We at the Dissociative Initiative facilitate a public group called the Dissociative Initiative Open Group on Facebook, for anyone to join – people who experience dissociation, multiplicity, or amnesia; our friends, family, supporters, and professionals.

This is a public page so please be aware that anyone on the internet can view all of the content.

You do not need to join to read the posts, but please feel welcome to join up if you’d like to ask questions, share resources, or contribute to conversations, we’d love to meet you.

There’s a great need for more quality information and support out there, we’d love to hear about other resources and give everyone the opportunity to share our collective expertise and experiences. Feel welcome to post links, ask questions, celebrate achievements, commiserate over setbacks, link to your own blog posts, review books, share support groups, make new friends, and be part of a community.

FAQ

What is the Dissociative Initiative?

We are a public network of people who share resources and information about dissociation, multiplicity, and amnesia from a variety of perspectives and approaches. Please have a look around our website, we have a number of other free resources.

Who are the admins?

Our current admin is Sarah K Reece. You are welcome to message an admin in private if you have questions or are seeking resources. We are all volunteering our time but we will do our best to reply quickly and we know that sometimes just a chance to touch base with someone else who has been there can make a big difference! You can learn more about Sarah at their personal blog, and you are welcome to ‘friend’ them on Facebook, please send a message introducing yourself if you do.

How do I manage my involvement?

If at any time you wish to leave the group, click on the little star shaped tab next to the ‘Notifications’ tab at the right hand side of the facebook page. A little menu will drop down, and one of the options is to ‘Leave group’. Click on that and you’re out! If you wish to return later, just send a request to join again. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed with notifications from the group, you can adjust your settings in the ‘Notifications’ tab so you don’t hear about the group in your News Feed.

Are my alters/insiders/parts/voices allowed in this group?

Sure thing! However you all prefer to identify is fine – if you’d rather use a common name for all of you, or if you’re more comfortable identifying who is speaking that’s welcome too. Multiple profiles are also fine.

Why is it public?

We know this is an issue for many people! While we aim to make it a safe space, this isn’t a private support group, it’s a public network.

1. One of the reasons for the public space is that private Facebook group can be risky because you have no real way of knowing who other members are. If you share anything that you’re concerned your boss/neighbour/friend/kids might find out, and then one of them joins a private group things could get very difficult for you. So, keeping it public keeps you mindful of only sharing things you are comfortable having in public.
2. Another reason is simply that currently we lack funds, resources, and admin support to appropriately manage a private support group (although we have done this in the past, and may do so in the future). We are happy to link to other support groups however.
3. Lastly this resource is partly about advocacy and education and is therefore most appropriate to be public. A network does not attempt to directly meet everyone’s needs but should be a findable resource that helps people locate the specific resources that suit them, explore ideas, ask questions, and be part of a diverse community they might not otherwise encounter.

You can work around this some by doing things like setting up a different profile that doesn’t use your real name. If you are not familiar or comfortable with Facebook I would suggest that you don’t risk getting involved and possibly accidentally exposing yourself if this concerns you. We completely understand if this group being public makes it an unsuitable place for some people, you’re welcome to lurk rather than post and possibly learn from some of the conversations or maybe meet other people you can personally befriend or form your own private friendship-based support groups with. 🙂 If you have a question you’d like to ask anonymously, private message an admin and they can post it for you.

Why has my post disappeared?

We have had the very occasional Facebook gremlin eating posts. If your post disappears randomly, send us a message.

If there’s a conversation on the page you’re feeling uncomfortable with that isn’t inappropriate, you can click on the menu on the right hand side of the post to hide it.

What exactly is an inappropriate post?

Like all DI groups we look to key values in how the group is run. We ask all group members to keep these in mind, and to do their best to support the group in these ways:

Diversity, Acceptance, Respect, Safety, and Dignity

Please click on the values for more information about what they mean in the DI and how we use them.

Some practical examples:

Spam. Sharing of interesting links is very welcome! Please always write a sentence so people know what to expect when they click on it. Links to sunglass advertising is not ok. We immediately delete spam and remove the profile that posted it from the group. If your account is hacked or you accidentally posted spam and you find yourself removed, please message us and explain, you’ll be welcome to come back. 🙂

Abusive comments, or being disrespectful to someone else. Everyone is absolutely welcome to have different opinions and to discuss them and disagree, but at all times the conversation must remain respectful. Sometimes this can be a challenge for hot topics and at times admins may ask for certain conversation threads to be closed and re opened later when people have cooled down. If a comment is just a bit off track the admins will gently remind people. If cursing, threats, overt hostility, or violence are being posted the posts will be deleted and possibly the posters removed too until people have calmed down.

Graphic descriptions of abuse, trauma, nightmares, sex, and the like. It’s absolutely okay to talk about these things, but it’s also important not to traumatise other members of the group with detailed accounts. So, for example, you could write ‘I was molested as a child’ rather than ‘when I visited them, they used to do this and this to me’ or ‘I attempted suicide when I was 20’ rather than ‘I overdosed on these tablets and then did this and then someone found me’. If you’re not sure about something, ask.

Warnings about other people. This is a tough one. Sometimes people want to warn other groups members about someone or a group they consider to be abusive, or dangerous. Sometimes people get hurt terribly and want to warn their friends. Sometimes people get confused and delusional and someone innocent gets caught in the crossfire. Sometimes people are malicious and pretend to have been hurt by someone else in order to hurt them. There’s no way for us at the DI to tell the difference, so we don’t allow these posts in this group. You are welcome to critique services (including DI resources), but not to post warnings about individual people or link to individuals online profiles.

Advice is not welcomed unless directly asked for. Often people simply want to feel heard and connected with. People are very individual and what works for one person may not be at all helpful for another. Sharing your thoughts, ideas and experiences is welcome, but telling other people what they should or must do, how they should think, or what they must believe is inappropriate. We are a highly diverse community and we aim to handle hot topics with respect for different points of view. If advice was asked for and now seems unwelcome please back off.

I’m in crisis. Can I post?

Please don’t! We get it, but it really stresses other members to be getting posts about people who are self harming, suicidal, and in need of urgent support. It can be very traumatising for you to not get a quick or useful reply and for others to read and feel triggered and helpless. We know that many of us are isolated and struggling to find appropriate support. For crisis support suggestions, please check out our Crisis Links and Supports, or contact:

• ACIS 13 14 65
• Lifeline 13 11 14 (free from landlines and mobiles)
• Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged 5 to 25)
• Samaritans UK 08457 90 90 90
• Samaritans USA 1800 273 8255

For crisis supports in other areas, ask the group or an admin and hopefully we can direct you.

I was removed or removed myself. Can I come back?

We get that things can get out of hand and sometimes you need a break. Talk to an admin once you’ve had a chance to catch your breath. We are always keen to re involve people who want to return. We also welcome people managing their own involvement – that means feel free to leave any time you need to and rejoin as many times as you wish.

If you’re unsure about something, feel welcome to ask!