In this episode, Jill Currie shares what happened when her child Luna (they/them), who is autistic, told her they thought they had Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). "No you don't," was Jill's initial response. Fear of judgement led her down a path of denial that hurt them both. When Luna's distress reached a breaking point, Jill confronted a powerful truth: no-one was coming to save them. The only thing she could change was herself. Through genuine vulnerability, Jill discovered that the parts of Luna she struggled to accept mirrored the parts of herself she'd been rejecting. Her journey took an unexpected turn when she received her own autism diagnosis, giving her the self-compassion needed to truly show up for Luna. Jill's story powerfully reveals that self-compassion can become the bridge to compassion for others, and sometimes the most courageous decision is changing ourselves instead of trying to change others.

About Our Guest

Jill Currie is an author, coach and consultant whose work empowers parents and transforms child-serving systems. Jill’s writing can be found everywhere from literary journals to reports to the (U.S.) President and Congress. She’s currently working on a debut memoir about her own journey parenting a young adult with complex needs.

Read the full show notes on our Substack: https://whatsfear.substack.com/p/s1e6

00:00 Jill Currie Intro

03:04 Navigating Denial and Acceptance

05:37 The Impact of Separation

08:09 Finding New Perspectives

10:42 The Journey of Self-Discovery

13:18 Building Connections with Alters

15:43 The Role of Community and Support

18:16 Transformative Conversations

20:18 Embracing Neurodiversity

23:12 The Power of Self-Compassion

24:34 Lessons Learned and Moving Forward

27:18 The Gift of Creativity

29:50 Final Thoughts and Advice

39:16 Its A Wrap