Comment by Shannon on 09 April 2009 at 9:46 pm

Hi Karen,

Can’t find your book at the bookstore. I borrowed a friends. I like you and your answers. I have a question for you. Would you say being a multiple compares to the black outs alcoholics suffer? I am a alcoholic and attend AA. My last drink was eight months ago but when I drank I felt like someone else and didn’t remember anything the next day. Are you an alcoholic first or a multiple first, do multiples become alcoholics from being abused? Do you drink? Did your alters drink?

Thank you very much, Shannon

Dear Shannon,

I’m glad to hear that you found a copy of Switching Time to read. And thank you for sharing that you like me and my answers. I really appreciate your kind words.

Regarding comparing switching time, or losing time, to an alcoholic’s blackouts, there’s no comparison I can make. I’m not an alcoholic and always tried my best to stay away from alcohol.  I was afraid alcohol would effect my system and cause alter chaos. Once, after having a glass of wine, I switched to a child alter that passed out. I’m not sure how and why one glass took such a drastic toll on me, but that caused me to stay away from drinking. Multiplicity continues to be a mystery to me.

I can understand why you’d like to know if  a multiple’s lost time is similar. I think they’re caused by different mechanisms.  For a multiple, switching is disassociation.   For an alcoholic, I think the alcohol toxicity prevents the creation of memories.  For me, by the end of the day, my alters would somehow inform me of the important happenings of the day.

I am glad to hear that you are attending AA and haven’t had a drink in eight months! Congratulations! I wish you continued success. I can’t answer any questions regarding whether multiples become alcoholics or vice versa. I rarely drink alcohol.

I needed to be fully aware, through my alters, in order to survive. Alcohol, in my opinion, is a depressant that would’ve added stress and suicidal thoughts to my already fragile system.

It is my hope that my answer has brought you a bit more understanding and was helpful.

Karen