Unfortunately, we as human beings have been taught to believe that our minds are unitary. Our culture has led us to believe that any derivation from a solitary mind is called mental illness. It is quite possible that a lot of people have been wrongly diagnosed with multiple personality disorder (also called dissociative identity disorder). What many of those individuals really need is to have someone spend some time with them and talk about their minds’ Parts.
We all have Parts. There are Parts that get angry and Parts that defend us when we are wronged. There are Parts who feel sadness or shame. This is normal, and in someone who has suffered through a trauma, their Parts have been given a big job – to protect the Self.
What are the Parts?
People who have not lived through a traumatic event might not realize they have Parts at all. Or if they do, they may only be vaguely aware of them. But for someone who is a trauma victim, their Parts are often quite pronounced and easy to recognize and even name.
For a trauma victim, the Parts are responsible for managing various situations and emotions. For example, let’s say a person lived through a subway accident. It was very traumatizing, and that individual now not only lives in fear of subways, but they have started having flashbacks of the accident even when they see pictures of them. That Fear Part inside of them is working to protect them. It is trying to be helpful, even though the outcome is damaging.
Our Parts are essential for our well-being. The key is learning how to understand them, sympathize with them and convince them to work together.
Making Peace Within the Parts
Imagine entering a room filled with all different types of people. It makes sense for you to relate to the ones you feel you have the most in common with. If you were to decide to try to lead this group, you would have to learn more about them. Here is what you might find:
Getting these people to work together will mean appreciating each one of them for who they are. And the same is true for our Parts. Acceptance breeds harmony and understanding the Parts can go a long way toward healing trauma. The goal is not to change the Parts, but to learn more about them, sympathize with them and understand them.
Our Parts behave the way they do to protect us, but there is always something hidden underneath that. Learning what that something is can bring tremendous insight, which we will talk about more in the next post.
Have you lived through a traumatic event? The right trauma therapy can help you, and learning about your Parts can be life-changing. If this is something you would like to explore, I can help you. Please contact me today to make an appointment.
