Seen with Pandora Morris

What is dissociative identity disorder, and what does it actually feel like to live with?

On this episode of Seen, I sit down with psychotherapist Sally Maslansky, author of the memoir A Brilliant Adaptation. Sally was 37 when she was diagnosed with DID, which was still called multiple personality disorder back then.

We also discussed the difference between everyday dissociation and DID, why so many therapists still tell clients they cannot work with them if they dissociate in session, what Sally found when she finally looked at the DID conversation on TikTok and Instagram, and the day she drove past the house she grew up in and felt nothing but joy.

In this episode, you'll learn:
- What dissociative identity disorder is, and how it differs from the dissociation most of us experience
- Why amnesia and losing time are often the clearest signs, not separate identities living separate lives
- What disorganised attachment is, and why Sally calls DID a brilliant adaptation rather than a disorder
- What helped Sally most in therapy, and where to start if you think you might have DID

About Sally Maslansky:
Sally Maslansky is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) based in North Carolina and the author of A Brilliant Adaptation: How Dissociative Identity Disorder and the Power of the Therapeutic Bond Saved Me (New Harbinger, 2026). She was diagnosed at 37 with what was then called multiple personality disorder, and she worked with Dr Siegel for ten years. She went on to train as a therapist and works with adults and adoptive families. She has presented with Dr Siegel on dissociation, including at the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium, and she writes the Substack Making Sense.
Connect with Sally Maslansky:https://sallymaslansky.com/ https://bsky.app/profile/sallymaslansky.bsky.social Join Sally’s community:https://makingsensewithsallymaslansky.substack.com/

Timestamps:
Who Sally Maslansky Is, And What DID Means (00:00)
What Are The Signs Of Dissociative Identity Disorder? (06:09)
Can You Fully Recover From DID? (09:18)
Why She Wrote A Brilliant Adaptation (14:09)
Why So Many Therapists Get Dissociation Wrong (17:38)
Everyday Dissociation And DID: What Is The Difference? (25:54)
DID On TikTok: Self-Diagnosis And Social Media (31:24)
Why Trauma Does Not Have To Be A Lifetime Prison (34:17)
Implicit Memory: Why The Past Can Feel Like Now (38:54)
What To Do If You Think You Might Have DID (40:53)

Join the community:
💌 Substack: Subscribe to Pandora's newsletter for honest reflections and thoughtful conversations about mental health, wellbeing, and life.→ https://substack.com/@seenwithpandora
🎧 Never miss an episode of SEEN! Listen to the podcast anytime, anywhere.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Ku2D90pNwBLM17HvLxlB1?si=fbcad6ff3bb24bfa
Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/seen-with-pandora-morris/id1649515453
Connect with Pandora Morris
🌐 Website: https://www.seenwithpandoramorris.com/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seenwithpandora/
💛 Recommended Resources: Explore Pandora's collection of mental health and wellbeing resources for additional guidance and support.→ https://www.seenwithpandoramorris.com/resources

ABOUT SEEN
Hosted by Pandora Morris, Seen is a podcast featuring bold, brave, and honest conversations about mental health, wellbeing, relationships, and the experiences that shape our lives. Through personal stories and expert insights, Seen creates space for understanding, connection, and healing.

Have you ever had a setback in recovery and thought, “This is as good as it’s ever going to get”? Someone who loved me once said exactly that to me. Five years later, I’m still not fixed, and I’m freer than I’ve ever been. I’ve lived with OCD and an eating disorder for most of my life, and I’m still in the messy middle, so this is an honest one.

Join the community:
💌 Substack: Subscribe to Pandora's newsletter for honest reflections and thoughtful conversations about mental health, wellbeing, and life.https://substack.com/@seenwithpandora
🌐 Website: Discover more about Pandora, explore past episodes, and find resources to support your wellbeing.https://www.seenwithpandoramorris.com/
📸 Instagram: Follow Pandora for meaningful conversations, personal insights, and updates from Seen.https://www.instagram.com/seenwithpandora/
🎧 Spotify: Follow Seen on Spotify and never miss a new episode.https://open.spotify.com/show/1Ku2D90pNwBLM17HvLxlB1?si=fbcad6ff3bb24bfa
🍎 Apple Podcasts: Listen and subscribe to Seen on Apple Podcasts for more honest, thought-provoking conversations.https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/seen-with-pandora-morris/id1649515453
💛 Recommended Resources: Explore Pandora's collection of mental health and wellbeing resources for additional guidance and support.https://www.seenwithpandoramorris.com/resources

ABOUT SEEN
Hosted by Pandora Morris, Seen is a podcast featuring bold, brave, and honest conversations about mental health, wellbeing, relationships, and the experiences that shape our lives. Through personal stories and expert insights, Seen creates space for understanding, connection, and healing.

Do you ever get stuck overthinking, going round and round in circles and only feeling worse? In this Seen Session, I’m joined by clinical psychologist and bestselling author Dr Jessamy Hibberd to talk about why trying to think our way out of anxiety so often backfires, how healthy reflection differs from rumination, and why modern life is such a recipe for overthinking. Jessamy shares a simple tool to set up in advance for when you feel a spiral coming. She also shares her own non-negotiables for getting out of her head and back into her life.Join the Community:💌 Substack: Subscribe to Pandora's newsletter for honest reflections and thoughtful conversations about mental health, wellbeing, and life.https://substack.com/@seenwithpandora🌐 Website: Discover more about Pandora, explore past episodes, and find resources to support your wellbeing.https://www.seenwithpandoramorris.com/📸 Instagram: Follow Pandora for meaningful conversations, personal insights, and updates from Seen.https://www.instagram.com/seenwithpandora/🎧 Spotify: Follow Seen on Spotify and never miss a new episode.https://open.spotify.com/show/1Ku2D90pNwBLM17HvLxlB1?si=fbcad6ff3bb24bfa🍎 Apple Podcasts: Listen and subscribe to Seen on Apple Podcasts for more honest, thought-provoking conversations.https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/seen-with-pandora-morris/id1649515453💛 Recommended Resources: Explore Pandora's collection of mental health and wellbeing resources for additional guidance and support.https://www.seenwithpandoramorris.com/resourcesABOUT SEENHosted by Pandora Morris, Seen is a podcast featuring bold, brave, and honest conversations about mental health, wellbeing, relationships, and the experiences that shape our lives. Through personal stories and expert insights, Seen creates space for understanding, connection, and healing.

Why do we sabotage the things we want most?

On this episode of Seen, I sit down with Lauren McQuistin, former Yale opera singer and author of How to Build a Life That You Don't Want to Escape From. Lauren has been sober for over eight years. She opens up about drinking before the auditions that mattered most, why she ruined her own chances on purpose, and what recovery really looks like.

In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why we sabotage our own success
- Why stopping a behaviour is not the same as recovering from it
- How to challenge shame, starting very small
- Why there is no such thing as healed

Thank you Lauren for being so open.

Chapters:
Building A Life You Want To Escape (00:00)
Hiding Behind Success (02:12)
Drinking At 13 (06:56)
Getting Sober At 25 (08:54)
Being Ready To Accept Help (10:36)
Self-Sabotage At Yale (13:51)
Fear Of Failure And Success (16:32)
How To Challenge Shame (20:37)
Why We All Want To Escape (25:50)
Loneliness And Screens (30:36)
There Is No Healed (34:22)
Stop Judging Your Past Self (40:53)
If You Feel Beyond Saving (43:41)
When Lauren Felt Seen (45:37)

This episode talks openly about addiction, self-harm and eating disorders. If any of this is close to home, please speak to your GP or a support service such as Mind or Beat.

Connect with Pandora Morris
💌 Substack: Subscribe to Pandora's newsletter for honest reflections and thoughtful conversations about mental health, wellbeing, and life.https://substack.com/@seenwithpandora
🌐 Website: Discover more about Pandora, explore past episodes, and find resources to support your wellbeing.https://www.seenwithpandoramorris.com/
📸 Instagram: Follow Pandora for meaningful conversations, personal insights, and updates from Seen.https://www.instagram.com/seenwithpandora/
🎧 Spotify: Follow Seen on Spotify and never miss a new episode.https://open.spotify.com/show/1Ku2D90pNwBLM17HvLxlB1?si=fbcad6ff3bb24bfa
🍎 Apple Podcasts: Listen and subscribe to Seen on Apple Podcasts for more honest, thought-provoking conversations.https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/seen-with-pandora-morris/id1649515453
💛 Recommended Resources: Explore Pandora's collection of mental health and wellbeing resources for additional guidance and support.https://www.seenwithpandoramorris.com/resources

ABOUT SEENHosted by Pandora Morris, Seen is a podcast featuring bold, brave, and honest conversations about mental health, wellbeing, relationships, and the experiences that shape our lives. Through personal stories and expert insights, Seen creates space for understanding, connection, and healing.

Do you ever get stuck in a spiral of intrusive thoughts and can’t step away from them, even when you know they aren’t true?
In this solo episode of Seen, I’m sharing what more than 25 years of living with severe OCD has taught me about handling intrusive thoughts. I’m not a therapist, and I’m not claiming to be an expert. These are the tools that have helped me most, and I hope they help you too.
Almost everyone has intrusive thoughts, whether or not they have OCD. The thoughts themselves aren’t the problem. What matters is what we do with them. I talk openly about my own experience: the bedtime prayers I felt I had to repeat for hours as a child, the fear that I’d done something terrible, the contamination fears, and the all-or-nothing thoughts I still have around food and exercise.
Join the community:
💌 Substack: Subscribe to Pandora's newsletter for honest reflections and thoughtful conversations about mental health, wellbeing, and life.→ https://substack.com/@seenwithpandora
🎧 Never miss an episode of SEEN! Listen to the podcast anytime, anywhere.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Ku2D90pNwBLM17HvLxlB1?si=fbcad6ff3bb24bfa
Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/seen-with-pandora-morris/id1649515453
ABOUT SEEN
Hosted by Pandora Morris, Seen is a podcast featuring bold, brave, and honest conversations about mental health, wellbeing, relationships, and the experiences that shape our lives. Through personal stories and expert insights, Seen creates space for understanding, connection, and healing.
Connect with Pandora Morris
🌐 Website: https://www.seenwithpandoramorris.com/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seenwithpandora/💛 Recommended Resources: Explore Pandora's collection of mental health and wellbeing resources for additional guidance and support.→ https://www.seenwithpandoramorris.com/resources