Identifying as otherkin or having kintypes can be a fantastic coping mechanism or a spiritual belief, however, neither coping nor spirituality are exempt from potentially being ableist.
Use the word “system” to describe your collection of kintypes. This is a word used by people with Dissociative Identity Disorder to describe the collection of identities severe childhood trauma split off. This is not appropriate to use for kin. This especially goes for alter- alters are trauma-split identity fragments in DID, not kintypes. I’d prefer you not use “headmates” either, regardless of what kin experiences you’re using the word to describe, there’s probably a better word to use.
Use the word fronting to describe kinshifts. Instead of, “Keith is fronting right now,” please try “I’m kinshifting Keith,” “I’m really feeling Keith right now,” etc. Fronting is related to alters and DID. It’s not appropriate to use for kin.
Claim amnesia between kinshifts. Kinshifts are shifts of your identity, how you feel, how you react to situations. You shouldn’t have memory issues or a different core identity between kinshifts, and if you do, you need to seek professional help because you could be having seizures or another serious issue.
Intentionally fracture off parts of yourself or treat specific kintypes as “not you.”
Diagnose your kintypes with mental illnesses and claim to have those mental illnesses because of kintypes. If you feel like you might have a severe mental illness, it’s up to you to cope with that and work on feeling better.
Equate kin memories to repressed memories or “true” body memories. If a part of your spirituality is believing in past lives and you have memories of your kintypes, that’s great! However, equating it to recovered trauma memories, body memories (things you’ve experienced in this lifetime), etc is ableist.
Don’t take up trauma survivor’s spaces based on kin memories of trauma. If you have a kintype that’s survived CSA, you may not claim space as a CSA survivor unless you’ve experienced that trauma in this body/life. If you have repressed trauma, it could present as nightmares and you could misinterpret that as kin memories. If you have nightmares of trauma or think you have traumatic kin memories, it’s definitely worth looking into with a therapist. You could be recovering memories and it would be damaging to cast them aside as kin memories.
Seek professional help if kintypes make you feel worse. If you feel out of control, if you feel like kintypes are controlling you or hurting yourself/others, if you feel disconnected from reality, if you have vivid or traumatic kin memories, if you have hallucinations/delusions, if kintypes make you feel worse instead of better at any point, please seek professional help. There could be something else going on.
Do educate yourself on the differences between tulpas, soulbonds, kintypes, etc and alters. Fictives (fictional introjects) are a type of alter, which again are specific to DID. Alters are split off from severe childhood trauma, and fictives are just alters who have similar grounded identities to that of fictional characters. This is not equatable to kintypes, IDs, soulbonds, etc.
Listen to members of marginalized groups and keep your coping and spiritual beliefs free of ableism, racism, transphobia, etc!
Use your kintypes to make yourself a better person! It can be a powerful coping tool and a powerful tool for spirituality! If you’re using kin to cope with trauma, mental illness, everyday life, etc, that’s great. I’m pro-kin, just not pro-ableism and silencing of trauma survivors!
Kintypes are not the same as alters. The core difference is that kintypes are you, whereas alters are split from severe dissociation and trauma and are not you. It’s disrespectful and ableist to equate these.
Most of the time, kintypes and related beliefs and behaviors can be changed and directed. If your behavior is ableist, racist, or unhealthy for you, it can be changed for the positive! Coping behaviors and spiritual beliefs are not exempt from criticism.
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