A Couple of Multiples: The Reality of Living with Dissociative Identity Disorder

Drew & Garden System
  • 4.8 (21)
  • Mental Health
  • Updated Biweekly

There’s never a dull moment for hosts, Drew and Garden System, who are a couple that have both been diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder. While they are navigating their healing journey, they continue to manage full time careers, raise four teenagers and a house full of pets. Not only do they aim to speak to people who have lived experience with DID and their supporters, but also therapists and anyone who wants to learn more. The podcast talks about Dissociative Identity Disorder in a way that someone who knows nothing about DID will be able to understand, and at the same time is designed to be a resource for therapists, while supporting and validating those with lived experience. Dissociative Identity Disorder is a highly stigmatized mental health diagnosis that has been subject to many myths and misinformation over the years. These myths, along with highly-sensationalized media portrayals, have led to many who still believe this disorder is not real and simply created by therapists who impose themselves on highly suggestible clients. The goal of the podcast is to dispel these myths and educate the world at large the truth about Dissociative Identity Disorder, and the reality of what having this diagnosis really looks like. The brain had to find a unique way to cope in order to survive the trauma people with DID faced from a very young age. Also, this condition is not rare, although many reputable sources still cite it as such. People with DID are ordinary members in your community that you might encounter in your daily life. Drew and Garden System want to shed light on the challenging symptoms people with DID face and share how they have overcome those challenges and found the gifts of joy that all of their parts bring to each other.

  1. Jun 23

    Authentically Living with Multiplicity: An Interview with Skylar Lyralen Kaye, author of Bachelorx

    Drew & Garden System have an open and candid conversation with Skye on all things multiplicity/plurality, gender identity, unmasking, and living openly with Dissociative Identity Disorder and plurality. Skye's memoir, Bachelorx, can be found here for purchase through our affiliate link:  https://amzn.to/4uTTkVI Thank you to our sponsors: Healing Selves Therapeutics Healing My Parts Follow us on Instagram: @acoupleofmultiples, @note_to_selves, @seidi_gardensystem Follow us on TikTok: @seidi_gardensystem, @note_to_selves Follow us on Facebook: A Couple of Multiples - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556823127239  Visit our website: acoupleofmultiples.com to sign up for our mailing list, join our private, on-line community Hearts Multiplied, register for peer coaching, consultations, and workshops! Remember, this podcast is not a substitute for therapy. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and provide information on dissociative identity disorder. We share our personal stories, interview guests who also live with DID, and we interview mental health professionals to share their clinical knowledge. And most importantly: remember that every system is different. What works for one may not work for another—and that’s okay. Your journey is valid, your healing is real, and we’re so glad you’re hanging out with A Couple of Multiples. Articles cited in Seasons 4 & 5: Brand, B. L., Sar, V., Stavropoulos, P., Krüger, C., Korzekwa, M., Martínez-Taboas, A., & Middleton, W. (2016). Separating Fact from Fiction: An Empirical Examination of Six Myths About Dissociative Identity Disorder. Harvard review of psychiatry, 24(4), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.1097/HRP.0000000000000100

    1h 52m

  2. Jun 9

    Healing is a Mess! An Interview with Julia by mes: Artist & Survivor Living with Dissociative Identity Disorder

    Drew & Garden System hang out with Julia by mes to have conversations about intergenerational trauma as a grandchild of war in Germany, the complicated mess of healing, career changes, and organizing in-person meetups in Ottawa, Canada! Thank you to our sponsors: Yvonne Fall LPC - https://www.yvonnefalllpc.com/ Healing My Parts - https://www.healingmyparts.org/ Follow us on Instagram: @acoupleofmultiples, @note_to_selves, @seidi_gardensystem Follow us on TikTok: @seidi_gardensystem, @note_to_selves Follow us on Facebook: A Couple of Multiples - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556823127239  Visit our website: acoupleofmultiples.com to sign up for our mailing list, join our private, on-line community Hearts Multiplied, register for peer coaching, consultations, and workshops! Remember, this podcast is not a substitute for therapy. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and provide information on dissociative identity disorder. We share our personal stories, interview guests who also live with DID, and we interview mental health professionals to share their clinical knowledge. And most importantly: remember that every system is different. What works for one may not work for another—and that’s okay. Your journey is valid, your healing is real, and we’re so glad you’re hanging out with A Couple of Multiples. Articles cited in Seasons 4 & 5: Brand, B. L., Sar, V., Stavropoulos, P., Krüger, C., Korzekwa, M., Martínez-Taboas, A., & Middleton, W. (2016). Separating Fact from Fiction: An Empirical Examination of Six Myths About Dissociative Identity Disorder. Harvard review of psychiatry, 24(4), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.1097/HRP.0000000000000100

    1h 24m

  3. May 26

    My Name Means Fire: An Interview with Atash Yaghmaian LCSW-R

    Drew & Garden System discuss the effects of traumas such as war and childhood abuse with Atash Yaghmaian LCSW-R,  who also lives with dissociative identity disorder. She is the author of the book, My Name Means Fire, where she shares her story of growing up in Iran. You can purchase a copy of her book through our Amazon affiliate link here: https://amzn.to/4rIQ5yP Thank you to our sponsors: The Institute for Creative Mindfulness:  https://www.instituteforcreativemindfulness.com/ Petals of a Rose: https://www.dylancrumpler.com/watch-petals-of-a-rose Follow us on Instagram: @acoupleofmultiples, @note_to_selves, @seidi_gardensystem Follow us on TikTok: @seidi_gardensystem, @note_to_selves Follow us on Facebook: A Couple of Multiples - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556823127239  Visit our website: acoupleofmultiples.com to sign up for our mailing list, join our private, on-line community Hearts Multiplied, register for peer coaching, consultations, and workshops! Remember, this podcast is not a substitute for therapy. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and provide information on dissociative identity disorder. We share our personal stories, interview guests who also live with DID, and we interview mental health professionals to share their clinical knowledge. And most importantly: remember that every system is different. What works for one may not work for another—and that’s okay. Your journey is valid, your healing is real, and we’re so glad you’re hanging out with A Couple of Multiples. Articles cited in Seasons 4 & 5: Brand, B. L., Sar, V., Stavropoulos, P., Krüger, C., Korzekwa, M., Martínez-Taboas, A., & Middleton, W. (2016). Separating Fact from Fiction: An Empirical Examination of Six Myths About Dissociative Identity Disorder. Harvard review of psychiatry, 24(4), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.1097/HRP.0000000000000100

    1h 11m

  4. May 12

    Finding Our Bees: An Interview with Jaime Pollack, founder of An Infinite Mind

    Drew & Garden System chat with Jaime Pollack, founder of An Infinite Mind, to discuss her discovery of multiplicity, getting a diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder, and her incredible healing journey that led to the creation of An Infinite Mind and the formation of the Healing Together conference.  Jaime Pollack lives in Central Florida where she works as a district Pre-K special education resource teacher. She also works part-time as an in-home early interventionist for special needs children aged birth to three. In 2005, she was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) resulting from childhood trauma. Jaime searched for support only to find there were very limited resources available. Her efforts to find support for herself led her to seek out other survivors living with the disorder. As she found others living with DID, she witnessed firsthand the challenges they shared and decided to shift her focus to help others, like herself, living with DID. Her passion to help others led to the creation of An Infinite Mind in January of 2008.  Thank you to our sponsors: An Infinite Mind Healing Selves Therapeutics Follow us on Instagram: @acoupleofmultiples, @note_to_selves, @seidi_gardensystem Follow us on TikTok: @seidi_gardensystem, @note_to_selves Follow us on Facebook: A Couple of Multiples - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556823127239  Visit our website: acoupleofmultiples.com to sign up for our mailing list, join our private, on-line community Hearts Multiplied, register for peer coaching, consultations, and workshops! Remember, this podcast is not a substitute for therapy. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and provide information on dissociative identity disorder. We share our personal stories, interview guests who also live with DID, and we interview mental health professionals to share their clinical knowledge. And most importantly: remember that every system is different. What works for one may not work for another—and that’s okay. Your journey is valid, your healing is real, and we’re so glad you’re hanging out with A Couple of Multiples. Articles cited in Seasons 4 & 5: Brand, B. L., Sar, V., Stavropoulos, P., Krüger, C., Korzekwa, M., Martínez-Taboas, A., & Middleton, W. (2016). Separating Fact from Fiction: An Empirical Examination of Six Myths About Dissociative Identity Disorder. Harvard review of psychiatry, 24(4), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.1097/HRP.0000000000000100

    1h 15m

  5. Apr 28

    Creating Affirming Care & Support: An Interview with Ryder Fox

    Drew & Garden System sit down with Ryder Fox to clarify the complexities of affirming care and non-carceral support of folx living with DID/multiplicity that are navigating their healing journey. Ryder Fox, MS (they/them) is a trauma-informed wellness coach, educator, and consultant with nearly 30 years of experience supporting vulnerable populations. They work at the intersection of practitioner education and direct client care—helping professionals build sustainable, long-term approaches to supporting people living with complex chronic conditions, while also working directly with individuals who often struggle to find affirming, effective support. As the founder of Stronger U, Ryder has had the rare privilege of supporting some clients continuously for nearly two decades. They are also the founder of THRIVE Lifeline, a nonprofit providing identity-affirming crisis and peer support for multiple marginalized communities. Bringing both professional expertise and lived experience as a plural trauma survivor with chronic conditions, Ryder centers autonomy, trauma-informed care, and deeply relational approaches in all their work. They are especially passionate about bridging the gap between providers and the communities they serve—helping create care relationships that are not only informed, but truly sustainable. Thank you to our sponsors:  Institute for Creative Mindfulness Transitions Delaware Follow us on Instagram: @acoupleofmultiples, @note_to_selves, @seidi_gardensystem Follow us on TikTok: @seidi_gardensystem, @note_to_selves Follow us on Facebook: A Couple of Multiples - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556823127239  Visit our website: acoupleofmultiples.com to sign up for our mailing list, join our private, on-line community Hearts Multiplied, register for peer coaching, consultations, and workshops! Remember, this podcast is not a substitute for therapy. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and provide information on dissociative identity disorder. We share our personal stories, interview guests who also live with DID, and we interview mental health professionals to share their clinical knowledge. And most importantly: remember that every system is different. What works for one may not work for another—and that’s okay. Your journey is valid, your healing is real, and we’re so glad you’re hanging out with A Couple of Multiples. Articles cited in Seasons 4 & 5: Brand, B. L., Sar, V., Stavropoulos, P., Krüger, C., Korzekwa, M., Martínez-Taboas, A., & Middleton, W. (2016). Separating Fact from Fiction: An Empirical Examination of Six Myths About Dissociative Identity Disorder. Harvard review of psychiatry, 24(4), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.1097/HRP.0000000000000100

    1h 43m

  6. Apr 14

    A Brilliant Adaptation: An Interview with Sally Maslansky LMFT

    Drew & Garden System sit down with Sally Maslansky LMFT to discuss her healing journey with dissociative identity disorder and her new memoir, A Brilliant Adaptation. Sally provides a unique look at what living with DID and trauma recovery can look like from an integrated perspective. Sally Maslansky is a psychotherapist and author whose lived experience with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) profoundly informs her clinical work and writing. Diagnosed in her mid-thirties, she worked in therapy with Dr. Daniel J. Siegel, MD—treatment grounded in Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB), Attachment Theory, and Mindful Awareness Practices. Now a practicing therapist herself, Sally brings a rare dual perspective to the field—bridging the personal and the professional. Sally lives and practices in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where she continues her work in private practice and trauma advocacy.  Buy Sally's book here:  https://amzn.to/4240drh https://sallymaslansky.com/ https://drdansiegel.com/ Thank you to our sponsors! Yvonne Fall - https://www.yvonnefalllpc.com/ Healing My Parts - https://www.healingmyparts.org/   Follow us on Instagram: @acoupleofmultiples, @note_to_selves, @seidi_gardensystem Follow us on TikTok: @seidi_gardensystem, @note_to_selves Follow us on Facebook: A Couple of Multiples - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556823127239  Visit our website: acoupleofmultiples.com to sign up for our mailing list, join our private, on-line community Hearts Multiplied, register for peer coaching, consultations, and workshops! Remember, this podcast is not a substitute for therapy. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and provide information on dissociative identity disorder. We share our personal stories, interview guests who also live with DID, and we interview mental health professionals to share their clinical knowledge. And most importantly: remember that every system is different. What works for one may not work for another—and that’s okay. Your journey is valid, your healing is real, and we’re so glad you’re hanging out with A Couple of Multiples. Articles cited in Seasons 4 & 5: Brand, B. L., Sar, V., Stavropoulos, P., Krüger, C., Korzekwa, M., Martínez-Taboas, A., & Middleton, W. (2016). Separating Fact from Fiction: An Empirical Examination of Six Myths About Dissociative Identity Disorder. Harvard review of psychiatry, 24(4), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.1097/HRP.0000000000000100

    1h 54m

  7. Mar 31

    Yoga, Somatics, & Dissociative Identity Disorder: An Interview with Amy Beckler LCSW RYT-200hr

    Drew & Garden System have an informative discussion with Amy Beckler LCSW on the benefits of yoga and somatic exercises for people living with complex trauma, particularly those experiencing dissociative identities. Wheel of Tolerance - https://livethechange.se/index.php/blog/the-wheel-of-tolerance Dissociation Made Simple - https://amzn.to/4uZYmB0 Thank to our sponsors: Healing My Parts - https://www.healingmyparts.org/ Healing Selves Therapeutics - https://www.healingselvestherapeuticspllc.com/  Follow us on Instagram: @acoupleofmultiples, @note_to_selves, @seidi_gardensystem Follow us on TikTok: @seidi_gardensystem, @note_to_selves Follow us on Facebook: A Couple of Multiples - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556823127239  Visit our website: acoupleofmultiples.com to sign up for our mailing list, join our private, on-line community Hearts Multiplied, register for peer coaching, consultations, and workshops! Remember, this podcast is not a substitute for therapy. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and provide information on dissociative identity disorder. We share our personal stories, interview guests who also live with DID, and we interview mental health professionals to share their clinical knowledge. And most importantly: remember that every system is different. What works for one may not work for another—and that’s okay. Your journey is valid, your healing is real, and we’re so glad you’re hanging out with A Couple of Multiples. Articles cited in Seasons 4 & 5: Brand, B. L., Sar, V., Stavropoulos, P., Krüger, C., Korzekwa, M., Martínez-Taboas, A., & Middleton, W. (2016). Separating Fact from Fiction: An Empirical Examination of Six Myths About Dissociative Identity Disorder. Harvard review of psychiatry, 24(4), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.1097/HRP.0000000000000100

    57 min

  8. Mar 17

    An Apparently Normal Person: An Interview with Bonnie Armstrong

    Drew & Garden System discuss the healing journey from childhood abuse and dissociative identity disorder with Bonnie Armstrong, the author of An Apparently Normal Person. Bonnie's story is unique in that she worked in child welfare and advocacy without realizing she, too, was a survivor of childhood abuse. Her medical struggles helped her uncover the truth about her past. Bonnie R. Armstrong spent decades as an apparently normal person, unaware of the complex dissociative infrastructure that hid much of her childhood from her conscious memory and supported her from inside. Bonnie enjoyed her life as wife, mother, community activist, and a 40-year career that included high-level positions in two Governors' offices. She served as an expert consultant on child and family policy issues with federal, state, county and local governments and philanthropies, and as a national speaker and trainer. She specialized in youth development and child abuse prevention, not knowing that she was also an abuse survivor.  When she turned fifty, a mysterious and debilitating illness attacked Bonnie, eventually requiring her to use a wheelchair to continue her active life. After six years of testing and continued degeneration, her neurologist ruled out medical causes and referred her to a psychologist. Together, Bonnie and her therapist slowly uncovered her dissociative disorder, her strong internal community, and the secrets of her childhood.  Now she has written a memoir that chronicles her healing journey and the ways her system used dissociation to survive and thrive.  An Apparently Normal Person: From Medical Mystery to Dissociative Superpower has won several awards and was an Amazon best-seller. Bonnie continues to speak out and write about dissociation and childhood trauma. She also is a life coach, a grandmother and the matriarch of a large extended family. She and her internal community live collaboratively, focused on their joint life's purpose to break generational cycles of abuse and to use every moment and interaction to create a more loving, harmonious world.  Visit Bonnie's website:  https://www.bonnierarmstrong.com/ Buy Bonnie's book, An Apparently Normal Person, here: https://amzn.to/4sl5TsC Thank you to our sponsors: An Infinite Mind: https://www.aninfinitemind.org/ Healing My Parts:  https://www.healingmyparts.org/ Follow us on Instagram: @acoupleofmultiples, @note_to_selves, @seidi_gardensystem Follow us on TikTok: @seidi_gardensystem, @note_to_selves Follow us on Facebook: A Couple of Multiples - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556823127239  Visit our website: acoupleofmultiples.com to sign up for our mailing list, join our private, on-line community Hearts Multiplied, register for peer coaching, consultations, and workshops! Remember, this podcast is not a substitute for therapy. The purpose of this podcast is to educate and provide information on dissociative identity disorder. We share our personal stories, interview guests who also live with DID, and we interview mental health professionals to share their clinical knowledge. And most importantly: remember that every system is different. What works for one may not work for another—and that’s okay. Your journey is valid, your healing is real, and we’re so glad you’re hanging out with A Couple of Multiples. Articles cited in Seasons 4 & 5: Brand, B. L., Sar, V., Stavropoulos, P., Krüger, C., Korzekwa, M., Martínez-Taboas, A., & Middleton, W. (2016). Separating Fact from Fiction: An Empirical Examination of Six Myths About Dissociative Identity Disorder. Harvard review of psychiatry, 24(4), 257–270. https://doi.org/10.1097/HRP.0000000000000100

    1h 25m
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4.8
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About

There’s never a dull moment for hosts, Drew and Garden System, who are a couple that have both been diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder. While they are navigating their healing journey, they continue to manage full time careers, raise four teenagers and a house full of pets. Not only do they aim to speak to people who have lived experience with DID and their supporters, but also therapists and anyone who wants to learn more. The podcast talks about Dissociative Identity Disorder in a way that someone who knows nothing about DID will be able to understand, and at the same time is designed to be a resource for therapists, while supporting and validating those with lived experience. Dissociative Identity Disorder is a highly stigmatized mental health diagnosis that has been subject to many myths and misinformation over the years. These myths, along with highly-sensationalized media portrayals, have led to many who still believe this disorder is not real and simply created by therapists who impose themselves on highly suggestible clients. The goal of the podcast is to dispel these myths and educate the world at large the truth about Dissociative Identity Disorder, and the reality of what having this diagnosis really looks like. The brain had to find a unique way to cope in order to survive the trauma people with DID faced from a very young age. Also, this condition is not rare, although many reputable sources still cite it as such. People with DID are ordinary members in your community that you might encounter in your daily life. Drew and Garden System want to shed light on the challenging symptoms people with DID face and share how they have overcome those challenges and found the gifts of joy that all of their parts bring to each other.

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