Positive Outcomes for Dissociative Survivors - help and support for Dissociative Identity Disorder

83a High Street

HUNTINGDON

Cambridgeshire

PE29 3DP

01480 878409

0800 181 4420

07746 799221

info@pods-online.org.uk

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helpline:

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PODS (Positive Outcomes for Dissociative Survivors) works to make recovery from dissociative disorders a reality through:

training
informing
supporting

PODS provides:

information and awareness training days/workshops to inform and educate about the reality of living with and recovering from dissociation, trauma and sexual abuse, suitable both for dissociative survivors, their supporters and professionals such as counsellors and psychotherapists
opportunities for survivors, partners and supporters to meet together and provide mutual support
a weekly telephone helpline
ongoing e-mail support
resources such as an e-magazine, Information Booklets and Emergency DID Information cards
signposting to other organisations

PODS is run by Rob and Carolyn Spring, along with a team of others, most of whom suffer from a dissociative disorder. Rob is training as a counsellor and Carolyn is a freelance writer, speaker and trainer who has DID as a result of organised abuse. Go to Meet the Team.

PODS is run and supported by a Registered Charity called START (Survivors Trauma and Abuse Recovery Trust).

For a comprehensive list of books relating to dissociation, please visit our bookstore.

Dates for 2012:

Saturday 20 October 2012 in Sutton Coldfield

Saturday 10 November 2012 in Huntingdon, Cambs

Cost: £50.00 per person or £80.00 for a couple

(survivor plus supporter)

This workshop is suitable both for people suffering from a Dissociative Disorder and their partners, family members or other supporters, including professionals such as counsellors, psychotherapists, Community Mental Health Teams, psychologists and anyone else interested in finding out more about how dissociation is a creative and brilliant coping strategy for surviving otherwise unendurable trauma.

The day will be an information-based workshop looking at Understanding DID, What It’s Like Being DID, and Coping with and Recovering from Dissociative Disorders. It will run from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm.

Feedback from previous delegates:

“Before the day, I was really anxious about how I was going to cope as this felt like a huge step for me to take. However, the day was brilliant and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. It was also very ‘safe’ and I actually enjoyed the day massively. Really recommended!”

“This was a fantastic workshop which has given me a wealth of insight in my work as a therapist. A wonderful blend of theory and personal insight from two very engaging speakers. 10 out of 10!”

The last session of the day from about 3.30 pm will be an open meeting for survivors and partners/supporters which is the opportunity for people to meet together, support one another and share their experiences, facilitated by Rob. There will be a separate Q&A session for counsellors, therapists and other professionals during the final session in a different room, facilitated by Carolyn.

For further information and a booking form

please go to our events page.

The latest edition (January 2012) of PODS free e-magazine ‘Multiple Parts’ is now available. Written for survivors by survivors, this resource is published three times a year in January, May and September and is available in PDF format. It contains articles of interest to both survivors and professionals.

Either click on the image for your free download, or go to www.pods-online.org.uk/magazine to sign up to receive future editions automatically. You can also download previous editions and past newsletters.

‘Trauma and the Body - Somatisation and Dissociation’

Trauma doesn’t just affect the mind and the emotions. It profoundly affects the brain and the body too. Often ‘the body remembers’ what the mind cannot.

Why is it that so many trauma survivors not only suffer from ‘psychological’ disorders such as Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) but also from a whole raft of physical issues — chronic pain; frequent or recurrent infections; auto-immune disorders such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (aka ME), fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis; and difficulty in both connecting with the body and living healthily? The body is both the medium through which often the original trauma was enacted, and the source of ongoing suffering and self-hatred.

Come and find out what long-term impact trauma has on the body, and most importantly what we can do about it!

Bradford on 26 May 2012
Hemel Hempstead on 1 December 2012

For more information and to book, go to our events

page.

PODS has a new name!

Whilst keeping the same acronym, we recently decided to change what it stands for. Previously Partners of Dissociative Survivors, during 2011 our worked developed extensively and support for partners now represents only about 5% of our ongoing area of operation.

We have therefore changed our name to more accurately represent what we do and the message of hope for recovery and ‘positive outcomes for dissociative survivors’ that we are aiming for.

Support for partners will continue as will our key work of “training, informing and supporting”.

You are here: PODS > home

PODS now has its own page on Facebook. Please visit it by clicking on the link below and ‘like’ it to receive updates and wall posts.

You can also sign up to our ‘Cause’ to raise awareness of DID. This is an app within Facebook.

And finally ... follow Carolyn (@CarolynSpring) on Twitter!

PODS (Positive Outcomes for Dissociative Survivors) on Facebook

Please recycle your ink cartridges and help raise funds for PODS. Send off (via FREEPOST) your used inkjet cartridges for recycling. If they’re eligible, we will receive a small commission and you’ll be helping to save the environment!

Click here to download the FREEPOST label, with our unique barcode or contact us to request a stack of freepost envelopes.

Multiple Parts is available for free download as a PDF, but by popular demand it is now available in printed format. Comb bound and with full colour front cover, both existing editions are available for £3.50 each including P&P. Go to our resources page to order. Also available for sale on training days for £3.00 each.

We have a wide range of articles available on our website as well as links to numerous articles on external webpages:

[articles ...]

Unversity of Essex - Jessica Floris

Living with a Controversial Disorder: A qualitative exploration of experiences in individuals who have a formal diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder

Have you been formally diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder in the last two years?
What is it like to have your experiences described or explained in this way?
Would you be willing to talk about your experiences in confidence?

Jessica is looking for people who have been given a formal diagnosis of DID by a multidisciplinary team of mental health professionals at the Clinic for Dissociative Studies or the Pottergate Centre within the last two years, to take part in one-to-one, confidential interviews about their experiences of living with DID before and after receiving their diagnosis.

Click here for an information sheet explaining the study in more detail, or email Jessica at jcflor@essex.ac.uk if you have any queries or might be interested in participating.

PODS runs a helpline on Tuesday evenings between 6 and 8 pm. If you cannot get through, please leave a message and we will phone you back ASAP. Appointments can also be made to speak at other times - please either leave a message or email. This is not a ‘crisis’ helpline (like the Samaritans) but we are happy to speak with DID survivors, partners and anyone who is living with or supporting someone with dissociation or DID, or professionals seeking advice.

Helpline Number: 0800 181 4420 (freephone)

We now have a number of resources available for free or to purchase, including DID Emergency Information Cards, our magazine Multiple Parts, a Child Sexual Abuse Resource Guide, a Grounding Poster, and the Mind booklet, as well as others. Go to our resources page for more information and to order.