A curious issue came to our attention during our most recent EMDR session. Up until that session it was our understanding that sleep deprivation only occurred when a personality was out and was not sleeping well. It was assumed that it could not be an issue for a personality who was not out and had not been out recently. However, we got a new understanding when a young personality came out just before the session who was undeniably sleep deprived. This was confirmed in the session by the psychologist we were working with.

The session was an unusual one in another regard. The first personality tried repeatedly to go in and let Plex out but was unable to do so. When the psychologist put the tappers into her hands, she did switch but it was to another young personality who was nonverbal. She struggled hard in attempts to verbalize what she was experiencing but could only make forceful exhales and noises. She sobbed bitterly as she continued to hold on to the tappers. The psychologist encouraged her in the processing of her traumatic memory/s and when she was done Plex was able to come out.

It has happened before when one personality is strongly tied to another so that the only access one has to coming out is through the other one. In other words, they can’t come out directly by themselves. There is one other personality who must be already out in order for that personality to have access to coming out. It isn’t common, and I don’t know of other people who are DID who have the same set up; but it wouldn’t surprise me to find that other people have the same kind of adaptation.