Permission Slips as Experiments

Living with DID or the effects of complex trauma often means pushing yourself harder than feels sustainable. But what if healing didn’t require more pressure — what if it started with permission? In this post, we’ll explore how using “permission slips” as experiments can support recovery, reduce shame, and help parts of your system feel safer trying new ways of being.

What if healing isn’t about pushing harder, but about giving yourself permission?

Permission to rest. Permission to say no. Permission to not always be productive.

But here’s the part many people miss: permissions don’t have to be permanent. They’re not lifelong contracts. Each permission slip is an experiment.

Think of it this way: at the start of the day, you can ask yourself, “What do I need permission for today?”

Maybe it’s permission to take a break without guilt. Or permission to speak up in a meeting. Or permission to leave a conversation that feels unsafe. Tomorrow, the answer might be different. By evening, it might be different again.

That’s the beauty of it: permission slips are flexible. They’re tools, not threats. You can try one, see how it feels, and if it doesn’t work for you, set it aside. Nothing is lost.

And here’s why that matters: inside, some parts may still believe it isn’t safe to rest, or to say no, or to take up space. If you present permissions as experiments—“Let’s try this just for today”—it lowers the stakes. It makes change feel possible.

Healing often starts here. Not with a massive leap, but with small, daily permissions—one experiment at a time.

Because sometimes the missing step between survival and healing is simply saying: “Today, I give myself permission.”