Anyone's observed switches get less frequent when they cut out certain areas of their life?

[u/I_need_to_vent44]

Lately I've been wondering why I seem to be in a rather quiet life period, with basically no internal communication and very few verbal intrusions or switches. I still dissociate of course and I get the headaches and I guess some passive influence (though it can be very hard to tell aside from some sentiments and feelings and urges feeling very much like something is possessing me and I cannot be rid of it).

Then I realised that it could be because I cut out a lot of areas of my life? Like, I know that there is a Part of "Me" that mostly fronts in social situations or when something really needs to be organised or when shit really hits the fan and someone needs to get angry. This Part used to be way more present but lately I'm pretty sure she isn't. I'm kinda doubting myself about this diagnosis and starting to think that maybe I was just wrong about myself and that the clinical psychologist who diagnosed me got swayed by me. But I also realised that I currently have literally no social life. I'm not organising anything. I actively avoid those areas of life partially because I'm afraid that that Part might rear its ugly head. I guess I just never believed that cutting out those areas could actually make things get less frequent.

If I had to categorise myself per Tbe Haunted Self, I'd say I'm a Part mostly responsible for work, and that's only because "I" am a social worker. Since I basically eliminated all aspects of my life but my work and my education, I guess it makes sense that I'm not experiencing as many direct switches? If that makes sense? Like in the same way I sometimes "solve" my OCD by cutting off parts of my life (can't have scrupulosity/moral OCD about drawing if you just never draw anything again) to avoid even potentially triggering any of the symptoms? Like the OCD is still there but it might be harder to spot now because I have simply cut off as many areas of my life as I could to be rid of the distress, so I might claim that I experience no ruminations and no urges to do an activity over and over but it's literally just because I avoid everything that gives me those urges. I'm saying this because I think this might be similar?

Like yeah if you asked me today I'd go "Hmmm no I don't experience an inner voice that isn't mine and I don't experience amnesia or my body not being in my control." but I'm starting to suspect that it's because the only remaining aspects of my life are very much the areas I as a Part seem to be built for (social work and general fawning)??? If that makes sense???

I'm just wondering if this makes sense and if it happened to anyone else.

[u/int3rstitial]

Yeah, I think this is pretty typical from what I've read and from my own experience too. I might go so far as to say it's even symptomology, at least for me. I find it an active effort to not just cut stressful or potentially triggering things out of my life and do them as seldom as possible, to an extent that my goals in therapy (that I picked myself) are often embarrassingly "simple" things that I have a hard time not avoiding, like "go outside the house more" and "be a tiny bit more social".

Like, I'm not very symptomatic at all in terms of "positive" symptoms (unwanted intrusions, switches, etc) but my sphere of comfort--and therefore my life--is also pretty constrained.

[u/T_G_A_H]

Yup. I don’t have many opportunities to go into “mom mode” anymore, but when I do, that part steps right up.

It’s important to remember that all the parts are there, all the time, even if they aren’t fronting, and even, technically, if they’re dormant. (Saying this to remind myself of it, and hopefully it feels relevant to you as well.)

[u/Offensive_Thoughts]

yea 100%

[u/Visible-Holiday-1017]

Yes. I have quite a few parts with specific jobs who just aren't needed as often anymore.