One Practice That Can Jumpstart Your Healing Journey

(Summary) Unblending is one of the most powerful steps in DID and OSDD healing. In this video, you’ll see how naming experiences as belonging to “a part of me” (rather than the whole self) helps uncover system members you didn’t realize were there. This shift makes it possible to address the true source of emotions, urges, or sensations and reduces the confusion of taking on every experience as your own. Awareness of parts is the first step toward meaningful integration.

Unblending can set the stage for healing. How? Well, first of all, it can help you become aware of system members you were unaware of. You may recall from my Unblending video (linked above) that it is common for everyday life parts to report feelings, sensations, urges, or thoughts that aren’t even theirs. For instance, they might say, “I’m feeling very scared and I don’t know why. I’m not in any danger right now.” This is a sign of blending. If you and I were in a session together, I would invite you to re-state that as “A part of me is feeling very scared right now.” You see, it makes sense that you often experience what other parts are experiencing: after all, you all share the same body. And it is logical to then assume those are your emotions, for example. But here’s the important thing: you can’t successfully work on healing something if you aren’t addressing the source of it. If you are limping around because you keep stubbing your toe and the doctor suggests a wrist brace might help or recommends a hearing aid, that’s not going to help you to heal your toe and avoid further injuring it. The same is true with being blended. If you accept every thought or feeling as “yours” even when it isn’t, you can’t begin to address the root cause—especially if you aren’t aware of the root cause!

Dr. Janina Fisher, a renowned expert in treating OSDD and DID, encourages her clients to consider all negative or unpleasant experiences as communications from other parts. This could be a stomach ache that has no explanation, an insistent thought that it’s not safe and you need to leave, the urge to hide, or feeling sad or scared or depressed for an unknown reason. If this experience isn’t originating with you, then it has to be originating elsewhere. And now you are on the path to discovering the actual origin of the issue. Now you are becoming aware of more parts of your system and their needs and fears. And if you watched my video on a different kind of integration, you’ll know that becoming aware of your parts is a key to integration.

Next week, I’m going to give you the second step in unblending. Please practice step 1 this week. That’s your homework. Whenever you become aware of a thought or feeling or experience that is negative or unpleasant, notice it and say to yourself, “A part of me is feeling very scared right now” or “A part of me wants to find a place to hide right now.” That’s it. Just practice this until next week. I would love for you to leave a comment if you are able to do this. Do you notice anything after you identify it to yourself?