What is Rapid Switching?
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Shadows Offline
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#1
What is Rapid Switching?
I'm not sure I understand this all the way. I feel like maybe we are doing this sometimes? But everything I look up has to do with bipolar, not DID.

We switch out like a roladex spinning sometimes. Other times, one of us gets stuck in the front for days on end.
03-25-2017, 01:36 AM
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Cammy Offline
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#2
RE: What is Rapid Switching?
While rapid cycling is in reference to bipolar disorder, many of us with D.I.D. can experience rapid switching. It simply means quickly switching from one personality to another. I have experienced this from time to time, and it often is in relation to severe triggers like an emotionally charged situation. I once rapid switched through four personalities in my therapist's office within a matter of a few seconds between each switch. At the end of this, I looked up at her and in amazement asked, "What the heck just happened to me?" She explained that I had skipped through multiple personalities in less than 30 seconds. At the time I was emotionally very upset, and it was almost as if I was trying to find a personality that wasn't feeling the negative emotions. I do not know if this term is used in the professional literature, but it does accurately describe the phenomenon. I also recall that this occurred during those first few tentative years when I was newly diagnosed, and still had a poor understanding of my internal world or a clear feel for my alternate personalities. As you are newly diagnosed, it is possible that you may be experiencing what I did at first. For me, this settled down as time went by and I became more familiar with myself. Hopefully this will be the same for you.
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03-25-2017, 02:18 PM
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The People Offline
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#3
RE: What is Rapid Switching?
I don't do it as much anymore. But it used to happen early on when we we coming forward.
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03-26-2017, 12:17 AM
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nats Offline
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#4
RE: What is Rapid Switching?
exactly as explained by others, different people take over and retreat in rapid succession. normally happens when we're upset or triggered.
Blush Learn how to manage conflict, because the greater the level you can tolerate, the more freedom you will retain - E. Walsh Smile
03-27-2017, 08:19 AM
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FreyasSpirit Offline
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#5
RE: What is Rapid Switching?
This is one of the best articles we have seen on this:
https://sarahkreece.com/2012/10/20/multiplicity-switching-and-relationships/

For us, involuntary rapid switching is a sign that we have let our stress levels get too high and almost always means that we made many self care mistakes to get to there (ie. continuing to see a therapist we should have left, not taking a day off work, trying to do too much outside of work) over at least a week. It's a very forceful signal which tells us to self care more strongly when we have ignored the subtler signals our system is sending to us.
03-27-2017, 03:23 PM
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Shadows Offline
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#6
RE: What is Rapid Switching?
Thank you, everyone. I read that article and it seems like it fits us well in some ways. In other ways I think sometimes we switch and only part of us know.

That's maybe the hardest part - I don't think we are all aware of all of us, and so we end up making decisions based on partial information.
03-28-2017, 12:32 PM
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nats Offline
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#7
RE: What is Rapid Switching?
hi Shadows, we probably all make decisions based on partial information - even non-multiples do this all the time! in our years of dealing with multiplicity and 'healing' and looking at how other non-multiples tend to deal with things, we'd say that our big advantage is at least we are aware that there is a lot we don't know while so many people seem to assume they have the full picture when they don't.

go easy on yourselves. if you're rapid switching there is always a reason. if you keep trying to learn, you'll learn a lot more than those who never try!
Blush Learn how to manage conflict, because the greater the level you can tolerate, the more freedom you will retain - E. Walsh Smile
03-29-2017, 05:22 AM
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