name (Ice) based on the reaction.

Fawn

"Fawn" is a reaction to take care of someone else. It's cited as a mixture of panic and oxytocin, the bonding hormone.

For example someone can play up to an abuser ("If I'm an asset, or a better person, then they'll ignore me." or "They're strong, maybe they will protect me as long as I can stay on their good side."). They become a caretaker for them in an attempt to placate them, win favor, and to be an asset to them so they won't target the headmate. This is also reflected in Stockholm Syndrome.

This also typically comes with taking care of external (or internal) children (the "Tend" of "Tend & Befriend"). Sometimes you double-down on taking care of the kids to buffer or protect them from traumatic impact.

This panic reaction can be a go-to for caretaker headmates.

Follow

A conformity or "gang member" mentality. Leverages "belongingness" to try to buddy up with the abuser.

"If you can't beat them, join them." This is a panic reaction derived from the idea that an abuser will not attack a mirror image of themself, that the abuser's instinct for "self-preservation" might extend to externals that closely resemble them. So the victim tries to be more like the abuser. It's a valid (like they all are) reaction to a dreadful situation. The victim likely doesn't realize that their behavior is likely to become abusive as a result, and on a subconscious level they're still protecting or serving the system. They usually don't recognize their own patterns of creating trauma.

When anxiety goes up, these headmates may double down into undesirable behaviors even when the abuser is no longer in play because they don't realize the abuser is gone (if they're stuck in the There & Then) or because this has become a part of their identity and personal panic reaction instincts. Easing up on creating more anxiety for these headmates (don't call them names, for example) can help them ease up on the undesirable behavior.

Follow is where "internalized abusers" come in. Abuser introjects, persecutors, and various other system "rebels" may come from this panic reaction.

Also commonly seen in tropes where a villain will have a protégé or underling that mimics them.

Fortify

Build a bigger wall -- hard boundaries, could be internal. Could be walled off from the external world. This stands out from the Freeze reaction in that the person still has feelings, is still potentially aware of the Here & Now, they're just rock solid and hardened, or completely separated from the situation. They have impenetrable boundaries.

Headmates with this reaction may appear to be made of stone, robots, etc. Or they can appear in-system in hard walls, locking themselves in. Can be paired with the Facilitate reaction.

Fabricate

The fabricate reaction is taking any unrealistic view of the PWS. This can be redirection of blame (sometimes to oneself), remaining in denial that the situation is what it is, and any other form of lying to oneself about the severity or existence of a situation. "If I don't acknowledge it, it will go away."

This can also include retreating into fantasy worlds, lying to friends or family about the abuse, strong denial of the situation ("It wasn't really that bad." or "It's not the abuser's fault — I deserved it."), etc.

It creates a great deal of conflict internally when the people you rely on are untrustworthy, so sometimes it's easier to just rewrite reality than realize that you're dependent on abusive or neglectful assholes who are doing a lousy job.

Denier headmates, or some hosts will have a great deal of fabricate reaction to a variety of situations such as lost time, or unreliable family. Also many hosts may fall into denial when they get a diagnosis or someone else tells them about their headmates if they have no co-consciousness.

Facilitate

This reaction is "manage the situation" — often accompanied with emotional detachment, an attempt to stay anchored in what is real and not reacting to it emotionally, delegation, analysis of options, risk management, quick thinking, and putting off any processing or emotionality until after the crisis is over.

This is the reaction to a panic-worthy situation that may look the most "put together" during the situation but still can respond later with PTSD to the panic situation anyhow, and over-analysis of what the "right thing to do" was and guilt or other emotional processing issues that can be had by anyone after a panic-worthy situation subsides. folk with this panic reaction may have a very difficult time asking for help, sharing responsibility, delegating, and take on too much "handling stuff" to handle. "If you want it done right, do it yourself" doesn't know how to strike a good balance with interdependence and partnership.

Some folk have "manager" headmates who may be facilitators. Some protectors are really good at the facilitate reaction.

*New* Fitting

When you cave in to external pressure to conform or fit to someone else's expectations. This is the act of editing yourself to match who externals need you to be, or caving in when they foist their image of you on you and pressure you to match it. This creates something like an "extroject" — an internal format, mask, proto-person who may eventually become a headmate in themselves, but was initially formed by external expectations or needs for you& to conform to an external image of who you& ought to be. This is something like Fabricate at first, but the new reality you are creating is your own identity & personality.

Other candidates

Flop or feint

These could be part of Freeze — or probably were lumped in with freeze initially, but now are considered to be a different and involuntary autonomic system reaction. Rather than stiff, in this case one gets floppy, "fall to pieces" and is another form of playing dead. This can also cover certain dissociative reactions, such as dissociative seizures or non-epileptic seizures. This is thought to be an extreme nervous system response when the nervous system gives up because it believes a painful death is coming, and it will go limp, "play dead" and cause extreme dissociation so that it's not as painful.

Funny

Someone who often tries misdirection from panic/pain/trauma by way of trying to make a joke out of everything. "The world is a joke anyway, why are you taking it so seriously?"

Flocking

"If I blend in and don't stand out, I won't be as likely to be targeted." Similar to follow or fitting but they’re a chameleon and mold to traits of people around them to blend in with the herd. So rather than trying to fit peoples expectations (fitting: “tell me who you want me to be”), they subconsciously take on traits, styles and habits etc of those around them to conform and hide in plain sight. Don't stand out; blend in. A form of copycatting. So for example someone with social anxiety issues might not actually have any particular religious faith intrinsic to oneself but act as a devout religious follower & even participate and volunteer in a religious community to "hide in plain sight."

Fuckit

a form of passive-aggressive rationalization and rejection fairly advanced on the pathway to burnout. "If I can't fit in, if I get exhausted trying, if I feel excluded — why not just say 'fuck it' and walk away." Even though it may ultimately hurt, it hurts more to want it and to not get it, so they may as well stop wanting it. This is the grandchild of flight, but contains a lot of rationalized or reactive despondence — a form of giving up and walking away. In many cases of burnout, people quit their job suddenly, often will move or relocate, take up an entirely new profession, etc. Contrast this with the amnesiac version called dissociative fugue which has some similar features.

Panic-Reactions: Making Things Worse

We routinely caution plural systems against creating more PWS in their system by their own behavior, inside and out. When plurals bully, get angry, punish, name-call, abuse others, punish insiders, vilify or condemn people, etc. it may be interpreted as a panic-worthy situation by insiders and rebels, who then act out more.

Any situation that increases system-wide anxiety will increase individual system members' panic reactions. However, there are some behaviors that may resemble past trauma triggers and thus escalate anxiety or panic reactions rapidly to completely dysfunctional levels.

Such chain reactions can erode internal relationships quickly, escalate anxiety, cut internals off from being able to communicate with each other, and wreck system trust.

Hopefully this makes it clearer how even external cursing or name-calling, excluding headmates, jailing headmates, restricting their access to internal and external resources, punishing them, etc. can create bigger problems for your system.

Making things Better - How do you improve situations like this?

Having better in-system boundaries, and helping folk into the Here & Now New is generally recognized as the best solution for these types of issues. Boundaries between headmates, having an internal reparenting center (see Re-parenting) that has the ability to shield system kids and their caretakers from outside influence, restricting rebel access to front while they're non-cocon or emotionally distraught, finding better ways to handle adversity inside & out (you don't need to defend external boundaries in an aggressive or angry way), etc.

Another thing is being more compassionate and grateful for internals; if there were more compassion perhaps the situation would have gone down differently i.e. more understanding others' positions than taking what they're doing personally. Also, timing out folk while they're out of control is very different than punishing, restricting, or jailing them once they're calmed down.

Where to go from here

Once you understand your headmates in terms of the panic reactions that they may be exhibiting, you can build up more compassion and gratitude for stuck headmates (rebels, traumaholders, etc.) and perhaps work more on building up coconsciousness, or helping them get into the Here & Now New.

Introduction

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a genetic disorder that affects the connective tissue in the body, leading to a variety of symptoms such as joint hypermobility, skin elasticity, and tissue fragility. EDS is known to be associated with a range of comorbid conditions, including autonomic dysfunction, chronic pain, and gastrointestinal issues. In recent years, there has been growing awareness of the high prevalence of EDS among individuals with dissociative identity disorder (DID) or who identify as plural, and the impact that this comorbidity can have on their daily lives.

Managing EDS symptoms can be challenging for anyone, but it can be particularly difficult for plurals, so we'll explore the comorbidity of EDS and plurality, and folks can put personal experiences & what works for them as far as ergonomic solutions, accommodations, and assistive technology that can help alleviate the impact of EDS symptoms on daily life. By providing practical solutions, we hope to improve the quality of life for those who are living with these conditions.

(ChatGPT assist for article intro)

Personal Experiences, Modifications & Adaptive Tech - Crisses

Note some of our choices are influenced by other physical issues, and how our hEDS manifests. We also have CIDP (chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy), and cannot tell where one thing ends and the other begins. Our CIDP affects our reflexes, and if it goes into chronic flareups can cause numbness, neurological pain, weakness, loss of balance, loss of ability to stand/walk, and potentially if left untreated may even affect the breathing reflex. We are in remission and have a lot of personal practices around stress and triggers to keep it that way.

Chronic "Growing" Pains

We had bursitis in our knees & hips, was dealing with doctors to check for Marfan's syndrome, and got a diagnosis for a hiatal hernia in 1986. Because of the hernia, they said no more caffeine, and when we stopped the caffeine our pain went from 6-7 down to a very manageable 2-3 most days. We were addicted at the time, and would make mistakes not being sure about what had caffeine, and the pain would tell us.

Can't say whether that was MCAS random sensitivity or if it had any other reason to be associated with joint issues. I'd say investigating what might be causing reactions and trying an elimination diet might be good (doubly so with Crohns).

The other "amazing" thing that helped us with wrist & hand tendonitis issues was B vitamins. We thought it was carpal tunnel, and it was recommended to do 100-600mg B6 a day, and we added a B complex to that whenever we took B6. We started with 100MG and within 2-3 days our wrist & hand pain subsides. Any time we'd get a flare, we managed it ourselves. Our doctors recently poo-pood it (after we were doing this dance for about 25 years) saying "oh, B vitamins reduce inflammation." 👀

So wait — I can choose between other meds & treatments to medicate the issue or reduce inflammation — or just take B vitamins and it goes into (complete!) remission in a couple days, but that is something to ignore and shove aside?

Anyway, no guarantees this would help anyone else. but it makes a HUGE difference for us. We stay off caffeine & take extra B-vits as needed and reduce our symptoms. YMMV.

Sleep Hygiene/Ergonomics

Sleep is a significant “immobile” period of the day, and it may be helpful to take care of ergonomics while asleep. When we had a particularly bad flare in 2021 we improved ergonomics across our whole life.

For sleep we have sleep wrist braces in case we need them. We sleep with our wrists straight since 1994…makes a huge difference for us. The wrist braces for sleep were needed in our 2021 flare where we got particularly bad arthritic pains too.

We got a u-shaped body pillow and now sleep in something of a nest at night. We have found a position that supports our back and pelvis that takes pressure off our shoulder (long time side sleeper, we also ended up with frozen shoulder because our shoulder was dislocating while we were asleep) and off our pelvic joints (SI pains) so we start the day in less pain.

The main point is to keep joints from hyperextending and preventing subluxations/dislocating at night when muscles are more lax.

Low-Impact Core-Building or Full-Body Exercise (gently, when/where possible)

Add to that the benefits of full body gentle low impact exercise. Anything core-building, that doesn't stress joints. Balance board, swimming, flow rope, rowing, etc. We learned the hard way to avoid martial arts that focus on manipulating joints (we took Aikido. Oops! Wrong martial art. We also couldn’t do jumping jacks…and ended up needing surgery due to prolapsed organs. We weren’t diagnosed yet.).

Other low impact stuff is ok too, although be careful about falls (wound healing can be wonky, and who wants to fall anyway?). We like biking, walks, hiking. We can't do jogging or running for much the same reason we can't do jumping jacks. Everyone's body is different, though these issues are known for zebras).

Daily Ergonomic Issues

Our sitting ergonomics are important because we work at a computer much of the day. We use a ball chair the most. That's core-building & posture balance intense choice. Switching from lax posture to active posture is challenging. We have a very large ball so our desktop is at thigh height. We have a foot riser under our desk now (home built), wrist rest, got a new expensive ergonomic mouse (the ContourDesign RollerMouse Pro…very pricy). Monitor height & keyboard height are important. We switched from querty to Dvorak keyboard layout in 2005. No regrets. But we would recommend checking out CharaChord if there's a budget for pricy ergonomic keyboards. We have our eyes on them. Use dictation when possible or needed…we have an Otter.ai account and we use it when we can.

Oh, more ergonomics…we use anti-fatigue puzzle mats in our kitchen. Now we keep them 3 layers deep by the sink and our preferred food prep areas/stove burner…because we are short (5'4) these both help with foot/leg fatigue and give us a little height so there's less arm/shoulder/wrist/hand strain for food prep, washing dishes and cooking. We also always need to wear shoes due to foot joint pain.…we got cork soled sandals for indoors “slippers” (that adds some height too). Makes a big difference especially since we love cooking.

Resources/Research

• Research on mast cells and how they relate to the nervous system

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• Buy SHWAG. Check out our TeePublic shop. You can be decked out loud and proud!
• If you're considering creating online courses, or you need a book proposal to send to traditional publishers, we have Microsoft Word and Scrivener templates to help you out at Fiverr.com. We also have some other services that we offer there.
• Take one of our classes on Udemy.com. If you use our coupon, we get a bigger cut. This is the lowest price you can get out there. We have a Raising Chickens in your Backyard course and our Improve Your English Vocabulary with Over 140 Tricky Words featuring tricks for how to tell words that sound alike apart.

"Marketing"-Based Support

You/y'all can also help support us by lifting our voices on social media when we publish new resources, promote classes, presentations, podcast episodes, or conferences, etc.

Here's where y'all can find & follow us: (:html:) <ul> <li><a href="https://mastodon.social/web/@thecrisses" rel="me" target="_blank">Mastodon</a></li> </ul> (:htmlend:)

• keybase.io -> @crisses - this is also where we do our best to validate all our other identities so y'all can be sure you really have The Crisses.
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Mastodon
• YouTube ->eclectictllc with plural stuff, PmWiki stuff, let's plays, Air Pirates Radio Theater (client work), chicken videos, etc because obviously we don't get how any of this works. The Crisses channel with only plural content here.
• LinkedIn
• Medium
• Dreamwidth
• Quora

We are sharing information like this because we think it's very important to have the information here, share it with your treatment team or trauma work buddies, and consider what tools are available out there that might be useful for your health and healing. Being kept in the dark about potential tools for trauma work is not helping our community, and not helping educate our therapists.

Please approach all trauma work with caution. Please do not retraumatize your system in the search for relief!!

For a screen scribble video on this topic see Magic or Memory Reconsolidation? on YouTube.

Introduction

Memory reconsolidation (MR) is the brain/neurological mechanism behind adding new information to something we've already learned, whether it's a new way to open jars, a new route from the store to our house, or a new expectation from formerly triggering situations.

Amongst all the everyday routine or boring things that memory reconsolidation helps us relearn, it's gaining attention as a potent tool for treating conditions related to traumatic experiences, such as PTSD and dissociative identity disorder (DID). Indeed, because it's the only brain mechanism known to rewire trauma responses, it is likely that memory reconsolidation is behind breakthroughs and successes in resolving trauma responses as seen in EMDR, and other forms of therapy. Which is to say that something like EFT or EMDR are silly mumbo jumbo and hand waving, tapping or eye movements until and unless MR takes place — then they're credited as a miracle.

It's not a miracle. This is how all of our bodies re-learn new additional information on something we've already learned. EMDR or EFT are the tools that were invented to try to encourage MR. MR is something we already do. We need to learn how to encourage MR for trauma responses to get these results more reliably.

Encouraging memory reconsolidation for updating or removing trauma responses involves using the nervous system's underlying methods for learning new information in order to change faulty predictions of threat, pain & discomfort that are no longer desirable. When done appropriately, this method modifies threat-activation neural pathways associated with traumatic memories and their associated triggers, without altering the narrative memories themselves.

We (Crisses) will use our coffee trigger as an example. Our emotionally abusive egg donor drank a pot of coffee every day, and we now have a trigger where our brain-body smells coffee and thinks that our egg donor is around so we become hypervigilant.

Competing Neural Paths vs Reconsolidated Neural Paths

Some forms of therapy and self-work involve creating skills and responses — new neural pathways — that we try to choose and make a habit of using instead of falling back on our trauma responses. So for example:

Let's say we have new self-affirmations and chant them to ourselves whenever negative thoughts about ourselves come up, we repeat these new self-affirmations. The intrusive thoughts are still there, but we successfully compete with them. Eventually the intrusive thoughts aren't around as much, and we don't use the affirmations as often — until one day we make a big mistake and a friend gets angry with us. Now we have these intrusive thoughts all over again, the reaction may be too big to calm down with our affirmations, and we've had a relapse into symptoms.

Now let's say that we work on achieving memory reconsolidation with someone and figure out why we have these thoughts, where the predictions are going, we figure out a mismatch that works (AhA!), and repeat the mismatch vs the original prediction a few times and we achieve MR on this particular topic of intrusive thoughts. A few tests and verifications, and it seems they're totally gone for good. There's no upkeep or practice, no forgetting to do something if there's a trigger situation for this topic. Now when we make a big mistake and our friend gets angry — we don't have that old trauma response. We still might feel sad or sorry, and apologize and try to make it up to them. The big difference is that we're approaching the situation without the old trauma responses, so we can be fully present to right the mistake and deal with our friend, instead of being afraid of something coming back from our past to happen again and overreacting.

With MR there's both no upkeep, no habits to form, and there's no relapse. The trauma response has been resolved.

How Memory Reconsolidation Works

When we experience a traumatic event, our brain creates new state-dependent neural pathways to store and process the memory. These pathways can become highly activated when triggered by external stimuli, leading to intense emotional and physical reactions (Panic Reactions New). Through the process of memory reconsolidation, it is possible to modify these threat-signaling neural pathways and reduce or even eliminate the intensity of our reactions to triggers associated with traumatic memories.

Prerequisite: Neural Path Activation

Our nervous system makes a prediction

Memory reconsolidation works by accessing the neural pathway associated with the traumatic memory, without necessarily bringing up the memory itself. All it takes is for that pathway to be activated in the Here & Now. It's notable that what is really being activated is a prediction of something bad about to happen.

Smelling coffee is enough of a trigger, we don't have to remember any specific memories of our egg donor or things that happened after smelling coffee to trigger our nervous system reaction. Being low-level "activated" is sufficient to engage the neural pathway in question. Our body prediction is "When we smell coffee, it means emotional suffering."

Memory reconsolidation can work spontaneously with talk therapy and traditional memory confrontation techniques (digging around in traumatic memories to try to remember what happened), but there is a benefit to keeping the nervous system activation level low when attempting to deliberately reconsolidate memories. Being highly activated can be retraumatizing, and being in panic mode can interfere with calmness and focus that can be helpful for doing memory reconsolidation on purpose.

Thus the recommendation is to attempt memory reconsolidation with a low level of activation, such as a 1-3 on a 0-10 SUDS scale New. This would be mild activation that is very tolerable, and does not impair the client. The client can self-report, visualize, concentrate, listen and hear instructions, etc. at this level of activation where moderate to high activation can interfere with concentration and focus.

Being more activated can still result in memory reconsolidation — and is done with certain techniques at nearly any activation level.

Checking in how the client feels UNSAFE New when activated with the target learning is important both for discovery work (What will be mismatched in the next step?) and for validation as to whether or not the memory reconsolidation was successful. SUDS & UNSAFE can be paired to check in with a client, track progress, and adjust methods as needed.

Open for Learning: the Mismatch

Something is "different" which causes a prediction error

After the pathway is accessed, a mismatch is presented that (when it lands right) introduces a prediction error to the brain/body and the trauma-activation neural pathway is called into question.

Our nervous system opens up the prediction pathway for updating/editing

The prediction error itself is what convinces the body/brain that it needs to learn new information. There are many ways to do this, depending on the client, the trauma, the sensory information in question. The key is there's often a felt Ah-hah! moment or surprise involved.

Let's make something up. Our imaginary ideal therapist knows we want to work on our coffee trigger, so we both dream up a visualization scene: we get a whiff of coffee (therapist opens the K-Cup) and we think the egg donor might be nearby (activation), but then a chocolate colored puppy shows up, and it smells just like coffee (more K-Cup waving), but it's adorable and cute and wants to be held and is warm and wriggly and sweet and licks us and loves us up. When we do this visualization, our brain is like "Woah, dudes, this doesn't make sense! This puppy is the most safe and adorable wriggle-butt ever there's absolutely no way that this coffee smell predicts danger!" No! the smell of coffee predicts this adorable puppy we're going to name 'Mocha'!

Before a deliberate memory reconsolidation session, there's generally a discovery phase to figure out what will be worked on, and what a good potential mismatch is for the client in particular that might help generate a prediction error. However mismatch moments can happen spontaneously in many forms of therapy, or even outside of the therapeutic session.

To really hone in on what to mismatch, it's necessary to figure out how that person is UNSAFE New and to mismatch those sensations in the nervous system. Check out the full list to understand how to better target MR.

They don't result in memory reconsolidation because there's one last necessary step to get these surprise or Ah hah! moments to rewrite new information into the open neural pathway.

Overwriting the Trauma-Activation Response

We repeat the new learning so that the old prediction is now updated

A surprising mismatch or prediction error is enough to open up the trauma nervous system activation pathway — but there's another step. It's not enough to just do this. We need to repeat the learning. Because the first mismatch opens up the pathway for learning, it's repetition or additional information that will be saved. And from what we're learning the learning experience lasts about 4-5 hours (more-or-less).

So first we open up the learning experience, but we still need to provide new information and emotional experiences that contradict the original emotional experiences. This can be journaling, continuing to repeat the mismatch, talking about the realization with others, re-experiencing the visualization, or otherwise affirming "Yes! This is the new information we need to store about this." Then the neural pathway can be modified, leading to a reduction in the intensity of the emotional and physical reactions triggered by the original stimulus.

So we repeat the visualization several more times and write a little story about Mocha, maybe purchase a stuffy to symbolically represent our experience, and even figure out some way to make our puppy plush smell of coffee, even if just for a day or so.

Benefits of Memory Reconsolidation

Memory reconsolidation can be used as a non-invasive method for treating conditions related to traumatic experiences, such as PTSD and DID. Unlike other methods that may involve invasive forms of therapy, memory reconsolidation can be used to modify trauma activation neural pathways associated with traumatic memories without necessarily requiring the patient to confront the memory itself.

Another benefit of memory reconsolidation is that it can lead to long-lasting changes in trauma responses, leading to a reduction in the intensity of reactions to individual traumatic triggers. By engaging in memory reconsolidation, patients may be able to achieve a greater sense of emotional regulation and reduce their reliance on coping mechanisms that may be maladaptive.

Now in this theoretical scenario we can now walk into Starbucks and hang out with friends and we might even decide we like coffee and wonder what we ever did without it. Seems extremely unlikely from where we are now.

Limitations of Memory Reconsolidation

We don't know what we don't know. Some techniques that likely rely on reconsolidation will talk about "aspects" of a traumatic incident and that some testing is needed to figure out whether the trigger is fully gone or not.

So, say for example it's not just Columbian coffee that's a problem for us. It's also French Roast. If we have trained our brain based on Columbian black coffee but say our sense of smell can tell the difference, so we think this is all over, and we walk into Starbucks, and immediately feel we have to flee — not because the Mocha puppy magic is gone, but because we're not only sensitive to Columbian brew, and our brain says "Ok, that's safe but there's still this other one." There was a separate neural pathway for a different type of coffee. Or say cigarettes + coffee — a favorite egg donor combo. Hopefully you get the idea, there can be other "aspects" to the trauma that may need to be worked on separately.

This is why trauma work can be tricky. Sometimes we'll remove one underlying trauma and a bunch of other triggers vanish. Other times we think we have it, and it turns out that we were missing aspects. So if we look at this as an experiment, it can help figure out what's really working or not.

The obligatory fine print:

Memory reconsolidation is not a panacea and may not work for everyone. Patients who have experienced long-term trauma may have more deeply ingrained neural pathways that are harder to modify through the process of memory reconsolidation. Additionally, memory reconsolidation is a relatively new field, and more research may find ways to make it more reliable and predictable.

Another limitation of memory reconsolidation is that it may be tricky to engage in memory reconsolidation on your own. It's kinda harder to surprise yourself. There are ways to do so, but a trained professional can work with you to ensure that you're on the right track and help keep you from retraumatizing yourself, potentially leading to negative outcomes.

Post-Reconsolidation Processing

When we target trauma triggers (implicit autonomic nervous system memories) for memory reconsolidation, we are not processing the cognitive portion of the memory. Memory reconsolidation, when successful, is resolving the panic portion of the memory. Once this is removed, we still may need to process the grief, sadness, or settle ourselves with the memory of what happened. But it will no longer be a flashback, and we will gain an accurate sense of distance from the initial event(s).

Sometimes a traumatic memory is complicated (i.e. "complex trauma" or C-PTSD) and may contain several layers of trauma as well. Reconsolidating a surface trigger or wrapper around trauma can still reveal there's other layers that still need to be processed. Sometimes we get the whole issue, sometimes we find out it's like an onion (but not like an Ogre).

So we may need to process, or we may need to tackle new trauma targets, even after we have success in memory reconsolidation.

In Summary

Memory reconsolidation is a promising area of neurological research and has been shown to be useful for treating conditions related to traumatic experiences. By modifying the neural pathways associated with traumatic memories, clients may be able to achieve greater emotional regulation and reduce their reliance on maladaptive coping mechanisms. It's a new field, but it is being used successfully in practice as well.

How Memory Reconsolidation Works

1. Our nervous system makes a prediction
2. Something is "different" which causes a prediction error
3. Our nervous system opens up the prediction pathway for updating/editing
4. We repeat the new learning so that the old prediction is now updated

This process is repeatable. When these factors are present, old patterns & predictions can be permanently updated with new information.

Where memory reconsolidation isn't achieved in any given attempt, it may be an opportunity to assess other ways to approach the issue in question.

Credits

Written by Crisses with a big boost from ChatGPT to start it off.

Based on the work of Alun Parry (affiliate link) and on work by Bruce Ecker (see below), Alain Brunet & others. Also this pathway/formula is likely the reason why there are inconsistent but verifiable benefits from a bunch of other therapeutic schools. In theory, if we can more reliably evoke these stages, regardless of which techniques or schools of thought are being utilized, then trauma resolution may be more reliable.

More Info

• Helpful video about the brain as a prediction device, prediction error, and how prediction errors lead to new learning - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXDzo1gyBoQ - this is exactly how memory reconsolidation works.
• Much of this is based on: Ecker, B. (2018). Clinical translation of memory reconsolidation research: Therapeutic methodology for transformational change by erasing implicit emotional learnings driving symptom production. International Journal of Neuropsychotherapy, 6 (1), 1–92. doi: 10.12744/ijnpt.2018.0001-0092

One of our many problems is sleeping enough... Sometimes the problem is that there's just not enough hours in a day for all of us to do what we'd like to do. Sometimes the problem is that someone starts thinking in the middle of the night and can't stop. They're too busy thinking -- maybe more than one of us get thinking together about something, and then we're too awake to go back to sleep...so we just get up, take care of whatever we have to so that we can go back to sleep or wait until we get sleepy again. It's rough. We're pretty happy if we get over 6 hrs of sleep a night. Sometimes it's much less. It's a pretty rare occasion that we sleep 8 hours. -- XES

For us non-sleeping can also be caused by a basic distrust of sleep. For some it feels like dying, that letting go and falling over or in. For others we simply don't know who what or where we will wake up as. For some it is considered unnesscary and/or a drug, as if the planetary conciousness wants to shut us down or put us to sleep. Others simply forget how to get there. And yet at least one other there is no difference tween waking and dreaming. That last state leads straight into the loss of surroundings or overlay experience. -- Phoenix/Paradox

For many of us, we stay awake in a state of "hyper-vigilance", as a part of PTSD, as protection against the trauma we experienced, probably at night. We don't dare sleep. -- Forest

Can also be a way to try to avoid switching / loss of control. Probably an ultimately futile way, but sometimes we've gone into vigilance mode over that too. Or to keep dreams away. (Same diff.) -- MaryAlice/Seachild

All of us have things that we would like to do, and we have plans that we would like to accomplish, at least incrementally. Sleep cuts into our naturally limited wakefulness. When two or three of us have to work every day, the rest of us have time to think and debate but when you get right down to it sometimes you need another pair of hands (though we would actually need four or five pairs of hands, and probably eyes also) to carry out tasks or work on things. If we have to cut the amount of sleep the body gets, so be it. We are also very stubborn that way. --The Doctor, of Shards

Insomnia is a common problem for multiples and the reasons may be many --given the circumstances it may be more a curiosity when a multiple conistantly attains normal types and amounts of sleep.

Causes

Causes for insomnia in multiples vary, and here are some notable ones:

Control Issues

Sleep means losing control of oneself -- and someone else may take over. Some multiples have distrust of themselves and their others. If medication is a consideration it is very likely that melatonin is going to be insufficicent -- it doesn't incapacitate the body and the sleep it produces is mainly normal.

Internal Conversations

When the body is less busy, there is more time to review the day or upcoming plans. When frontmost thoughts are quiet, those persons normally in the recesses of the mind may finally be able to make their thoughts known. The internal chatter is disruptive. Meditation and clearing the mind or giving time for a stream-of-consciousness journal may help with this type of insomnia. Also purposely using these times while trying to fall asleep to hold internal meetings may be helpful.

Chemical Imbalances

Melatonin is produced by the body when in dim light and it aids in going to sleep. Try dimming lights to help produce more melatonin naturally.

PTSD - Fear & Anxiety

When something traumatic happens it can result in triggers and sleep, darkness, times of the day, etc. can become triggers. If trauma happened at night it can result in an inability to sleep at night, etc. This may be a serious problem warranting self work at least or possibly external help. Other items listed on this page may help as well.

Busy Mind

If things are left unfinished or you need to make plans for upcoming events, etc. your mind may be too busy to sleep. Try the making lists suggestion below.

Resentment of Sleep

If there are so many people in your system with so much to do, maybe there is resentment towards sleep or the necessity for sleep stealing time from the group. My best suggestion for this problem is better time management skills. Sleep is a necessity and if time is handled more efficiently, the time necessary for sleep can be agreed on as a group, and waking hours can be spent in as balanced and fair a manner as possible.

Repressed Persons Acting Out

In some multiple systems there are persons who -- for whatever reason -- do not come front during the day or are not allowed to come front during the day. Whether they repress themselves or are repressed by the system doesn't matter so much as the fact that they are not given time and the ability to express themselves but they still have a general need to express themselves in some way.

Different Sleep Schedules

If people in your system are waking up at different times of the day, they may also be going to sleep at different times of the night. It's time for an internal meeting and starting to delegate some bedtime tasks to internals. Start waking others up at the time you need to get up, and putting children to bed when it's time to go to sleep. Internal landscapes can be helpful, or just have nurturers read bedtime stories to your littles and tuck them in at night. Remember, it's an internal family in there. You may have to enforce (gently) an internal family bedtime.

Sleep-Aid

In addition to the suggestions above, a multiple may seek additional methods for helping them get sufficient sleep. Note that none of this should be considered medical advice and that you should always seek out information for any conditions you experience that are affecting your health and sanity. Think independently, research your choices, etc. This information is here as a list of items to consider, research, and to consult with the appropriate and knowledgeable authorities with.

Allowing New Sleep

Reframe how you go to sleep. It's a skill of sorts to get out of your own way so that sleep can happen. That said, sleep is an "allow" not a "try". You can't try to sleep. Sleep requires much less effort, it's more like floating in a pool — you can't try, you have to allow. Lean into it.

Assess and Gradually Eliminate Stimulants

If you have problems sleeping consider your overall health and the presence of chemicals you introduce to your system. Smoking and caffiene are stimulants, for example. You should consider cutting down or eliminating them by choosing a wise method of gradual detox and appropriate nutritional supplements to support the body through withdrawal phases.

Meditation

Clearing the mind of thoughts. Grounding. With racing thoughts and not even being grounded in one's body -- how can one sleep? Even slowing down, dimming the lights, breathing slowly and deeply, listening to a meditation tape, etc. can help prepare the mind and body for sleep. It is unreasonable to expect to go from racing around all day to laying still and shutting down for a while.

Journeying

Have an out-of-body experience -- I know that multiples spend a lot of time out-of-body already but maybe it helps to ground later if there is appropriate contrast and the need to be out of body is filled on purpose rather than people having to yank the body-mind around during waking hours? I (Crisses) often fall asleep while out of body -- or maybe only my body falls asleep -- but really THAT is the point right?

Journaling

If people have something to say let them say it -- take the time out for stream-of-consciousness journaling and let them think on paper. Plan a half-hour to hour of journaling before bedtime.

Bedtime Rituals

Take a bath, let worries drain with the water, reduce busy-ness, plan out things to do, make a checklist and make a habit of following it -- once a pattern is established, the pattern itself may become associated with sleep.

Ban Thinking

You can't think yourself to sleep. You can daydream yourself to sleep. It's not a time for plotting, planning, strategizing, logic-ing or thinking. It's not a time for realistic daydreams or thinking about tomorrow. It's a time to say I wonder what it would be like to be a bee that looks like a cat except big wings and pollinates catnip flowers...and visualize it. So work on this as a habit. Ban thinking once you're in bed. Allow "daydreaming", visualizing snuggling with each other in your headspace, or curl up with one of your spirit guides (like our black panther who is warm and fuzzy), close your eyes and go into your imagination. No plotting, no planning, no thinking… and if you forgot something, see the next tip (we keep pen and paper by the bed, jot a note, roll over go back to dreaming-ness).

The Notepad

So many people, so little time! Ideas keep us up and wake us up. Sleeping with pen and notebook is vital for us. Don't research, don't think, don't try to remember while sleeping. Write a note on what needs research, what needs thought or the thing you forgot to do on the pad and check it in the morning. We can jot down reminders and people can sleep better knowing that we have a list of items to look into in the morning. This works for days before a vacation for example, when we lay down and get anxious about items we forgot to pack — we can write them down and pack them in the morning. I find this especially important when there is an important upcoming event, like a trip or if I am giving a class.

Internal Meetings

Laying in the dark and trying to go to sleep can be a good time to meet and greet, air problems, work out solutions and changes, etc. but only if you find these things calming, and need to unpack the day before you can sleep.

Darkness

The body produces sleep-enhancing and inducing chemicals when it is dark. Dim the lights before bedtime, meditate in the dark, make sure the bedroom is dark when you sleep, etc. as long as there is no one afraid of the dark in your system.

::In the case where folks in system are afraid of the dark, dimming the lights may still be possible, with the assistance of night lights both external to the system if y'all can tolerate that, or by having in-system night lights. As with all internal landscape tweaks, the night lights can fit the inner world modalities, such as fireflies, faeries, conventional night lights, etc.

Exercise

A healthy body really does help produce a healthier mind -- the body is more likely to produce the proper sleep-enhancing chemicals after a workout. Plan for 1/2 hr cooldown after exercise and at least another half hour to wind down before you expect to sleep.

Progressive Relaxation

This is a field-tested (literally) method of falling asleep reliably. The issue is that some folk do not do well with getting more in touch with their body. If you do this method, note that you don't have to be fully IN your body to allow your body to release tension. If you have a hard time with this method, perhaps consider visualizing being in your inner world in a cuddle pile with your best protectors, or if you don't have an inner world, picture your protectors surrounding you and that you are safe. Medium article (content notification: it's a military-based method, so there's mention of military situations & terminology)

EFT

If you have triggers associated with time of day, or bedtime rituals, or being asleep, etc. then it's time to work on trigger deprogramming. EFT (the free & at-home method), EMDR (the licensed-therapist method), or ART (accelerated resolution therapy), etc. can be helpful for trigger deprogramming related to going to bed or nighttimes.

Melatonin

In a crunch I found that a single tiny dose of melatonin helped me sleep for a week -- like my body is so wired all the time it forgot how to make the right sleep chemicals. Melatonin is one of the chemicals our bodies are supposed to make when it is dark that helps us sleep -- it is now available as an over-the-counter supplement in the vitamin section of many stores. Read up on dosages, medication interactions and side effects before trying any supplements.

Valerian Root

This is the root of a plant, usually taken in the form of pills of the powder or in tincture form -- it tends to smell bad although cats may like it. It induces unnatural groggyness and cant be used if you need to be vigilant or able to wake up easily (ie not a wise choice for parents). Some multiples find it stimulating rather than sleep-inducing. Approach with caution and research for appropriate dosages, side effects, medication interactions, etc. I have done valerian on a rare basis but did not like waking up feeling messed up, and the difficulty waking in the middle of the night, so I stopped. I also tried valerian to help with sleeping through bad headaches but it didn't help there.

Medications

One might wish to consider medicating the problem. Sleep deprivation is serious and if self-help, natural & folk remedies or over-the-counter meds will not work, it may be wise to seek professional help to determine if prescription cures are warranted.

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Verenigd front boot camp blog

December 30, 2023

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Op zoek naar een goede introductie voor het Verenigd Front Bootcamp? Dan is de aflevering “Introduction to United Front (episode 005)” van de “Many Minds on the Issue podcast” podcast zeker een aanrader.

Meer weten over Verenigd Front als geheel en een stroomschema (met links) met waar deze cursus past in ons gehele aanbod van Verenigd Front.

Dit zijn de Verenigd Front Bootcamp stappen. Lees vooral de beschrijving van het Verenigd Front Bootcamp. New

Let op: de links verwijzen naar engelse artikelen, deze worden zo snel mogelijk vertaald

1. Kunnen we niet allemaal gewoon samen werken? - Als je hoofd een huis was, hoe zou je elkaar dan behandelen?
2. Aannemen, ontslaan en voor jezelf opkomen - in deze tijd ben je zelf je beste casemanager, of dat zou je moeten zijn
3. Is dit therapie? (nee dat is het niet!) - dit een zelf-hulp hulpmiddel die je kan gebruiken met anderen of alleen
4. Veeg alsjeblieft je voeten voor je binnenkomt - herformuleren naar een geen slachtoffer, geen-schuld mentaliteit. Iedereen is welkom!
   • oefening: opnieuw beginnen - van onze gedeelde verblijfplaats (ons hoofd) een fijnere plek om te leven maken
5. Een verantwoordelijke huisgenoot zijn - een verantwoordelijk alter zijn in een niet goed functionerend systeem
6. Bedankt voor het doen van de vaat! - dankbaarheid is enorm krachtig, we nemen de tijd om dankbaar te zijn voor onze metgezellen
7. De badkamer is in de hal de eerste deur links - systeemmap, ontwikkelingen en meer. inclusief oefening
8. Kom terug naar binnen - aantekeningen over de kunst naar binnen te kijken als je front
9. Het probleem met uitersten - omgaan met perfectionisme, uitstelgedrag, en het gebruik van uitersten om onszelf tegen of terug te houden
10. Ga zitten, we moeten praten…. - het idee rond het hebben van interne samenkomsten en vergaderingen, en het gebruik van een aanwezigheidslijst
    • oefening: vergadering - hou je eerste officiABle vergadering, niks groots, het is alleen maar zodat je het een keer gedaan hebt.
    • oefening: contract ondertekenen - volgende vergadering: het maken van een overeenkomst van deelname aan deze cursus
11. Doe altijd de deur op slot als je weggaat - huisregels - het systeem beschermen aan de binnen- en buitenkant
12. Messen met de punt naar beneden in de vaatwasser - huisregels - persoonlijke en interpersoonlijke veiligheidsrisico’s
13. Dat is MIJN shampoo! - huisregels - interne grenzen en respect
14. Hey, er komt iemand langs… - huisregels - de vele verschillende soorten relaties moeten gerespecteerd worden
15. Ijsjes zijn géén recht, ze zijn een privilege - het begrijpen van de behoeften van de "slechteriken" volgens degenen die jonger zijn
16. Het is oké om feest te vieren! - tijd voor een pauze en reflectie
    • Wat denk je van wat vermaak? - Wat doen jullie om jezelf bezig te houden?
17. Kunnen we erover praten? - een paar specifieke opmerkingen rondom innerlijke communicatie en een paar suggesties
18. Je kan me niet dwingen! - het aanmoedigen van anderen om zich te houden aan groeps overeenkomsten
19. Wie heeft mijn geld gestolen? - Hoe om te gaan met overtredingen van de groepsovereenkomst
20. Niet in mijn dagboek lezen! Deel l - meer tips voor het opbouwen van vertrouwen in het systeem
21. Niet in mijn dagboek lezen! Deel ll - voorzorgsmaatregelen voor het opgraven van vergeten herinneringen
22. Maak het je gemakkelijk! Deel l - de basisprincipes rondom de innerlijke wereld
23. Je ziet er echt goed uit vandaag! - de innerlijke wereld en signalen die de communicatie gemakkelijker en beter maken
24. Maak het je gemakkelijk! Deel ll - van een simpele innerlijke wereld naar een gedetailleerde wereld of door een grote innerlijke wereld
25. Het verdelen van de taken - hoe we de taken die we als een systeem hebben en definiëren
26. Je zorgt er altijd voor dat ik te laat ben! - Een paar ideeën rondom het managen van tijd en het bijhouden ervan.
27. Waar ben ik, en hoe laat is het? - over het “verlies van tijd” - wat is het echt?
28. Duw me niet weg - “Het front stelen”. Toch niet de misdaad van de eeuw…
29. We zijn zo blij dat je er bent! - het helpen van gasten die vastzitten terwijl ze mede bewust zijn
30. Is dit een thuis of een gevangenis? - Over het delen van bewustzijn / het front VS het stelen van bewustzijn / het front
31. Vergaderingen, Deel 2 - agendapunten voor een vergadering - een overzicht van bootcamp artikelen
32. Ik heb een cadeautje voor je - Is het wel de moeite waard als je het resultaat niet deelt?
33. Het vuilnis buiten zetten - Meer over “als aan de binnenkant, zo ook aan de buitenkant (en andersom)”
    • Laten we de rommel opruimen - opruimen is zowel een helend als individueel ritueel
    • De stukjes in elkaar zetten - hoe je symbolen gebruikt om interne connecties te maken
34. Prikkeldraad of een simpel wit hekje? - verschillende levels van grenzen en wat ze betekenen
35. Mijn familie komt op bezoek… - Jezelf toestemming geven om een gezondere zelfgekozen familie te hebben
36. De verbouwing - Heb je een innerlijke wereld? Overweeg een nieuwe filosofie om het beter aan te laten sluiten aan wat jullie willen en nodig hebben.
37. De verbouwing: intercom of holodeck? - Of je nou voor subtiel of heel duidelijk wilt, communicatieve grenzen kunnen voor een heleboel problemen zorgen. Hier zijn een aantal tips om innerlijke communicatie te verbeteren
38. Vergaderingen, Deel 3 New - Tips voor het runnen van bijeenkomsten

Let op: de links verwijzen naar engelse artikelen, deze worden zo snel mogelijk vertaald

**NIEUW!** Bekijk deze aflevering van de “Many Minds on the Issue podcast” podcast: “Introduction to United Front (episode 005)”

Welkom bij Verenigd Front Bootcamp: een positieve, proactieve zelfhulp programma voor meervoudige, plurals en systemen.

Let op: De doelgroep voor deze zelfhulp serie is voor trauma genetische of DIS-gediagnosticeerden (of zelf-gediagnosticeerden) systemen. Anderen kunnen dit ook behulpzaam en interessant vinden, maar onthou wel dat dit gestart is in 2011 met systemen als doelgroep.

Ga door naar de Stappen voor de losstaande artikelen New

Stel je voor dat je:

• Jaren kan besparen met je helingsprocess
• dit met of zonder een therapeut of een professioneel team kan doen
• meer bijdragen krijgt van andere alters
• kan stoppen met technieken die jullie je meest pijnlijke ervaringen laten herleven
• zelfvertrouwen, vertrouwen en zelfs liefde voor elkaar kan ontwikkelen
• en het beste van alles, actief kan besluiten wat je vanaf hier wilt doen

Stel je een wereld voor waar het niet echt uitmaakt of je een systeem bent of niet. Je hebt mensen in je hoofd, en ze gaan allemaal goed met elkaar om. Ondanks jullie verschillende ideeën, vaardigheden en interesses, delen jullie een doel en visie voor jullie gedeelde fysieke leven. Jullie gaan ieder zelf die droom na op jullie eigen manier, met je eigen stijl, en je eigen unieke perspectief en gaven, maar toch gaan jullie allemaal in dezelfde richting.

Dat is waar wij zijn. Wij zijn de Crisses, en het heeft ons ongeveer 20 jaar van ons gedeelde leven gekost (vanaf juni 2011) om tot dat punt te komen. We willen niet dat het net zo lang voor jou en de rest van je systeem duurt, dus willen we onze ervaringen en zelfhulp technieken met jullie delen. We willen dat gezond meervoudig zijn binnen handbereik is, en fusie een echte keus is- dan dat het standaard bij noodzaak is omdat alternatieve oplossingen buiten bereik lijken.

Je kan een gevoel van innerlijke gemeenschap creëren, en liefhebben en koesteren- en voor de wat ruigere types een plek waar ze welkom zijn en geaccepteerd worden. Zelf als ze vol blijven houden dat niks ze raakt en ze het allemaal wel best vinden.

Dit programma is voor jullie als:

• het met jullie het grootste deel van de tijd wel oké gaat, maar jullie weten dat jullie het beter moeten doen
• jullie in ieder geval één systeem lid hebben die ervan overtuigd is dat er verandering moet komen
• jullie beter overweg willen kunnen met elkaar, en samen willen werken op een positieve manier aan doelen die jullie met elkaar delen
• jullie ernaar uit zien om de rest van jullie leven met elkaar te delen
• jullie gemotiveerd zijn om het werk dat nodig is te doen en jullie wilskracht willen vergroten door dingen af te krijgen, zelfs op dagen dat je er geen zin in hebt
• jullie om wat voor reden dan ook niet in staat zijn om een therapeut te zien, maar jullie toch wat hulp en sturing willen
• jullie therapie op hadden gegeven omdat het te duur was, of jullie niet het idee hadden dat jullie vooruitgang boekten
• jullie een therapeut hebben die niet gespecialiseerd is in DIS/ Plural (het werkt als een ondersteunend programma voor therapie)
• jullie/je een therapeut bent die op zoek is naar alternatieven en informatie die gespecialiseerd is, maar ook vrolijk, positief en proactief in het werk met een systeem/ plural.

We hebben ideeën - maar jullie zijn degenen die dit moeten doen. We geven jullie de middelen, en jullie moeten toegewijd zijn om dit proces te volgen.*

Soms is het moeilijk te weten waar je moet beginnen, daarom zijn er bootcamp stappen. Voel je vrij om een berichtje achter te laten of ons een mailtje te sturen met vragen.

Start de gratis bootcamp! (Eerste artikel: Kunnen we niet allemaal gewoon samenwerken)
(Als je ons wilt helpen met het uitbreiden van de bootcamp en ons andere werk, en wat speciale previews en bonussen wilt, bekijk see our Patreon campagin)dan onze Patreon campagne.]])

(Lijst can Bootcamp stappen met beschrijvingen)

Niet geďnteresseerd? Wil je wat anders? Weet je niet zo goed waarom je er bent? Waarom lees je dan niet het Manifest?

Zijn jullie/ ben jij actief in het psychologie veld op welke manier dan ook? Lees dan alsjeblieft “Een speciale opmerking voor therapeuten”..

Coaching opmerking: Als je verantwoordelijk gehouden wilt worden tijdens dit process, er met anderen eraan wilt werken, of niet verantwoordelijk gehouden wordt door een vriend, partner of therapeut,dan ben je misschien geďnteresseerd in groeps-coaching of life-coaching met de Crisses (Criss Itterman) ((link is naar onze coaching website) waar het gebruik van Verenigd Front centraal staat. We bieden regelmatig gratis of bijna-gratis groepssessies aan, en ook een 30-minuten durende voorbeeld sessie zonder verkooppraatje of verplichtingen om door te gaan.

Opmerking: Het merendeel van deze blog was geschreven in juni 2011 als een 30-daagse schrijf challenge (NaBloPoMo) om te helpen met de bekendmaking van het “Verenigd front” zelfhulpboek (Engels), met een paar toevoegingen en aanpassingen in de loop van tijd. ''Verenigd Front is nu een 3-delige bundel die je hier kan vinden en kopen zolang er nog aan de boeken gewerkt wordt.