An embarrassing part of healing from trauma can involve the involuntary loss of control of bodily functions. This generally happens during a flashback or, in the case of a child with dissociative identity disorder (DID), when a particular alter part is triggered.

For example, let’s say the abused child was tortured to the point that he eventually vomited. When he experiences a flashback of that particular event, his body might react the same way that it did when he first experienced the abuse. So, as he recovers the memory through a flashback, he might get a very strong urge to vomit.

The same thing can happen with bladder or bowel control. If the abused child was terrorized to the point of wetting her pants, then a flashback of that event can cause her to wet her pants again. This is true even into adulthood. If a seventy-year-old child abuse survivor was only 8 when abused, then she is going to revert back to feeling like she is 8 when experiencing the flashback.