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.
A Mother’s Journey from Denial to Connection & Self-Acceptance
In this heartfelt conversation, 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 first response. Fear of what others would think, combined with a surface-level understanding of DID, led Jill down a path of denial that hurt them both. But when Luna’s distress reached a breaking point, Jill confronted an uncomfortable truth: no-one else was coming to rescue them. The only thing she had the power to change was how she showed up.
Through genuine vulnerability, Jill explores how the parts of Luna she found hardest to connect with mirrored the parts of herself she struggled to accept. 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 powerful story reveals that self-compassion can become the bridge to compassion for others. This is the story of what happened when she found the courage to change herself instead of trying to change her child.
Jill’s Tips
Seek support for yourself! It’s very hard to grow while staying inside of your own head. The right therapist is a godsend.
Hold yourself with compassion. Supporting a loved one who’s struggling is hard. When we are kind to ourselves, it’s easier to be patient and gentle with others. Self-compassion also enables us to look honestly at any unintended harm we may have caused and make amends.
Find your community. Whatever you’re facing (whether it’s your own mental health concern or a loved one’s), there are adults living successfully with that condition. Knowing that you’re not alone, and learning from others who have that lived expertise, is invaluable.
Jill’s Contact Details
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-currie-2a26688/
Jill’s Recommended Resources
A tremendous resource by/for people living with DID is An Infinite Mind and their annual Healing Together conference (which is hybrid & can be joined from anywhere in the world): https://www.aninfinitemind.org/
Autism Experts (https://www.autism-experts.org/) is a fantastic organisation created and run by people on the spectrum. They have some terrific resources (books, courses, and coaching) for parents of young adults.
Scroll up to listen to this episode on Substack.
You can also listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music and Audible.
Time Stamps
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
If anything in this episode resonated with you and if you feel like you could use a little extra support, please consider reaching out to trusted local support services in your area. You don’t have to go through it alone.
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