Reflections

Written by: Arya Tondale

Edited by: Eindrea Myaing

Dissociative Disorders are mental health conditions resulting from the brain's attempts to cope with trauma. It involves experiencing a loss of identity, and a disconnect between the self and one's own memories. There are a variety of experiences that people with dissociative disorders may have, which differ depending on the type of trauma and the kind of dissociative disorder they have. There are different forms of dissociative disorders; one of them being Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). In this poem, you will be able to explore what it is like to experience Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).          

When I see my reflection,

I forget who I am,

Sometimes it’s a boy with a tattoo,

Sometimes a lady with a curfew.

My mind dissociates,

Into a myriad of colors,

Who am I? I wonder.

I am not one person,

But many with an intrigue.

It's not a choice ,

But a mere dangerous disposition,

A mental shield immersed in darkness,

A steel wall away from those intruding nightmares.

All these people reflecting in my eyes,

Are me in different shades and textures,

My world doesn’t have ‘ifs’ but only ‘whens’.

It’s an enigmatic life, sure.

But it conceals a terrible puzzle,

Threads of identities woven into my soul,

But it's okay. It's fine. It's okay.

I survived, survived, and survived.

So one day I will start living…

Living… living….