how-to-train-your-didragon

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

Endos / endogenics and why they aren't valid :

We've made posts on this before but we decided it might be good to make one big post to link to for when / if anyone asks again. We tried to cover everything we could in this post but we'll likely be making other posts similar to this later on.

So what are endos? Endos or endogenics are people who claim to have DID/OSDD without trauma or claim to have alters / be a system without having DID/OSDD.

Why is this bad? This is misinformation because as far as science knows DID/OSDD is a trauma based disorder (specifically caused by trauma in early childhood, which is speculated to be 1-9 / 1-12 years old) and your brain would not split / create alters without reason. To add on you cannot have alters without having a disorder, this is common sense as it's not normal to have alters. To add onto this endos also take over our communities and steal our terms. (We'll make a post with further information on that in the future).

There is also a carrd that explains why endos are bad and debunks a few myths if anyone is interested in it! If not continue reading

Why can't you have DID/OSDD or alters without trauma? As far as science knows DID/OSDD is a trauma disorder and in order to have alters in the first place you require dissociation, which is also a trauma response. Here are tons of medically reviewed sources that say this:

“ They suggest that DID is caused by experiencing severe trauma over a long time in childhood. By experiencing trauma in childhood, you take on different identities and behaviours to protect yourself. As you grow up these behaviours become more fully formed until it looks like you have different identities ” — rethink.org

“ Dissociative identity disorder (DID), previously known as multiple personality disorder, is a complex psychological condition caused by many things. These include severe trauma during early childhood (usually extreme, repetitive physical, sexual, or emotional abuse). It's also known as split personality disorder. ” — webMD

“ DID is usually associated with adverse experiences in someone’s past and traumatic memories. ” & “ Dissociation — a major part of DID — is a defense mechanism the body uses to reduce your awareness during overwhelming trauma ” — pysch central

“ DID is associated with long-term exposure to trauma, often chronic traumatic experiences during early childhood. ” & “ Dissociation—or disconnection from one’s sense of self or environment—can be a response to trauma. It can happen during a single-incident, traumatic event (e.g., an assault, a natural disaster, or a motor vehicle accident), or during ongoing trauma (e.g., wartime; chronic childhood abuse). ” — mcleanhospital.org

“ Dissociative disorders often develop as a way to deal with a catastrophic event or with long-term stress, abuse or trauma. This is particularly true if such events take place early in childhood. At this time of life, there are limitations to your ability to fully understand what’s happening. In addition, your coping mechanisms aren’t fully developed and getting support and resources depends on the presence of caring and knowledgeable adults. ” — my.clevelandclinic.org

“ There are many possible causes of dissociative disorders, including previous traumatic experience. ” & “ Switching off from reality is a normal defence mechanism that helps the person cope during a traumatic time. ” — nhs.uk

“ Dissociative identity disorder is the result of a natural way of coping with childhood trauma. Our page on the causes of dissociative disorders has more information. ” & “ Dissociation is a natural response to trauma while it's happening. But some of us may still experience dissociation long after the traumatic event has finished. Past experiences of dissociation during traumatic events may mean that you haven't processed these experiences fully. ” — mind.org (two links since they're two different pages)

“ Dissociative disorders usually start as a way to cope with shocking, distressing or painful events. The disorders most often form in children who go through long-term physical, sexual or emotional abuse. Less often, the disorders form in children who've lived in a home where they went through frightening times or they never knew what to expect. The stress of war or natural disasters also can bring on dissociative disorders. When you go through an event that's too much to handle emotionally, you may feel like you're stepping outside of yourself and seeing the event as if it's happening to another person. Mentally escaping in this way may help you get through a shocking, distressing or painful time. ” — mayoclinic.org

Most of these sources are pretty recent too, with the most recent one being made in September 2023 (webMD)

What about religious beliefs / tuplamacy? First people are not required to believe or participate in your religious beliefs (and religious beliefs are not exempt from criticism) and second tuplamacy is a closed Buddhist practice that has nothing to do with being a system and should not be compared to being a system nor should it be included / involved in system communities. Note that the DSM-V also says that in order to have DID; "The disturbance is not a normal part of a broadly accepted cultural or religious practice." <- this does not mean it's possible to have alters due to a religious thing, if anything it says they cannot be counted as alters / as a system.

To add on, no you cannot pray to be a system or transition into being a system. If you were to pray and one day magically become a system you are either in denial or you've convinced yourself you're something you're not. Believing you can be a system without trauma or that you can become a system by praying is like believing you can get autism from vaccines or drinking too much dairy milk, that's just not how it works.

What about mixed origin systems? Mixed origin systems are not a thing. DID/OSDD forms purely from trauma, you can't form from a mix of trauma and not trauma, that's not how it works. If you identify as mixed origin you are likely in denial and really need to come to terms with the fact that you are either traumatized or you're not a system at all.

What about other kinds of origins? Other origins like "willowgenic" and all that bullshit? Yeah no, same thing as endos, not possible. Look above for all the proof you need, DID/OSDD is only caused by trauma. Traumagenic is the only valid origin.

But I gave myself DID! / But I created my own alters! No you didn't. That isn't possible, you cannot turn yourself into a DID/OSDD system and creating alters is a coping mechanism, not something you do for fun, sources on this;

“ DID Isn't Something You Can Give Yourself on Purpose. Having DID was not a conscious decision those of us with the disorder made when we were children. Dissociative identity disorder is not a selective disorder, meaning you cannot decide that you want to develop this brilliant coping mechanism and then you have it. ” — healthyplace

“ In any case, additional alters are usually the result of extreme stress. The mind does not like to be fractured even when an individual already has DID or OSDD-1. Many individuals cannot split unless a split is strictly necessary for their protection, functioning, or ability to remain hidden as a system. That said, there are exceptions. Some individuals may become so used to using splitting as a coping mechanism that they may split easily in response to seemingly minor stressors. ” — didresearch.org

Isn't being a system like the same as being trans or being LGBTQ? No, many endos compared the two but they are completely different. Being LGBTQ is an identity, it's something you are born as. Being a system is a debilitating disorder caused by severe trauma, it is counted as a disability which is;

“ 'A person has a disability if: They have a physical or mental impairment, and the impairment has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on the person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.' ” — gmc.org

The reason DID would be counted as a disability is that;

“ Having a dissociative disorder can affect your ability to keep a full-time job, especially one with work stresses, which can worsen your symptoms. ” — disabilitysecrets

And the DSM-V criteria literally says;

“ The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning ” — traumadissociation

But the DSM-V says that trauma isn't required! No, the DSM-V actually says CSA isn't required, there are other forms of trauma that don't involve CSA or child abuse. To act as if it saying that the trauma isn't always CSA or child abuse means that it doesn't require trauma at all is extremely invalidating to those who are traumatized in ways that don't involve child abuse or CSA.

But this source claims endos exist / DID doesn't require trauma! Most of those sources are extremely old and / or made by endos (or pro endos) themselves. (We'll make a more in-depth post on this topic some other time, but for now this is all we have to say on it)

But we don't know everything about the human brain! You're right, we don't. The brain is mysterious, but we do know enough to know that it doesn't do these kinds of things for no reason. We know the brain reacts to trauma and we know what the difference between a normal brain and a disordered brain is. Just because we don't know everything doesn't give people an excuse to jump to conclusions and spread misinformation. It is better to stick to what science currently knows which is the theory of structural dissociation, which is the current theory about how DID/OSDD forms, and so far no one has been able to disprove it. And before someone says it, no it is not only a theory, it is a scientific theory which is;

“ A theory is a well-substantiated explanation of an aspect of the natural world that can incorporate laws, hypotheses and facts. The theory of gravitation, for instance, explains why apples fall from trees and astronauts float in space. Similarly, the theory of evolution explains why so many plants and animals—some very similar and some very different—exist on Earth now and in the past, as revealed by the fossil record. ” — amnh.org

And to add on;

“ Scientists develop theories to explain the natural world and to advance scientific knowledge. A theory is the highest level of explanation in science. Some features of scientific theories are that they: have been thoroughly tested over an extended period, provide accurate explanations and, predictions for a wide range of phenomena, are widely accepted by the scientific community, demonstrate strong experimental and observational support ” — study.com

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

there’s no such thing as too many alters if you need them to continue living.

#positivity #not mine #osddid #did #osdd #actually dissociative #actually did #endos dni

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

shout-out to people who fit the demonised DID stereotypes seen in movies & other media:

if you have violent &/or aggressive alters, i love you.

if you have complete blackout amnesia between alters, i love you.

if you have little to no communication between alters, i love you.

if your switches are overt & "distressing to witness", i love you.

if you've ever been called "scary", a "freak", or even "evil" for how your DID presents, i love you so much.

your experiences are real. you do not have to sugar-coat your disorder to make it more palatable for others. your brain helped you survive as best it could, so i hope you will find peace & healing when the worst is over. 🤍

#positivity #not mine #osddid #did #osdd #actually did #actually dissociative #endos dni

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

i have a soft spot for systems that don’t fit the current mold of what people think systems are.

systems with no fictives. systems with all violent alters. systems who don’t fit any labels/refuse to label the parts within themselves. systems who are various splits of the same guy. systems who deal with inner-system abuse. systems who are all animals. systems who don’t communicate enough to have distinct names and pronouns.

you are still very much valid.

#positivity #not mine #osddid #did #osdd #actually did #actually dissociative #endos dni

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

It's okay to split.

This is something we've personally struggled with massively recently, and I know other systems do too, so I wanted to make a quick positivity post to address it.

As the title says, it's okay to split.

It's always been stressful for us when we split, not just from the stress of splitting itself, but also knowing our member count was going up again. Feeling like we were going backwards. Wondering how we were going to deal with the new guy who decided to show up that day.

But I'm here to reassure you (and ourselves, in all honesty), that splitting is okay.

Your brain does what it feels it needs to in order to survive. Whether you only split in severely stressful situations, or split every day due to minor or chronic stressors, it's all for a reason. Even if sometimes it doesn't feel like it.

Member count can be stressful for a variety of reasons. Trust me, I know. I just want to remind you that whether you have three, fifteen, a hundred, or over a thousand alters, your alter count is valid.

Splitting isn't going backwards either. It's what the brain does to survive, and just because you've split doesn't mean that erases everything you've already accomplished.

And whoever splits, I believe in your ability to handle it.

Splitting can be frustrating for a bunch of reasons, some I'm sure aren't listed here. I also understand splitting can be legitimately troublesome for certain systems. I just wanted to talk about some of the struggles we've personally had and heard of others struggling with, and provide some reassurance.

Everything will be okay, new split or not.

#positivity #new splits #osddid #did #osdd #actually did #actually dissociative #endos dni

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

Introducing...

🌙 Crow!🌙

Hey everyone! I recently realized that despite already making several posts, I never actually... made an intro for myself. So here it is now!

My name is Crow. I'm 19 years old and go by any pronouns, but primarily he/him.

I'm jokingly considered the resident psychologist of our system because of my huge special interest in psychology, which is why I make the majority of the guides on this blog.

Some of my other interests are crows (obviously), horror, creative writing, and drawing. I may one day make a side blog to post some of these things too!

Besides that, I don't have much else to say. Either way, it's nice to meet you!

-Crow 🌙

#alter intro #🌙 #actually did #actually dissociative #endos dni

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

Thinking about updating some of our old posts while I think of new post topics...

So if you start seeing very very similar posts to ones we've already posted, that's why.

Also feel free to suggest any topics for guides/tips, as always!

-Crow 🌙

#rambles #blog updates #🌙 #I haven't touched this blog in like a month #oops #my bad #endos dni

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

i think all systems should stop trying to figure out if stuff is “normal” in systemhood before accepting that it’s happening to them.

there have been many times where i assumed i was crazy because id never heard another system talk about something i was experiencing and tried to ignore it. eventually id find someone else who experienced the same thing, and id be so happy, but realize i wasted so much time doubting myself and beating myself up.

yes, look for others who share your experiences, but also YOUR experiences are enough. you aren’t faking for simply having an experience. you should be allowed to feel what you feel and do what you do.

#positivity #normal #not mine #might make a similar post tho #bc I've been meaning to -🌙 #osddid #did #osdd #actually did #actually dissociative

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

Driving as a system

Being a system can make driving difficult. Here I've listed a few reasons why, and tips that could help these problems. Please add to the post if theres anything i missed or should mention! ^^

Alters and unpredictable switching: Some systems switch more than others, and switching doesn't need to be caused by traumatic events. For us, our switches are a bit unpredictable, and often aren't caused by triggers! Some may struggle to communicate with their systems which can make it harder to predict switching. The alter currently fronting while driving may be able to drive, but other alters might not be able to. For example, our system has an alter who's "in a coma" and our body freezes up and becomes immobile when he fronts. Although this alter was created to protect the system, it would be EXTREMELY dangerous if he were to front while driving. Building communication and awareness in your system will help avoid unpredictable switching so that an immobile or child alter won't front while driving.

Amnesia: Memory loss or dissociative amnesia is one of the main symptoms of being a system (of course, not everyone experiences this and that's okay!) Memory loss can make driving difficult. You might forget where you're going or the route you're taking to get there, and this can be frustrating or scary. Writing down where you're going so that you don't forget can help counter this.

Trauma: Everyone with DID/OSDD has PTSD, but not everyone with PTSD has DID/OSDD. Trauma can sneak up on you when you least expect it, even on the road. This is especially true if you have car related trauma, but even if it's not car related you never know when you'll run into things that remind you of your trauma. It can be very dangerous if you're driving during a mental breakdown or PTSD flashback. Some can get through this and continue driving fine, but others cannot. If you feel like your emotions are getting out of control, please pull over and ground yourself. Many grounding techniques might help you, such as listing your surroundings and stimulating the 5 senses. If your breakdowns/flashbacks are extremely bad, keep a tin of Altoids with you! The strong flavor of the menthol might help bring your mind to the present.

Dissociation: This one's similar to the previous reason as you have to ground yourself and keep yourself focused on the road. You might feel disconnected or "not really there". Dissociation might also make you feel faint, some even feel like they're going to pass out while dissociating. It's important to learn how to ground yourself during these moments. The tin of Altoids mentioned in the previous section could also help bring you back from these moments. Stop driving and park if necessary!

If you're financially able to seek professional help, you should do so! Thats honestly my greatest suggestion here. I don't personally go to therapy (as i am broke and disabled) but The Bored System goes to DBT therapy and it really works for them.

Some systems can't drive altogether (like us!) As our symptoms completely impair our ability to drive safely. It's important to spread awareness on this topic, as I don't see it talked about nearly enough. Remember to support yourself and your system friends!

Have a nice day, and goodbye!

#guide #driving #not mine #osddid #did #osdd #actually dissociative #actually did #endos dni

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

🌙Crow and Viola Present...🎻

What Systems Want Singlets to Know!

So, your friend is a system. And you... are not. Or maybe you are, and just don't realize it. Or maybe you do, I'm not one to judge. Either way, you're not quite sure how to treat your friend(s) now that you know this new and exciting information, and you need help!

Not to worry, because under the cut, we're here to tell you exactly what systems want you to know about the system experience and how they (most likely) want to be treated!

Click below to learn the ever-elusive secrets of systemhood!

Rule #1: If You're Unsure, Ask!

🎻 Or, even if you are sure. Always ask before assuming anything about a system, even about any of the tips on the list. That's why the rest of the tips on this list are called "tips" and not "absolute 100% set-in-stone rules."

🌙 Every system has a different comfort zone and boundaries, and as such, make sure you ask before assuming you know what those boundaries are. This is the #1 rule of interacting with systems, so if there's one thing on the list to follow, it's this one.

Tip #1: Nothing Is Fake.

🌙 At least, not to you. As a singlet (someone who doesn't have DID/OSDD/DDNOS), you don't have the authority to decide who is and isn't a system, no matter how "fake" the symptoms may seem to you.

🎻A lot of symptoms that've been misidentified as "obviously faking" on social media are actually legitimate symptoms in systems, such as introjects of fictional characters (see our guide to fictives here!) as well as very high alter counts (known as polyfragmentation)! Point is, you most likely haven't done the right research to make a properly informed decision on whether your friend, or anyone else, is faking their symptoms/alters!

Tip #2: Introjects Aren't Their Source.

🌙 This is, again, covered in the guide to fictives mentioned earlier, but it's worth a specific mention here just in case. People often have a misguided reaction to hearing a specific character or person is present in someone's system, whether that be positive or negative. Oftentimes, however, that reaction is entirely unwarranted, as introjects are almost never carbon copies of their source.

While introjects may have traits of their source, and almost always take on the form of their source, they are as much their own unique person as any other alter, and generally prefer to be treated as such. Please do so.

Tip #3: Don't Ask To Talk To Specific Alters.

🎻 This one is more subjective, but it's considered rude in the system community to ask an alter to switch with a different one just because you'd prefer them. This is usually seen as the equivalent of talking on the phone with someone and asking to talk to their sister, because you'd prefer to talk to her at that moment instead.

🌙 This one, as Viola said, is more subjective. If a system has expressed an openness with requests like these, it becomes more acceptable. Just remember, in general it is seen as rude in the community, and can be seen as playing favorites if done too often or if done repeatedly to the same alter.

This is one that is understandably harder for some singlets to grasp. Sometimes it's easier to think of the system as a friend group, with the "favored" alters being part of a subgroup that hang out more often than the "outcasted" members, who get left out more often. As a result, the outcast members feel rejected by both the favored members and the one favoring them. Before discovering our system, this analogy helped me understand our system friends a bit better.

Tip #4: DO NOT Intentionally Trigger Systems.

��� This shouldn't have to be said, but unfortunately it does. If a system trusts you enough to share a trigger with you, or, alternatively, you happen to discover one of their triggers, DO NOT under ANY CIRCUMSTANCES trigger them intentionally.

Your reasoning does not matter. Don't do it.

DON'T. DO. IT.

Tip #5: Alters Are People.

🌙 This one certainly doesn't apply to every system I've ever heard of, which is why it's going towards the end, but it applies to our system and most I've talked to personally. In general, most alters prefer to be referred to as their own full-fledged people, with their own names, personalities, interests, genders, sexualities, etc, etc... people.

Just keep in mind that alters aren't simply "mood swings" or "personality changes" in your friend, but that your friend has been entirely separate people all along.

Thank you so much for reading, and we hope that you learned a little more about the system experience and how to interact with systems!

System 101, over!

-Crow 🌙 -Viola 🎻

#old post #guide #system #singlet #🌙 #🎻 #osddid #did #osdd #did system #actually did #actually dissociative #endos dni

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

🎻Viola's System Positivity 🎻

My system comes from trauma, and of course, I hate I can't change that.

But I wouldn't change us.

I wouldn't change what we have.

I would never change the dynamic we have with each other. I'd never change Miriam's protectiveness over us, or Astral's sense of wonder. I'd never change Crow's love of learning everything there is to know about us, or Damien's insistence that we take care of ourselves no matter how into whatever we're currently doing we are.

I'd never change Ashe and Wrynn's playful bickering with each other, because I know they'd never change it either. I'd never change Mina's sense of innocence, though I wish it didn't have to come with such a sense of denial as well. But it's something to work on, together, and that's something amazing in and of itself.

And even if I only just became more aware of them recently, I wouldn't change a thing about Sucrose, Copycat, Octavia, or anyone else in the system [wishing to remain nameless].

Because the fact of the matter is, "the system was made to protect us" has been said a million times before. Of course, that's true. It was. But I think of us as more than a shield.

I love the smiles on everyone's faces when they get to front to do something they love. I love the fluttering of everyone's hearts when they're talking to someone they care about.

I love everyone.

I love us.

And I think that's important.

And I wouldn't change it for the world.

-Viola 🎻

#old post #positivity #personal #🎻 #osddid #did #osdd #actually did #actually dissociative #endos dni

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

Plural culture is just vibing and then seeing a singlet explain why you shouldnt self diagnose being a system and you just having. To sit there like. 'Bitch what I am I gonna do, pretend my alters dont exist? I tried that once and it was beyond detrimental to my mental health'

SINGLETS. PLEASE. GOOD GOD. Yes being professionally diagnosed is better than self dxing BUT 1. I HAVE MET SYSTEMS WHO HAVE TRIED TO BE DXED AND TURNED DOWN and 2. not being professionally dxed doesnt magically make your symptoms not impact your life until you are. Omfg.

A diagnosis is an *explanation* and something you can use to get accommodations, its not something that gives you the disorder fucking hell

Ppl in general just need to understand a diagnosis doesn't mean you start having something, it means you've had it the whole time.

And a lot of ppl DO notice their symptoms first. In fact, with ALL of our mental disorders (depression, anxiety, PTSD, paranoid personality disorder, ADHD, autism) we had ti self diagnosis first!!

We had to bring up that we thought we might have something, and want to figure out if we're right or not and then figure stuff out from there!

And ya know what, if you're wrong the worst that would happen is a therapist can help you figure out what it really is, and then you get help with that!

Also diagnosis can be expensive! Or unavailable! Or the only ppl you can afford/reach don't believe in your disorder, or aren't educated enough on it, or any other reason and then someone can't get a diagnosis!!

Self diagnosis means you recognize something isn't normal, and you can find ways to make you function in a way that benefits you.

#rants #self dx #not mine #osddid #did #osdd #actually did #actually dissociative #endos dni

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

We personally use this website as well and it is Incredibly Useful, 10/10 would recommend even though it's still in beta

-Crow 🌙

I stumbled across this on Reddit and thought it would be helpful for some people. It’s a website made by a system for systems. It includes:

A section to add altars and informations about them.

A feature to nest another system under the main one, so a feature to have subsystems.

A wish list where altars can add anything they’d like, it’s also possible to mark a wish as “granted”.

A section where you can describe your inner world.

System rules, a section where you can rules your system collectively agrees on.

Worksheets - Expanding but currently includes A Safety Plan, Before During After Plan, an exercise to invite altars to front and message in a bottle, (a place to let out your feelings).

A communal journal where altars can make posts.

Each altar can have there own journal that they can password lock if they want to

This is not a social website, there’s no feature to chat with other systems. It’s a safe place for people with PTSD and DID to explore there thoughts and feelings, identify there parts and develop healthy and positive communication internally.

#resources #not mine #osddid #did #osdd #actually dissociative #actually did

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

🌙 Crow's Alter Role + Type Masterlist 🌙

Introduction

So, I was recently speaking with some system friends of mine when they mentioned they wished there was some sort of alter role/type masterlist they could reference whenever they were unsure of the nature of a certain alter.

So, I thought, why not make one!

I've categorized the roles and types into ways that made sense to me based on trends I saw in them, but this is in no way, shape, or form considered "official" categorization.

See the full masterlist/guide below the cut!

Roles

Boosters

 A type of alter designed to hold or boost a certain emotion or feeling in the system, usually when fronting or co-con.

→ Confidence Booster: an alter that boosts the confidence of the system or specific alter(s) in front.

→ Mood Booster: an alter that boosts the mood of the system, specific alter(s) in front, or those around the system; emotions affected can range from neutral to overjoyed depending on the booster.

→ Motivator: an alter that either boosts feelings of motivation in the system or specific alter(s) in front, or helps motivate the system with encouragement.

Helpers

A type of alter designed to help the system or individual alters in a specific way.

→ Caretaker: an alter who takes care of the system, generally by caring for the body or keeping the living space tidy.

→ Internal Helper: an alter that helps take care of other alters in the innerworld; may or may not front.

→ Soother: an alter that helps soothe the body or other alters, especially in times of distress or following traumatic events.

→ Supporter: an alter who was formed to keep other alters company; often in co-con with other alters.

Holders

A type of alter designed to hold certain memories, emotions, symptoms, or otherwise within a system; oftentimes fragments, but not always. 

→ Anger Holder: an alter that holds the system’s anger; might be more likely to lash out than other alters.

→ Pain Holder: an alter that helps deal with physical ailments in the body, such as pain or sickness; likely has an easier time handling said ailments than other alters.

→ Symptom Holder: an alter that holds or more strongly exhibits symptoms of mental illness or neurodivergent behaviors; may exhibit symptoms of disorders not apparent in the system as a whole.

→ Trauma Holder: an alter that holds significant trauma; may have more vivid memory of the event(s) or memories not recalled by other alters; often more affected by said trauma.

Protectors

A type of alter that helps protect against various types of harm to the system.

→ Aggressive Protector: a protector that’s more likely to be steadfast and have more aggressive mannerisms or methods than other protectors, but not to such a harmful degree as persecutors.

→ Emotional Protector: an alter that protects against emotional harm and/or abuse.

→ Mental Protector: an alter that helps protect against mental harm/abuse.

→ Persecutor: a misguided protector that tends to act harmfully towards others in the system, the body, or those around the system, whether in an outwardly aggressive or self-destructive manner.

→ Physical Protector: an alter that helps protect against physical harm/abuse.

→ Sexual Protector: an alter that helps protect against sexual harm/abuse.

Situational

A type of alter that tends to front and/or is especially good at handling specific situations.

→ Academic Alter: an alter that is more inclined to help with academic affairs, such as homework, attending classes, studying, etc.

→ Sexual Alter: an alter that is highly sexual in nature; may or may not have formed to cope with sexual trauma; not considered a protector.

→ Social Alter: an alter that is more inclined to help with social affairs; may be more social or extroverted than other alters. 

Specialized

Alter roles that do not fit into the above categories.

→ Host: the alter that fronts the most and handles most day-to-day situations; may be responsible for many or most decisions.

→ Gatekeeper: an alter that has a greater degree of control over the front than other alters; may guard the fronting room and/or have more knowledge of the system as a whole than other alters.

→ Manager: an alter that has an easier time making decisions for the system; often more logic-driven than other alters.

Types

Ages

→ Little: a child alter aged 10 or under.

→ Middle: a tween/teen alter aged 11-17.

Formed Source

→ Introject: an alter who formed with traits, background, or full identity of an outside source; may be a real-life source such as a person or childhood toy, or a fictional source, such as a character.

→ Partial Introject: an alter regarded as “brainmade” with connections to an outside source, but not strong enough ties to be considered a full introject. → Sourceless: an alter who has no discernable outside source.

Introjects

→ Factive: an introject who takes on traits or identity from a real person.

→ Fictive: an introject who takes on traits or identity from a fictional source, often characters in media.

→ Songtive: an introject who takes on traits or identity based on a song.

→ Playtive: an introject who takes on traits or identity based on a toy, usually one from childhood.

Sentience

→ Alter: a fully sentient and independent alter who is able to function on their own.

→ Companion: a complex established NPC, often animals, that are tied to specific alters and often accompany them; generally can only be understood by their associated alters. 

→ Fragment: an alter who is fully sentient, but not generally independent and able to function on their own; often hold specific feelings, symptoms, or memories.

→ NPC: a being in the innerworld who is not sentient or considered an alter; named after the term “non-player character.” 

Species

→ Human: an alter who presents as a human.

→ Nonhuman: an alter who presents as any other species than human; often as an animal, supernatural creature, or humanoid with animalistic features.

Disclaimer: Many of these terms are coined within the OSDDID community, and are not official terms used by medical professionals.

Alters are in no way bound to any roles, and may have as many or few as they feel comfortable with.

This list is purely here for reference and may or may not be updated with more terms or improved definitions in the future.

Thanks for reading!

-Crow 🌙

#guide #alter roles #alter types #🌙 #osddid #did #osdd #actually dissociative #actually did #endos dni

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

I recently noticed that oftentimes when I'm talking about something small that makes me happy, I'll start with "I know it's silly, but..." or end with "...it's a little weird, I know."

So, message to everyone (especially fellow neurodivergent folk with hyperfixations and special interests):

Stop doing that!!

NEVER downplay the things that make you happy!

Even if it's small! Even if it's your whole entire world! Even if it's super niche! Even if it's popular!

Be proud of the things that make you smile! If someone says it's weird or dumb, kick them out of the conversation! A good judgmental look while still talking despite their comment will make them feel awkward and give you the appearance of confidence! Don't be ashamed!

TLDR; Be proud of what makes you happy! If it makes you happy, that's a wonderful thing and there's no need to downplay it! You will feel more confident in yourself if you talk without shame!

-Grey 🌑

#old post #positivity #happiness #🌑 #general #mental health #neurodivergent #autism #adhd

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

🌑 Grey's Guide to Fictives 🌑

Introduction

Hi again, everyone! So, following the guide I just made on alters, I realized that fictives were the least researched and most misunderstood outside of the OSDDID community. As part of a fictive-heavy system (over half of our members being fictives), I felt this was an incredibly important topic to inform people about.

Almost every system we've ever met has at least one fictive, or even a higher count than us. The idea that such a common type of alter is so misunderstood, even to the point of being used as a basis for fakeclaiming, is frustrating.

So, I bring to you today... Grey's Guide to Fictives!

What Are Fictives?

Fictives, as I briefly explained in my Guide to Alters, are alters that formed their identities based on a fictional source. This includes books, movies, tv shows, video games, songs, and any other form of fictional media.

Although the formation of fictives isn't well researched, it is heavily speculated that they form as a result of a survival need in the system. Often this need is a trait the fictive's source possesses. In some cases, this is a trait of the character themselves. Other times, it is simply a need for the comfort the character/source provides.

Are Fictives Real/Valid?

Fictives are a well-documented phenomenon within the OSDDID community, and becoming more recognized within the psychological community as well. In the medical community, they fall under the label introject. The vast majority of systems we've met personally have at least one fictive within their system, often more. Considering their consistent prevalence in the community, including officially diagnosed systems, it seems irresponsible to declare every system with fictives invalid.

Fictives are often used to argue the invalidity of brashly self-diagnosed youth on social media (most notably, TikTok). While the validity of these teenagers' self-diagnoses is questionable, fictives are a very real phenomenon that should not be used as a criteria for faking. To judge based solely on presence or number of fictives in a system is unfair to real systems.

This discourse is a major cause of anxiety for many systems, so it's best to err on the understanding side and avoid using the presence of fictives as a judgment tool.

Pseudomemories

Fictives may or may not experience pseudomemories of their source; that is, memories of experiencing the events of their source despite the events not happening to the body, brain, and system as a whole.

Pseudomemories have no impact on the overall validity or canonical nature of a fictive. They can, however, be incredibly distressing in some situations and serve as a legitimate trigger for a fictive. Pseudomemories can also cause longing for their sourcemates, other characters present in the fictive's source.

Pseudomemories, even those in fictives, can sometimes give insight into the true repressed memories of a system.

Fictive Myths/Misconceptions

Besides the obvious myth of validity resolved above, there are many other misconceptions about fictives that are not often addressed.

Myth: fictives are always exactly like their source.

The idea that fictives form as a result of a needed trait being present in a fictional character lends to the idea that fictives are always the same as their source. However, this isn't always true.

Fictives can be different from their source, or source-divergent, for a few different reasons. If a fictive is formed early into a system's consumption of the source, they'll sometimes have the chance to develop as their own individual before completing the source. Even in the case of a fictive forming late into--or even after finishing--their source, fictives' personalities or identities as a whole may be influenced by the brain's passive interpretation or needs from the fictive. And, of course, fictives can grow and develop as their own individual just the same as anyone else.

Immediately assuming a fictive is the same as their source and treating them as such can be seen as offensive, insensitive, or ignorant. It's always important to remember that fictives are not their source, but their own people.

Myth: systems can choose who they introject as a fictive/what sources they introject from.

Systems can't choose who they form as a fictive any more than they can any other alter. This myth is incredibly harmful, especially to systems who form fictives from "problematic" sources. Even these fictives are introjected without conscious control of the system.

Calling out a system with a "problematic" fictive is problematic in and of itself, as you would both be assuming the fictive is the same as their source, as well as implying they purposefully chose to do so.

This misconception likely comes from the trend of systems forming fictives of comfort characters. Although potentially desirable (though not always), even in these cases the system doesn't simply choose to form said fictive. A fictive will only form if the brain sees a need for them.

Myth: fictives are always positive.

You would assume that if the brain chooses a character to introject based on a need, these fictives would always be an entirely positive occurrence. While fictives are most certainly based on a need, these needs are sometimes maladaptive due to the brain's misinterpretation of healthy coping in response to trauma. This can result in a fictive that serves as a persecutor.

This isn't to say that persecutory fictives should be treated poorly. As with any persecutor, they need to be treated with understanding and compassion in order to learn healthier coping strategies.

Conclusion

Despite not being a fictive myself, I hope with my experience with my fictive sysmates and additional research I was able to describe fictives in a more understandable and less misinformed way. If I missed anything, feel free to let me know and I can always add it in!

As always, sources are listed below. Thanks for reading!

-Grey 🌑

Sources

(Listed in order of use in the post)

Fictive Alters in Dissociative Identity Disorder, HealthyPlace https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/dissociativeliving/2018/02/fictional-introjects-in-dissociative-identity-disorder#:~:text=fictives%20are%20alters%20that%20are,Oliver

Introjects – What are Introjects?, Discussing Dissociation https://www.discussingdissociation.com/2009/05/introjects-what-are-introjects/

Trying to Keep It Real: My Experience in Developing Clinical Approaches to the Treatment of DID, Richard P. Kluft https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/ISSTD/2982dbc1-b56c-421c-a2b6-aa7b3283bec0/UploadedImages/2022_Frontiers_Final_Articles_with_DOI/Ryan_Owens_-Frontiers_Volume-1_Kluft_Final__1.pdf

Alter Functions/Jobs, Dissociative Identity Disorder Research https://did-research.org/did/alters/functions

False Memories, Dissociative Identity Disorder Research https://did-research.org/controversy/repression/fms

#old post #guide #fictives #🌑 #osddid #did #osdd #actually did #actually dissociative #endos dni

[how-to-train-your-didragon]

🌑 Grey's Guide to Alters 🌑

Hey everyone! It's been a while since I posted the Guide to Systems--my bad. In the meantime, I've reblogged a few resources and guides from other blogs that I thought some of you might find helpful, so feel free to go check those out!

Getting into our guide today though, I thought a good follow up to the Guide to Systems would be a Guide to Alters (still getting through the basics of systemhood, as you can see)! This guide will mainly be broken down into two categories: types of alters, and alter roles. Of course, it'd be difficult to include every single term out there, so I'll mostly just go over the most common ones.

Disclaimer: not every alter fits into a certain type or role, or wants to be labeled as such. This post is meant as a guide for commonly used terms, not to push anyone into labels they don't like.

See the rest of the guide under the cut!

What Are Alters?

Alters are dissociated self-states (also known as identities) in a person with dissociative identity disorder (DID) or other specified dissociative disorder, type 1 (OSDD-1). These identities are unique to themselves and may have amnesia between each other, in the case of DID and OSDD-1a.

Alters have been misidentified as simply "personalities" in the past, inspiring the outdated name of multiple personality disorder. In reality, alters are more than just personalities, having their own names, genders, sexualities, ages, interests, hobbies, likes, dislikes, and so on.

Although not technically correct from a psychological standpoint, alters often like to be referred to and seen as their own separate people. Though some see this approach as counterintuitive, it has been proven to be beneficial in treatment.

Types of Alters

When discussing alter types, there's a few different traits I'm talking about. The following list mainly describes alter identity and presentation, as opposed to their nature or specific behaviors. I'll go more in-depth on the latter in the "Alter Roles" segment of this post.

In the theory of structural dissociation, there is a separate, unrelated category of alter/part types (apparently normal parts and emotional parts) that I will not be discussing in this guide.

Sourceless

An alter is considered sourceless when their identity is in no way linked to an outside source, such as media or real-life people. Their identity is completely unique, with very little to no input from an outside source. This term is considered the opposite of introject.

Sourceless is a term created by the OSDDID community, and is not considered a medical term.

Introject

An introject is the opposite of sourceless; their identity is heavily drawn from or influenced by an outside source. These types of alters are considered to be introjected into the system, giving them that name.

Although formed based on an outside source, introjects very rarely identify as their source itself. It is important to keep in mind that despite popular belief, introjects are NOT their source, and deserve to be treated as their own individuals.

There are two main categories of introjects: fictives and factives.

Fictive

Fictives are introjects that formed from a fictional source. This can range from books, movies, shows, video games, songs, and so on.

Although fictives are not well researched as of yet, it is speculated that they form as a result of comfort, escapism, and survival needs based on splitting trends.

Fictives are often used as a basis of fakeclaiming systems, despite being relatively commonplace in the OSDDID community and in the process of gaining more awareness within the psychological community.

Factive

Factives are introjects that formed from a real-life source, often family members, abusers, celebrities, or those otherwise close to the system. These alters form for similar reasons as fictives.

Factives are widely recognized within the psychological community, originally being the reason for the term "introject."

Although the term introject is considered a medical term, both fictive and factive are community-based terms. They are only recently beginning to come to light in the psychological community.

Fragment

Fragments are alters whose identities aren't as fully developed as other alters. They may have less in-depth personalities or a vague sense of self. They often form for a specific task, and are more common in polyfragmented systems.

Little

A little is an alter that presents as a child, usually between the ages of 2-11. The older equivalent (ages 12-17) are called middles.

In the case where an alter shifts between being an adult, middle, or little, they are known as an age slider.

It is important to keep in mind that despite being in an older body, littles are still considered children and should be treated as such.

Also known as syskids.

Nonhuman

Nonhuman alters present as anything other than human. This could be anything from animals to humanoids with supernatural features. These alters may or may not experience species dysphoria.

Alter Roles

Within a system, there is often a pattern of traits or behaviors that categorizes any given alter into a certain "role." Both introjects and sourceless alters can hold any role in a system.

Not all alters fit into a clear-cut role, so some identify with multiple roles or none at all.

There are too many role labels to mention in a single post, so keep in mind that the following list is non-exhaustive and only includes the most common terms.

Host

The host of the system is simply the alter that fronts the most. Generally, these alters take care of everyday activities. In DID, they may have more amnesia regarding traumatic incidences than other alters.

The host is not the "first," "original," or "core" alter, as those do not exist as people assume under the theory of structural dissociation.

A system may not have a host in the case of frequent rapid-switching or equally shared fronting time, or may have multiple hosts known as co-hosts.

Subtypes: co-host, temporary host

Caretaker

Caretakers are known for their willingness to take care of the body and soothe alters in distress. This often looks like taking showers, making food, cleaning, and other self care tasks when other alters aren't able to.

Subtypes: soother, internal helper, motivator

Gatekeeper

Gatekeepers have the unique ability to control switching to a degree. They can often block certain alters' access to the front or initiate a switch. They are also sometimes able to control alters' access to certain memories.

Gatekeepers tend to know more about the system than other alters. Oftentimes they are portrayed as cold and distant, though this is not necessarily true for all gatekeepers.

Subtypes: N/A

Protector

Just as the name suggests, protectors are there to protect the system. There are three main types of protectors: physical, emotional, and sexual.

The way a protector behaves is generally based on the personality and trauma held by the protector itself. This spectrum of protective behaviors can range from anything as simple as fronting to take stress off the host or other fronting alter to verbal or physical aggression.

Subtypes: physical protector, emotional protector, sexual protector/alter, persecutor

Persecutor

A persecutor is considered a misguided protector, and often counteracts the goals of the system as a means of protection. This is usually in the form of self-destructive behaviors.

People tend to think of persecutors as "evil" alters who wish to harm the system as a whole. This is extremely harmful misinformation. Persecutors believe they are protecting the system in their own way, and must be treated with (albeit sometimes stern) compassion in order to heal. Villainizing them only serves to isolate them further, which often makes destructive behaviors worse.

Subtypes: N/A

Trauma/Symptom Holder

This group of alters often hold unwanted traits or memories that would be dangerous for other alters to share or present.

On occasion, these alters will embody the memory or symptom they hold (ex. a trauma holder constantly reliving a memory, or an anger holder always being intensely angry), though they can also be just as diverse and functional as other alters.

Subtypes: anger holder, depression holder, etc.

Conclusion

Hopefully this guide was helpful in explaining the basics of what alters are and the common terms associated with them! I'll most likely make additional guides/tips later for individual alter roles, but I wanted to just briefly introduce the terms in this post.

As usual, the sources for this post are listed below! Let me know if there's any other guides, general or specific, you'd like me to make!

-Grey 🌑

Sources

(Listed in order of use in the post)

Alters, Dissociative Identity Disorder Research https://did-research.org/did/alters/

Trying to Keep It Real: My Experience in Developing Clinical Approaches to the Treatment of DID, Richard P. Kluft https://higherlogicdownload.s3.amazonaws.com/ISSTD/2982dbc1-b56c-421c-a2b6-aa7b3283bec0/UploadedImages/2022_Frontiers_Final_Articles_with_DOI/Ryan_Owens_-Frontiers_Volume-1_Kluft_Final__1.pdf

Introjects - What are Introjects?, Discussing Dissociation https://www.discussingdissociation.com/2009/05/introjects-what-are-introjects/

Alter Functions/Jobs, Dissociative Identity Disorder Research https://did-research.org/did/alters/functions

#old post #guide #alters #🌑 #osddid #did #osdd #actually did #actually dissociative #endos dni