Teaming in DID requires the ability to switch on purpose. That way, parts with special abilities can manage situations when that is needed. Maybe a well-oriented child part is remarkably good at holding still and that would be an advantage when we need to get an MRI. That is certainly a better solution than forcing restless parts to take over just because they are more grown-up. As long as we can finish the process well, reliably switching back to an adult part at the end, there is no reason not to make use of our individual strength.

Intentional switching isn’t easy and not everyone can master it. The higher the dissociative barriers, the harder it is. That means that it can be impossible when we just start out and the more integrated we are, the easier it gets. Once we are constantly co-conscious it can often just be a small, fluid step. Nobody starts there, though.

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Switching is made harder by fear. When a switch is not sudden so that we just ‘vanish’, there will be a moment when we can sense how we lose control and shift to the back while someone else takes over. Of course we are afraid! It is normal to tense up and block the front so that a switch becomes impossible. We can compare that to the first time snorkeling. At first, we will automatically hold our breath and not dare to breathe when under water because our intuition demands that. Working against our intuition that tells us that we need to be in control takes a lot of courage. We work on our inner relationships to increase a sense of safety so we can trust other parts not to ruin our life when they front. It takes time to come to the understanding that someone else is better suited to manage a situation and feel the urge to let them, by giving them control.

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Triggers

We usually already know about triggers that make us switch. We notice something with our senses and suddenly someone else fronts. Usually those triggers are somehow connected to TraumaTime and switching is not a positive experience, it is just a loss of control. I would not recommend using trauma triggers to initiate switches and our helpers shouldn’t do that either.

Especially early on some people use ‘positive’ triggers, to approach certain parts inside. Positive triggers are things that are passionately loved or needed. We all know situations when eg we pass a playground and someone switches to the front because they saw the slide. Other parts might respond to plushies or favorite food. It is possible to make use of that. It just usually doesn’t feel great because we are still using a trigger, which will always feel out of control because we are not acting intentionally. We personally avoid using triggers altogether.

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Tuning in

Once we know parts a little better we can influence situations and adjust them to the part we want to front so it gets easier to step into it. We can play favorite songs as an invitation or offer other kinds of sensory stimulation to draw them to the front. We are not using triggers, just things they like, that fit their mood or that make them feel at home. In a way, we are trying to find their frequency and try to vibe there, to get attuned to them. Parts usually have their own energy level or emotional states and when we match that, we meet them where they are. Nerdy parts can find it easier to slip into a situation where we are already reading a textbook, other parts feel attunement with loud music or cuddling a soft blanket. That way the transition gets easier. It could help to know the action systems other parts operate in.

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Imagery

Maybe you already have an inner picture of what it looks like when someone is fronting, a special place where they can see everything and execute control. For us, there has always been the image of a cave entrance and looking outside. Maybe you have your own idea of what it feels like that fits your system best. Once we think of a special place for the part who is fronting, we can imagine ways how parts can take turns being front. Often the fronting part simply imagines taking a step back, and then another, to create some space for a different part to step in. The new part could come from the back or the side or wherever it makes sense, slip past the other part and take position at the front themselves. Or maybe there is a mechanism that you invent to support switches, like a revolving door. It turns a little bit and takes the fronting part with it, then turns a little more and presents the new part at the front. You can imagine your own strategy or mechanism and practice using that imagery.

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Passing the baton

We get our best results with a small exercise that requires an item, possibly a heavy one. The part who is front and the part who is supposed to front both take control of one hand each. The hand of the fronting part picks up an item and hands it over to the other part. That part actively tries to grab the item with their hand while the other part lets it go. That can be a very smooth switch, if it works. The technique creates less anxiety because we don’t focus on switching and how it feels to give up control, we only focus on handing someone an item and receiving it. Like every technique, it won’t work all the time, especially when we are tense, but it is the best approach we know.

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Emergency agreements

We benefit from having some kind of code word that lets everyone know that we are in a serious situation where it is important to allow a special part to manage it. In our system the code sentence simply is ‘can I speak to ____ (enter name of high-functioning part)’. That is possible because we live a covert life and nobody would ask for this unless something went wrong. If you have a very different lifestyle, you would of course pick a different emergency code. We made sure that everyone knows who is supposed to front in a tricky situation and we regularly practice switching to that part on demand, no matter who is fronting in that moment. Everyone knows that they have to withdraw and make space for this part. Intentional switches don’t always work so well but the agreement for emergencies works most of the time because everyone understands the necessity. In situations that seem risky to us we tell our helpers how to use the code. Therapy sessions can end with more safety when our Ts can use it too.

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Switching takes a lot of energy. It is good to practice it now and then but there is no need to be extreme. Nobody has to practice switching for hours until our head falls off because of migraines. It makes sense to have longer periods of rest and only practice in situations when we would benefit from a switch anyway. Then we don’t waste energy and we create a positive experience. Less is more.

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Suppressing a switch

Being able to switch intentionally includes intentionally stopping a switch in a situation when that would not be adaptive. Usually that means getting triggered by a positive or a trauma-related trigger and the part who got triggered is not suited to manage the situation at all, so we try to keep them from fronting fully. It means that we are trying to stop an automatic reaction, something that is always tricky.

To avoid uncontrolled switches, we need to become aware of triggers quickly. That way we know what will happen in a second, that we will be challenged to stay in control and another part will be thrown close to the front. The better we know our triggers, the better we can prepare for them and that way we create an opportunity for us. Some triggers can be avoided. We could intentionally look into a different direction when we pass the playground so that the image of a slide never enters our awareness. Maybe we put on music to drown out specific noises. You get the idea.

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After a trigger happenes, we can limit exposure by closing our eyes, turning away or paying attention to something else. Then we can focus on our senses and use them as anchors to hold on to, so we won’t lose our hold of the front seat. We stay present through our control over our body and perception and block the other part from taking over and using the body and their perception.

It needs a lot of focus to stay present. The good news is that all we need are our good old grounding skills. That can include intentionally breathing at a different pace than the other part would do it, to stay in control over the body. I tend to literally hold on to the chair I am sitting in. Maybe you can come up with other ideas how to create vibes in your body experience that are clearly unlike the vibes the new part brings with them. The more we hang on to our here and now and vibe on our own frequency the less attuned our body is to the triggered part and that makes it harder to front. Staying there for a few moments, even when there is pressure from behind, can create space for some basic orientation that can resolve the triggering situation. Parts often withdraw on their own when they don’t feel the pull of the trigger anymore.

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In my own experience, things happen too quickly to work with imagery. We can use a hands exercise to support a triggered part quickly and without words and to show them that we can handle the situation and that they can relax and go back inside. The quick response that is needed though, is holding on to our body and our perception to stay in control over it.

Intentionally avoiding a switch is just as difficult as switching intentionally and it too needs practice. We don’t have to create situations like that, they will happen often enough in our regular life.

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This is an advanced exercise. We need communication and cooperation to make it work without the use of triggers. And some systems won’t make it work and that is normal too. We need to understand that switching intentionally is a bit like learning a circus trick. It is difficult. Nobody should feel bad about not managing it (yet). That’s normal. Stuff you see people do on social media is not a good representation of how DID really works.

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