Comment by Yvonne on 07 Nov 2011 at 6:52 pm

What did you do when your children snapped or screamed at you did you switch? What would cause you to switch? You are cool and inspiring. Thanks.

Dear Yvonne,

Switching would come when my alters or I felt threatened. Switching to another self was my way of coping. I rarely needed to switch with my children because I was their Mom, but when they were little, sometimes the younger alters would come out to play with them. As their Mom it was my job to keep them safe and protect them from harm. I admit, there were times when my children would stress me out and when they did, I would try to excuse myself, if possible, and walk away. It was best for me not to engage in moments where there would be an increase in chaos.

Like all children, my children would argue at times and I would do my best to ignore them. Most of the time their arguments did not cause a switch in me. And most of the time my children worked out their differences quickly. I would often switch if anyone snapped or screamed at me, but not usually with my children. During these moments I was unable to comprehend or function as my best self. In other words I felt as if someone pressed a pause button. Switching to another self was a coping mechanism to protect myself from the harm of others. It was the way I survived.

Thank you for your cool and inspiring compliment!

Karen