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this blog is dedicated to making treatment for complex dissociative disorders available to those who don't have the privilege to go to therapy. while the treatment center is specialized in plurality/multiplicity it may also be helpful for singletons with other dissociative disorders.
use these resources with caution and reevaluate frequently if they are still helpful and healthy. remember recovery looks different for everyone. we are no professionals, just a system with a special interest in psychology that doesn't fit in the mental health system ("treatment resistant"). please feel free to educate us with further resources or your own experience!
this blog does not have a do not interact list, engage respectfully and don't fake claim.
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we are a mutual aid server for plurals and systems, we are dedicated to making information on complex dissociative disorders available to those without access to therapy. we are not professionals, we can only provide resources, mutual support and connection.
mutual support for plurals
resources on complex dissociative disorders (DID, OSDD, p-DID, UDD)
open to all stances, no syscourse
https://discord.gg/p4EDRvVq2H
Check out the CDD treatment center community on Discord - hang out with 12 other members and enjoy free voice and text chat.
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Mutual Aid Server
we are currently working on making a server that's connected to this Tumblr blog. this way we do not only have an archive but can also make the information more widely available. the server will contain the same information as here but will include a social area for mutual aid.
similar to this blog the server is open to anyone who needs this kind of information. the server will contain very different stances as long as everyone behaves respectfully towards each other. no fake claiming or harassment!
The server still needs moderators and other helpers. If you are interested in helping me out with this project in any kind of way you can DM us or send an ask with your discord account and I will add you! (Other nerds and social moderators especially needed)
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Nighttime can be difficult for a lot of complex trauma survivors because of night terrors, sleep paralysis, terrible nightmares and more.
Nighttime routine
A nighttime routine can help to tell your mind when it's time to slowly calm down. Do your personal self care like brushing your teeth, taking a shower... try to put away screens 30 minutes before bed or get an app that makes the color more orange when it's time to go to bed soon, you can also get an app that locks other apps so you cannot access social media after a certain time. Try to play some calming melodies or white noise if you feel stressed without stimulation.
Ones you are ready for bed try to ease into it. Don't just go straight to sleep but have some time to yourself and get any thought or worries from the day out of your mind. You can do this via Journaling, Mind Imagery, talking to yourself or anything that helps you. Do some grounding, look around and tell yourself out loud or in your mind where you are, which year it is, that you are safe. You can do this with a self guided meditation or just while calmly sitting/laying in your bed.
After that lay down and get yourself comfortable, grab your stuffy or any comforting item you may have. Now is the time to practice more self soothing things like safe place imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, color breathing, or just envisioning a special place you’d like to visit. Hopefully it shouldn't take too long until you drift off.
Life can happen, it's ok if you miss a step or two once in a while, it's also ok if you miss whole days. Just try to guide yourself back to your routine and maybe change things out you ignore regularly.
Journaling
Learn a coping skill called containment where you learn to put away stuff from your life temporarily so you can continue with your day or in this case your night.
Take some time to think about your day and all the stressors, things you need to do tomorrow and other thoughts crossing your mind. Write those things down or imagine putting them in a imaginary and temporary box in your mind. Acknowledge how these things are affecting you. (The same thing also works with writing down intrusive nightmares)
This should help you to stop stuffing down feelings and thoughts so they won't be distressing when trying to sleep. Your journal gives these thoughts a place to go and to rest until you feel ready to revisit them. Try to keep night journaling short, it doesn't even have to be sentences. This is to empty out your mind, not to make it active again. Longer journaling should be done throughout the day but not right before bed.
Now that all the stressful stuff is out we don't want to stay with this icky feeling, try to end your journal with positive imagery or writing down a few things that were positive that day or what you are grateful for.
Internal Parts
Alters or internal parts can be a reason for why you are unable to sleep, wether that's intentionally or not. You may want to hear inside or communicate through other means if someone may be scared to go to sleep, feel like you need to be more productive to "earn" to sleep or stay up as a form of punishment. But it could also just be that someone near front wanted to cuddle with a specific stuffy to go to bed, wear comfort items or listen to an audiobook before sleep.
There could also be nighttime triggers you are unaware of which need to be met before everyone feels safe enough to sleep. Maybe someone is scared of the dark and would benefit from a night light or someone needs to have the door lock checked before going to sleep, maybe some internal parts want to be tucked in from caretaking parts in the inner world. For some issues there may be quick fixes while others need you to work on it for a long time.
Some people will also benefit from medication, while you should try to deal with all the other issues mentioned above, it's just important for your body to get that rest. Sometimes melatonin spray will already help but for other sleep medication you should have a talk with your doctor and research what could fit for you.
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hello people, I started this blog with posting one post a day because I wanted to get the base information out of the way. now that most of the upcoming posts I'm planning need more in depth research I'm gonna reduce the amount of posts I do. from now until further notice we will post 1-2 posts a week.
thank you all for liking and reblogging my posts. I'm glad that this knowledge is really needed.
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read more under the cut
"Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may develop following exposure to an extremely threatening or horrific event or series of events."
source (link)
Diagnostic requirements
Essential features:
Exposure to an event or situation (either short- or long-lasting) of an extremely threatening or horrific nature. Such events include, but are not limited to, directly experiencing natural or human-made disasters, combat, serious accidents, torture, sexual violence, terrorism, assault or acute life-threatening illness (e.g., a heart attack); witnessing the threatened or actual injury or death of others in a sudden, unexpected, or violent manner; and learning about the sudden, unexpected or violent death of a loved one.
Following the traumatic event or situation, the development of a characteristic syndrome lasting for at least several weeks, consisting of all three core elements:
Re-experiencing the traumatic event in the present, in which the event(s) is not just remembered but is experienced as occurring again in the here and now. This typically occurs in the form of vivid intrusive memories or images; flashbacks, which can vary from mild (there is a transient sense of the event occurring again in the present) to severe (there is a complete loss of awareness of present surroundings), or repetitive dreams or nightmares that are thematically related to the traumatic event(s). Re-experiencing is typically accompanied by strong or overwhelming emotions, such as fear or horror, and strong physical sensations. [...] different from normal remembering.
Avoiding triggers to avoid re-experiencing the traumatic event(s). Internally avoiding thoughts and memories or external avoidance of people, conversations, activities, or situations that remind you of the event(s). In extreme cases the person may change their environment (e.g., move to a different city or change jobs) to avoid reminders.
Heightened perception of current threat like hypervigilance or an enhanced startle reaction to stimuli such as unexpected noises. Hypervigilant persons constantly guard themselves against danger and feel themselves or others close to them to be under immediate threat either in specific situations or more generally.
The disturbance results in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning. If functioning is maintained, it is only through significant additional effort.
Additional features:
Common symptomatic presentations of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder may also include general dysphoria, dissociative symptoms, somatic complaints, suicidal ideation and behaviour, social withdrawal, excessive alcohol or drug use to avoid re-experiencing or manage emotional reactions, anxiety symptoms including panic, and obsessions or compulsions in response to memories or reminders of the trauma.
The emotional experience of individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder commonly includes anger, shame, sadness, humiliation, or guilt, including survivor guilt.
Boundary to Normality:
A history of exposure to an event or situation of an extremely threatening or horrific nature does not in itself indicate the presence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Many people experience such stressors without developing a disorder. Rather, the presentation must meet all diagnostic requirements for the disorder.
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"Attachment theory explains how emotional bonds form between individuals, especially between a child and their primary caregiver" (Salcuni, 2015).
The thought is that humans are biologically programmed to form attachments to survive, and that the quality of these attachments affects our development and our experience of life and relationships throughout our lives (Bowlby, 1979).
source (link)
The attachment theory originated from Bowlby and categorizes the attachment of children to their primary caregiver in secure and insecure attachments. He says that the quality of these attachments will later on affect our ability to cope, our development and relationships.
Research suggests that securely attached children grow into adults who are better able to form healthy, trusting relationships (Groh et al., 2017). They are more likely to display high self-esteem and have better emotional regulation (Cooke et al., 2019).
In contrast, children with insecure attachments may struggle with relationships, experience anxiety, or have difficulty managing emotions (Doyle & Cicchetti, 2017).
Caregiver factors (age, education level, financial security, psychosocial security, and health during and experience of pregnancy and labor, as well as postpartum care such as rooming-in, skin-to-skin contact, early initiation of breastfeeding, etc.), Infant factors (health problems, premature birth, sex, and moods) and environmental factors (genetic, environmental, and cultural) are associated with influencing the development of attachment.
In severe cases, attachment disruptions in early childhood can lead to attachment disorders, which may manifest as avoidance, aggression, or extreme emotional dependency (Kochanska & Kim, 2012).
The 4 attachment styles
secure — Secure attachment is the ability to build healthy, fulfilling and long-lasting relationships.
Signs of a secure attachment: trust others easily, communicate effectively, regulate your emotions, feel comfortable when you spend time alone, connect with others easily, manage conflict in a healthy way, make yourself emotionally available to the people in your life
insecure ambivalent — Anxious/Ambivalent attachment is a type of insecure attachment. People with anxious/ambivalent attachment often have a fear of rejection and abandonment. They may seek validation from someone outside of themselves.
Signs of ambivalent attachment: feelings of unworthiness, a high sensitivity to criticism, difficulty spending time alone, low self-esteem, difficulty trusting other people, feelings of jealousy, fear of rejection or abandonment
insecure avoidant — Avoidant attachment style is another type of insecure attachment. People with avoidant attachment may have difficulty building meaningful relationships due to fear of intimacy.
Signs of avoidant attachment: feel a strong sense of independence, dismiss others easily, have difficulty trusting others, feel uneasy when people try to get close to you, avoid intimacy (emotional or physical), have commitment issues
insecure disorganized — Disorganized attachment style is a third type of insecure attachment. People with disorganized attachment may exhibit inconsistent behavior or have trouble trusting others.
Signs of disorganized attachment: difficulty trusting others, trouble regulating your emotions, signs of anxious and avoidant attachment styles, a fear of rejection, confusing or contradictory behaviors
Insecure attachments are associated with PTSD with the highest count having Ambivalent/Anxious attachment. source (link)
Even tho the 4 types are widely accepted there are still some people criticizing the theory for:
the western centric framework (Thompson et al., 2022), neglecting the contributions of other caregivers like fathers and grandparents (Fegran et al. 2008), neglecting evolutionary trade-offs (Ein-Dor and Hirschberger 2016) or how rigid the framework is suggesting that attachment styles may change throughout life (Belsky, 2002).
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The term split or splitting is used in psychology for a couple of things, most know is probably splitting in BPD where you cannot hold opposing emotions, thoughts or beliefs. It's when you see the world in black and white — all or nothing.
"Splitting is the act of creating a new alter in dissociative identity disorder (DID) or other specified dissociative disorder (OSDD-1). [...] The newer theory of how alters are created is that of structural dissociation. According to this theory, alters are created when no existing parts can integrate new materials (e.g., memories, strong emotions, perceptions, attachment styles) because these materials are too threatening or are perceived as conflicting too strongly with what is already held."
source (link)
Splitting in CDDs refers to the formation of a new alter typically through external stress. Some splits may form from fusing multiple fragments together, in that case the split may be seen as a sign of healing.
Depending on the system and the tolerance of stress they may be more or less prone to splitting. Some polyfragmented systems may split in groups of two or more alters and may have complex splitting patterns.
Newly split alter are not always well developed (fragments) and may take some time to elaborate themselves. More interaction and fronting will usually help fragments develop a more distinct sense of self, they may start out with just one primary function or emotion. In some cases, alters may be clearly differentiated from some other alters but appear highly similar to alters that handle a similar "theme".
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"Switching refers to one alter taking control of the body, being given control by another alter, or gaining prominence over another alter."
source (link)
Switches can look a number of different ways, they can be consensual, forced or triggered.
If two alters agree to switch (consensual switching) there is usually some amount of co consciousness and internal communication needed. Planned switches at a certain time are also a type of consensual switching, for example the host asking a more academic alter to be in front for a test at a certain date.
If one alter isn't ok with switching that is referred to as forced switching. This can happen when the fronting alter is unexpectedly retreated inside and another one has to jump in quickly or when a alter is being pushed into front and a less dominant alter gets pushed inside because of it.
If non of the members agreed to the switch it is referred to as triggered switching. This happens when a perceived stimuli forces out another alter who may be better at handling it.
The term trigger is most often used for negative stimuli that causes a dissociative or posttraumatic reaction. Some also use it for positive or neutral stimuli.
Switches can happen rapidly fast or you can also be stuck in a switch for quite some time. Slow switches usually happen with consensual switching going from one alter in front to two being co consciousness, blending and then the other one retreating back or inside. They can also happen with intense dissociation which may make you stuck in a switch because alters cannot connect with the mind and body. Quick switching can happen in various ways. Triggered switching is usually fast but too many triggers can cause rapid switching or rapid cycling, pushing a number of alters into front in which succession. This can happen over an hour or just a couple of minutes.
Internal signs of a switch: feeling "spacey", depersonalized, or derealized; blurred vision; feeling distanced or slowed down; feeling an alter's presence; or feeling like time is beginning to jump (indicating minor episodes of time loss).
External signs of a switch: heavy blinking as if the individual is just waking up; mild muscle spasms or jerks; disorientation or visible confusion; checking the clock or one's watch; seeming not to remember anything that just happened; complaining of a mild or moderate headache; adjusting clothing or posture; clearing one's throat before speaking so that the tone or pitch changes; or a change in vocabulary, syntax, preference, opinion, temperament, skills, or general personality.
Switches are most often covert meaning you won't necessarily see them from outside especially not if not close to the system. Sometimes even the system itself doesn't realize the switch.
Passive influence can be described as intrusions from alters that are not currently prominent in the mind or using the body. Most often you won't fully switch but rather experience a passive influence like ego-alien thoughts, feelings, emotions, opinions, preferences, urges, or actions, gaining skills and abilities that the alter do not usually have, losing skills and abilities that they would expect to always be there (such as reading or recognizing loved ones). Memories that are recieved through passive influence may not remain once the influence is over, leaving the fronting alter unable to recall what the memory contained, passive influence may also lead to certain memories, emotions, sensations, or views becoming inaccessible to the fronting alter until the influence ends.
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This post will be a guide to help you build up your imagination skills. Feel free to edit this so it fits you and use it for imagining your innerworld.
Pick a time where you are safe and won't be disturbed. We recommend when going to bed or brushing your teeth so it's easier to create a habit around it since that happens daily.
Find a comfortable position you can stay in and take some deep grounding breaths. Allow yourself to feel your body resting on the ground below you, become aware of your feet and lower legs, feel any pressure or soreness from your muscles. Then become aware of your knees and thighs, your hips and belly and anything that's going on inside of it. Then your chest and shoulders, then go down your arms to your hands and finally become aware of your neck and head. Try to sit with the feeling for a moment before you tense up every muscle you can find for a few seconds and relax them afterwards. Feel how your body sinks further into the ground and how heavy it gets. Take a few deep breaths, in through the nose and out of the mouth.
Allow yourself to let your body be and start to imagine a tree. What kind of tree are you thinking about? Has it needles or leafs? Try to picture the tree in full detail. Does it have any blossoms? How does the stem look like?
Engage your other senses as well. What does the tree smell like? Can you imagine the feeling of your hand against it? Try to imagine the sound of wind blowing through the leafs.
Take a break here if this are your first couple of times trying to imagine things, until you feel confident in remembering the tree at different times of the day.
When you confidently can get the picture in your head try adding things around the tree. You can start with a single tree in a garden and then go further into imagining the house. How big is the garden? Do you have flowers in there or growing vegetables? Does the tree have a treehouse or a little house for birds?
How does the house look like from outside? How big is it? Does it have many windows? Like what does it smell like? Do you have a fitting and calm song or melody in your head? What kind of furniture do you have? Can you smell the old resin of it? How does the couch feel underneath you? Is it comfortable? Do you have comfy carpets around the house?
Try to picture the tree, house and garden in more and more detail each time you go visit it. Remember that you are in full control of how your innerworld looks. If you feel not safe enough maybe you need guards or Witches protecting your space.
Slowly start to guide your concentration back to your body. Become aware of your breathing and how your body feels resting on the surface underneath you. You can start by stretching out your arms and legs and opening up your eyes. Take a few deep breaths in through the nose and out of the mouth. You should feel yourself slowly grounding more and more. Getting more aware of your body and what is happening around you.
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An innerworld (link) can be helpful for internal communication and system organization, but it's not exclusive to systems. Not everyone has one right away, most need to learn how to build it. Here is how.
Some people have trouble imagining things at all if you cannot imagine a picture try to involve your other senses more. If you cannot imagine color keep it black and white and work on that another time. -> [link to guide]
Don't jump straight into trying to imagine a room, let's start with something small first.
Imagine an apple. Try to imagine the shape of it and the little stem above. Maybe with a little leaf too.
Try to imagine the apple in color now. Is it green or red? Does it have spots that are lighter? What color is the stem and the leaf? Are there any dark spots?
Try to turn the apple. Look at it from all sides.
Try to imagine how the apple would feel in your hand. Try to imagine the taste and feel in your mouth.
After that take a break, go after normal life stuff. Later try to access the picture of the apple again and repeat until you feel confident doing so. Then you can start imagining other things around the apple, like a table where it's sitting on. Try to engage as many senses as you can to make your imagination more life like.
Even if your innerworld might pop up at a later time it's never bad to have a safe place everyone can access and socialize in. Try to make your innerworld fitting to all of you not just the host or the alter reading this right now. And remember it's in your imagination, if anything goes wrong you have the power to delete or change it. You can make your innerworld the most accessible to you like adding a sound system so you can talk with everyone or a chatroom. If you find yourself having problems concentrating try to take a break and do it at another time when you're more grounded.
[ID: A white note with the colorful plural rings on the left reading "CDD treatment center "... take a seat!"" ID end]
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Roles are a tool to describe alters in a system. They are used to describe what an alter does for the system or what they frequently do while fronting. Roles should be used in a self descriptive way, not assigned to someone. Not every alter (or every system) has roles.
There are a bunch of different labels out there and more get coined each week. But most of them can be categorized as one of these:
source (link)
host: an alter in the system who fronts most regularly for everyday life and typically handles daily living better than others. they often have increased denial about being a system.
protector: an alter in the system who is there to protect in any form, some may be more physically protective while others are more socially or sexually protective.
caretaker: an alter in the system who takes care of other alters, the body or outside people. some may take care of others emotionally while others do it physically.
persecutor: an alter in the system who harms the system, the body, themselves or outside people. these are not "evil alters" they are most often than not misguided and believe they are really protecting the system.
holder: an alter in the system who holds emotions, thoughts, symptoms or memories so the others don't have to deal with them. they are most often highly affected by the trauma and PTSD symptoms.
internal self helper: an alter in the system who helps with the internal functions of the system, like a memory gatekeeper or someone who handles front. they usually do not front or front rarely.
[ID: A white note with the colorful plural rings on the left reading "CDD treatment center "... take a seat!"" ID end]
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System meetings or inner conference room is a practice for systems to allow communication between the alters in the innerworld who feel like engaging with eachother.
Meeting place:
your meeting place should be a safe place for everyone in your system. most often a round table is used, like a conference room but feel free to choose any setting you are more comfortable with.
you can use face time or a stream to show alters the conference when they are unable to join. this way you can mute parts who may lash out without excluding them from the conference.
if you have problems visualizing feel free to use a Sand tray, games like the sims or Minecraft etc to help.
you can also simply use your journal or a chat to write down conversations to keep it more organized.
Meeting time:
it's helpful to pick a certain day and time in the week so it becomes part of routine.
have the meeting even when there isn't anything to plan or communicate that week with the others. you can simply use it to socialize.
discuss if you want to set a time limit for the meetings.
you can try to find a fitting alter for the role of a mediator others can come to if any additional meeting is needed, so they can decide if this can be handled alone or with the system.
Structure:
do you want the same alter to lead the conference every time (like a strong host or someone who's good at it), or do you want to rotate between volunteers? don't be scared to let others try out leading a meeting maybe with the help of someone who already did it.
choose a routine for your conference, like a calming exercise at the start so everyone is in their own window of tolerance and something positive and connecting at the end.
Guidelines for communication:
speak one after another, a talking stone or something similar can be used to visualize who is speaking right now. let others finish before you respond.
listen to understand, not to answer. let everyone share their thoughts and emotions, encourage quiet ones.
I - messages, talk about your own feelings and experiences don't blame others or talk over others.
Do not judge others, show them compassion, honor their existence and respect them.
self control instead of controlling others. it is fully ok to agree to disagree.
confront behavior not the character. be open for compromises and creative problem solving.
aim for more connection, not more dissociation between you. respect personal boundaries, don't use triggers in conversations.
everyone is important and needed.
...
If you have a big number of alters assign them to groups (or use subsystems) and let them choose a speaker who will resemble the group.
If you have mute or semi verbal alters try to give them a voice too with someone who will speak for them or another creative solution.
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TW OEA/RAMCOA, cult
read more under the cut
"religious or quasi-religious group characterized by unusual or atypical beliefs, seclusion from the outside world, and an authoritarian structure. Cults tend to be highly cohesive, well organized, secretive, and hostile to nonmembers."
source (link)
A charismatic leader: a charismatic and charming leader(s), the originator of the group. Good at reading people and manipulating them.
Transcendent belief system: Cults often state how to get to a better place and they have their own strict way of getting there. They indoctrinate a certain set of beliefs into people and do not allow other beliefs.
Systems of control: Often strict rules which cannot be broken. Cutting people off from non group members, reducing individuality by dressing rules and encouraging maximum dependency.
Systems of influence: Peer pressure, older members will show or model for younger ones on how to behave.
[ID: A white note with the colorful plural rings on the left reading "CDD treatment center "... take a seat!"" ID end]
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Self diagnosis or peer diagnosis is often the first step into getting help, still armchair diagnosing someone with no real evidence should be avoided. It is important to remember that you and your friends can be biased, but so can professionals. Try to acknowledge your bias and research more widely.
Finding a fitting diagnosis takes time and effort. Don't stress yourself!
Write down your own symptoms and why you suspect there is a disorder behind this (eg distress, reduced functioning).
Research the main symptoms and see what comes up, write down everything no matter how stigmatized.
Search up the disorders that came up, look at the disorder itself but also make sure to look at the category they are in and other disorders in the same category (eg DID - dissociative disorders).
Your first research sources should be medical like the diagnostic manual in your country, a medical research website dedicated to said disorder, how the disorder gets diagnosed, self assessments etc.
Document throughout researching, especially how and if the disorder adds up to your current symptoms.
Narrow it down. Take self assessments, write down symptoms you become aware of, keep track of why you feel one disorder doesn't fit but another one fits better.
After that feel free to go ahead and see what the community has to offer, now take information with a grain of salt. But personal experiences can be helpful to get a more real life feeling to a disorder.
Find communities or self help groups both online or in real life. Ask friend and trusted family for their observations. Try to find people you can relate and socialize with.
See if treatment for and awareness of that disorder helps and reevaluate if it doesn't.
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Trigger Warning! Please read this before continuing. This post will contain types of abuse and how they look like. The topics are from top to bottom: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, financial abuse, neglect, digital abuse, cultural and identity based abuse, institutional abuse, spiritual/religious abuse
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"abuse
interactions in which one person behaves in a cruel, violent, demeaning, or invasive manner toward another person or an animal. The term most commonly implies physical mistreatment but also encompasses sexual and psychological (emotional) mistreatment. [...]"
source (link)
Experiences of abuse often overlap each other, long term abusers typically use multiple forms of abuse at the same time. Just because what you went through isn't on the list doesn't mean that it wasn't abuse.
Physical abuse:
"Physical abuse in a relationship is any type of intentional violence done by a partner, spouse or family member with the intent to assert power and control over someone else. [...] Physical abuse can include any time a partner touches your body with the intent to harm, or without consent."
source (link)
examples - hitting, kicking, choking, burning, electro shocks, water torture, sleep deprivation, food deprivation, restraining against one’s will including locking a victim in a room or tying them up, needles under finger nails, being drugged, feederism, ...
Emotional abuse:
"Emotional abuse is a method of controlling another person through shaming, criticism, blame and manipulation. Emotional abuse is about control, not conflict. Through manipulation, degradation and gaslighting, an abuser systematically erodes a partner’s self-worth and independence. Emotional abuse often starts subtly and escalates over time."
source (link)
examples - constant criticism, threats, manipulation, degradation, gaslighting, belittling, name calling, shaming, isolation from friends and family, bullying, diminishing accomplishments, threats, physical abuse, coercive control, stalking, recieving back handed compliments, love bombing, ...
Sexual abuse:
"Sexual abuse is any unwanted sexual contact obtained by force, threats or when a victim is unable to consent."
source (link)
It is important to note that sexual abuse doesn't always have to involve sexual touch, non contact and low contact sexual abuse is just as valid.
examples - rape (including failed attempts), grooming, molesting, coercion, sexual harassment, exposure to sexual content without consent, exposure to nudity without consent, forbidding birth control (reproductive abuse), sharing sexual graphics of others without consent, sexual acts in front or with children or animals, sexual acts when the other part isn't consenting (with children, animals, sleeping or unconscious/drugged people), asking for sex repeatedly, telling you sex is your obligation, threats of a break up or other harm if saying no to sex, ...
Financial abuse:
"Financial abuse is behavior that seeks to control a person’s ability to acquire,
use, or maintain economic resources and threatens their self-sufficiency and
financial autonomy"
source (link)
examples - dept in the victims name, restricting access to shared funds, forbidding employment or sabotaging job applications, forcing the victim to hand over earnings, forcing a partner to miss, leave or be late to work, harassing a partner at work, controlling how money is spent, withholding money or basic living resources, giving a partner an “allowance”, stealing money,
credit, property, or identity from a partner
Neglect:
"Neglect is when a caregiver fails to meet a dependent person's basic physical and emotional needs."
source (link)
examples -
physical: failure to provide shelter, food, clothing, or appropriate supervision for the person’s age, physical condition, mental ability, and environment, ...
emotional: failure to provide psychological care, attention, emotional validation, and healthy communication, ...
medical: failure to provide the necessary medical or mental health care for the person's needs, or withholding medically indicated treatments for life-threatening conditions, ...
educational: failure to meet a child's educational needs like taking them to school, following up with homework, providing support when the child is having challenges, not participating in school related events, ...
Digital Abuse:
"Digital abuse (sometimes called technology-facilitated abuse) happens when someone uses technology – such as phones, social media, smart devices, or tracking apps – to harass, stalk, isolate or control another person. It is a form of coercive control and can have the same devastating impact on someone’s life as any other abuse such as physical abuse."
source (link)
examples - unauthorized access to personal accounts, stalking, monitoring conversations, spreading rumors online, threatening messages, GPS tracking without consent, online humiliation, pressuring to share passwords/images/other private data, ...
Cultural and Identity based abuse:
"Cultural abuse occurs when abusers use aspects of a victim’s culture, identity, or spirituality, to inflict suffering or as a means of control."
source (link)
examples - derogatory remarks, exclusion from cultural practice, forcing someone to conform to different beliefs, mocking traditions and accents, using racial or homophobic slurs, pressure someone to hide their identity or heritage
Institutional abuse:
"Institutional abuse is the maltreatment of a person (often children or older adults) from a system of power."
source (link)
examples - poor living conditions in institutional settings, lack of accountability, abuse by staff/caregivers/authority figures, suppression of complaints, neglect, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, ...
Spiritual abuse:
"Spiritual abuse, also called religious abuse, has multiple meanings. Within the context of domestic violence, it often refers to an abuser using a victim’s religious beliefs to control them or preventing a victim from practicing their religion."
source (link)
examples - faith as a tool of control, Scripture to justify abusive behavior, demanding unquestioning obedience, exploiting religious authority, forcing participation, shaming or ostracizing members who question leadership, ridicules your beliefs, ...
[ID: A white note with the colorful plural rings on the left reading "CDD treatment center "... take a seat!"" ID end]
TW mentioning of dehumanizing experience, infantilism, smoking, drinking, intimacy
read more under the cut
Most often non human alters stem from dehumanizing experience in childhood or adolescents. They are pretty common amongst systems from all over the world.
Non human alters are alters in a system that don't identify as a human. They can be animals, objects, mystical creatures and more.
source (link)
Some non human alters may prefer to get treated in a non human way, it's best not to assume and ask what terms they prefer.
In literature child alters are most often described as being stuck in that age due to trauma in that age. But child alters can split from different reasons at different ages for example to hold age regression or because of infantilism.
Child alters are alters in a system that don't identify with the body's age but rather feel younger than the body. They can be any age from 0 to 12 (or 18 depending on how you define it).
source (link)
Child alters are different from typical children. They may behave like children but they usually have more knowledge due to existing longer than a typical child.
Child alters can have varying maturity states. Some child alters may even have big responsibilities like grocery shopping or working.
Some child alters can consent to adult activities like smoking, drinking, driving or intimacy.
