If your DID has been improving but you find yourself more tired than ever, you might be wondering why this is. This is a common occurrence and is often the result of exhaustion that was always present no longer being hidden by survival mode. In survival mode, stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol can temporarily keep a person going, make them feel more alert, and reduce awareness of how exhausted they really are. When the crisis settles down or the nervous system becomes safer, the person may suddenly notice just how tired they have been all along.
As healing takes place, the system may be tired because it is processing emotions, memories, grief, conflict, and change. The new ways of functioning are not as predictable or automatic yet, leading to more effort to handle situations.
Improved communication between parts can increase awareness of distress, pain, needs, or exhaustion that was previously blocked out.
This page is part of the Why Is DID So Exhausting? section of the CommuniDID site, which explains the hidden cognitive and emotional effort involved in dissociation, including internal coordination, memory management, and vigilance.
Explore related topics:
- Questions about Exhaustion and DID
- For an in-depth look at the various aspects of DID which can demand so much energy, see Why DID Can Be So Exhausting Even When Nothing Happened.
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