Echoes in the Multiverse @echoes-in-the-multiverse - Tumblr Blog

Contents Masterlist

This is organisation of our posts so anyone new to our page can see the series we have ongoing and what topics we have covered. Our space aims to educate and spread awareness of Dissociative Identity Disorder and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome through our ability to research and give insight into our personal struggles and triumphs with them.

"So, which alter is the real you?"

Written whilst the system was blurry.

This is a personal post with educational explanations.

This question insinuates a few misconceptions about Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).

Firstly, the word 'real' in this context implies that the asker believes only one dissociative identity truly exists, while the others are either fabricated or hallucinations. This misconception is not only dismissive but also reinforces the harmful stereotype that DID is not a legitimate condition. It perpetuates the false belief that individuals with DID are simply experiencing psychosis or should be misdiagnosed with a different disorder, such as schizophrenia. This misunderstanding can lead to a lack of proper support for those living with DID, who have distinct and valid identities formed as a response to trauma that initially began in early childhood. All dissociative identities within an individual are real. In DID, multiple dissociative identities have the ability to take executive control, allowing them to interact with the environment. However, the ability to take control should not be the sole measure of their reality. Disorders like OSDD and PDID also involve alters who may not be able to or reluctantly take executive control, yet they are equally real. The existence and significance of a part is determined by their role and presence within the system.

Secondly, the question mistakenly separates the different parts of a person with DID as if they are distinct, individual entities. In reality, each part is a fragment of the whole individual, meaning that every part is the “real you.” This ties into the outdated concept reflected in the name "Multiple Personality Disorder," which suggests that a person with DID has multiple, fully-formed personalities. In truth, DID involves dissociative identities, each representing a fragment of one complete personality. When integrated, these fragments come together to form the singular personality of the entire individual.

This misunderstanding also leads to the belief that the main host is not an alter, and that only the other identities are. The host is an alter, there is no single "core" or "original personality". Many try to explain this through the analogy of a shattered bowl, asking, "If a bowl breaks, which piece is the original?" However, this metaphor doesn’t accurately represent DID because it implies there was once a whole, unbroken personality that fragmented. In DID, there was never a singular, intact "bowl" to begin with. The system’s personality remained divided due to amnesia and trauma and was never able to form one personality.

A more fitting metaphor is that of a stained glass window. Each piece of stained glass is meticulously crafted to fit with the others, just as each alter in DID is formed by the brain to complement the others. If all parts were to integrate, they would form a complete personality just as a stained glass window is whole when its pieces are assembled. This analogy avoids the implication that something is "missing" or "broken" and instead highlights how each part is essential to the survival and functionality of the individual as a whole. Even when not assembled a stained glass window is not considered broken and people with DID are not broken.

This is a personal post with educational explanations.

Written whilst the system was blurry.

Truths and Myths: Pluralpedia Part 5, Functions of parts

This is an educational post.

Written by 🤍. (Temporary emoji placeholder)

Note: Pluralpedia uses shared reality to describe events that take place when a part is in the executive function of the body, in the outer world rather than an innerworld.

A system can only be formed through having a disorder such as DID, P-DID, or OSDD as the individual would have dissociative identities, and these disorders are formed through chronic early childhood trauma.

Catatonia is its own diagnosable condition. Although catatonia is associated with psychiatric conditions such as dissociative disorders. According to The Royal College of Physiatrists, it is still not understood why certain people do and don't get catatonia even with the associated conditions. It is still unclear why Catatonia happens within the conditions. So, if it is related to the way parts act in DID, it has not yet been confirmed. The website also talks about other disorders, neurodivergent and physical conditions that can cause catatonia.

Taskgenic fact check:

Although the system part of this term is inaccurate, this origin for a part is not. In the work of Van der Hart, Nijenhuis, and Steele (2006) in “The Haunted Self: Structural Dissociation and the Treatment of Chronic Traumatization”, they present the idea that later in life structural dissociation becomes a mental defence mechanism from the mundane elements of life despite starting from traumatisation. They present the case study of a woman who has a part that is designed to wash dishes because it's a task she hates doing.

However, another example of fragmentation being a defensive mechanism is when the brain is able to split if it is aware that a task is coming up that could reactivate traumatic memories, this could be dreading to visit a family member, this means that the individual is now able to handle that experienced because the brain has made a part designed to complete that task and by preparing beforehand distress has been minimised. Examples of this are written in The Haunted Self.

Other hyper specific tasks for parts may also exist, such as having a role where you only shower or handle money and these might have formed because they may be overwhelming tasks due to trauma or too over stimulating.

This also applies to a part created to help with an internal task. For example, there might be one part that has been in distress for a while, and a new part is made to calm them down as that task couldn't be done by another part. This may later on result in that part being a personal caretaker to the other and that being their more specific role, but their initial formation was to finish a task no one could.

These ideas and the Window of Tolerance are further discussed in a previous post we made called Black Holes: A metaphorical view of Trauma in Dissociative Idenity Disorder. Under the section of ' The Event Horizon'.

Hollow fact check:

Having no alter in the body would probably be akin to losing consciousness and therefore the person would faint rather than have a panic attack, but that is how we would interpret it from the idea that parts are disjointed centres of consciousness but we are not professionals. We will change this if we find new research that would suggest otherwise. However, if this is common enough to have its own term then DID would be considered to be related to a type of fainting disorder and many people with DID would have experienced this at least once, when in reality not everyone has ever fainted. If a person is fainting unexplained or is experiencing catatonia/panic attacks they should instead be urged to visit a doctor to treat those issues instead of brushing them off as "another element of DID" because that is harmful and could possibly put their life at risk if untreated.

Van der Hart O, Steele K, Nijenhuis E. The Haunted Self : Structural Dissociation and the Treatment of Chronic Traumatization. W.W. Norton; 2006.

Royal College of Physiatrists. Catatonia. www.rcpsych.ac.uk. Published 2022. Accessed August 7, 2024.

Truths and Myths: Pluralpedia Part 4, Alter Roles.

This is an educational post.

Written by 🤍. (Temporary emoji placeholder)

And at the same time

A part that is designed to hold trauma, known as an emotional part, may remain stuck at the age when the trauma occurred. This can be part of the process in which the individual part repeatedly relives the trauma or unconsciously reenacts it in their actions when taking executive control, even though the trauma has ended but they are unaware. As a result, they are unable to age past the age of the trauma. Later in therapy, trauma can be processed and this can relieve that part from their need to be fixed in time

Further discussed in Van der Hart, Nijenhuis, and Steele’s book (2006) “The Haunted Self: Structural Dissociation and the Treatment of Chronic Traumatization”. The authors disscuss a patient whose child emotional part would reenact situations from the trauma in an attempt to prevent it from happening again. Additionally, they discuss that some emotional parts can experience severe nonrealisation therefore that part may literally experience themselves as being the age they are stuck at, in the book this is used in context of child parts.

Trigger warning in the term is also applicable to my discussion of it.

According to the NHS (2024) website on eating disorders, there are many potential causes for them, including various traumas. An individual experiencing an eating disorder or in recovery may also experience trauma or stress, on a psychological, physical, and social level. As a result, an alter may split due to the eating disorder as parts are fragmented due to trauma. This alter may serve as a protective/caretaker part, ensuring the survival of the body, but it may also be a part that has split off due to denial of the eating disorder. This part may be used by the brain to hide the parts of the individual that are heavily affected by the trauma of the eating disorder. This can also allow the affected parts to recover at their own pace, as they are aware that the body will be fine. However, this alter may also serve as an unhelpful crutch, causing other parts to believe that they do not need to recover or are not ready to do so. In reality, it is crucial for all parts to recover in order to aid in trauma healing and move towards a more sustainable life. Relying too heavily on one part can result in their exhaustion as they will be using their available resources to focus and take care of the needs of others. If this is their only role, it may result in a lack of self-awareness of their own needs, making it difficult for them to meet them. This point is supported by Van der Hart, Nijenhuis, and Steele's book (2006) "The Haunted Self: Structural Dissociation and the Treatment of Chronic Traumatization" when discussing caretaker parts in systems. It is important to allow a part to take a break, otherwise they may begin to dread their role or task, leading to unpleasant or even stressful experiences. Therefore, it is necessary for parts to have the capability to share responsibility for tasks, even if only for a short time, to give the main part a chance to rest, another reason why recovery for those parts heavily affected should be encouraged. This idea and self-care is discussed more in W AT’s book “Got Parts: An Insider’s Guide to Managing Life Successfully with Dissociative Identity Disorder”.

The term "called out" may refer to this alter being triggered when food is present or is brought out when a part is triggered by food, allowing it to take control of the situation. Alternatively, it may refer to the switching technique learnt in therapy, where communication between alters is improved to the point where one alter can reach out and ask another to take control. However, this is a complex skill, as it is considered, to master and there will always be a risk of failure, so it cannot be guaranteed to work every time. Based on this, it can be assumed that the term refers to the act of this alter stepping into either calm or avoid a trigger.

Van der Hart O, Steele K, Nijenhuis E. The Haunted Self : Structural Dissociation and the Treatment of Chronic Traumatization. W.W. Norton; 2006.

NHS. Overview - Eating Disorders. NHS. Published 2021. https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/feelings-symptoms-behaviours/behaviours/eating-disorders/overview/

W AT. Got Parts? : An Insider’s Guide to Managing Life Successfully with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Loving Healing Press; 2005.

Echoes in the Multiverse . Echoes in the Multiverse. Tumblr. Published June 16, 2024. Accessed August 2, 2024. https://www.tumblr.com/echoes-in-the-multiverse/753468998583271424/what-is-switching-technique-in-your-last-post-you?source=share

Bibliography link 4 is to a post we made discussing more about the Switching technique and the resources we used to write that post and expand our own knowledge we gained in therapy.

Food for Fangs: Unmasking Vampire Parts.

Personal and Educational Post.

Written by Blade.

The way dissociative identities present as individual parts reflects how trauma has affected the brain. Their traits stem from what was needed to protect against trauma or overcome stress. These traits or ways of perceiving the world may be disguised or interpreted by the brain in the presentation of different types of alters. This allows the individual to remain unaware of their trauma, as the brain may create a narrative that feels understandable and logical, reducing the likelihood of questioning these details. It may be the way the individual's brain allows itself to feel things the host personality was not allowed to during abuse.

However, there are many misconceptions about the way parts present in Dissociative Identity disorder. This series will cover non-human parts. This part 1 post is about Vampires, written by Blade, a vampire alter. This post will also primarily only cover parts when in executive control, as we feel discussing internal worlds is a different section more suited for the post of their own.

"Can vampire alters consume human food?"

This question often arises due to the misconception that vampire alters truly believe they are vampires trapped in a human body. However, this is not the case. While an alter may present as a vampire, they are still aware of their human biology. If an alter is unable to understand or realise their role within the system fully, it could result from high levels of dissociation, such as derealisation and depersonalisation. It is crucial to address and work through these issues, as allowing a trauma-based reaction to persist outside of the traumatic experience can be harmful.

Do they eat human food?

Depending on the role an alter has within the system, they may be required to consume food if they take executive control for an extended period. However, there may be trauma associated with food, and this discomfort may manifest through the vampire alter. Some may have the role of holding these feelings to prevent others from experiencing them, as it may cause less distress for them as a vampire who does not have an innate connection to the concept of consuming food. This is what my part did, I was disgusted at the idea of food and I only began to feel normal hunger after some therapy focused on my individual. This was also not questioned by other members of the system because it felt normal that a vampire would not want to eat human food or find it repulsive.

But aren’t Vampires always hungry?

Although not all vampire alters are hungry all the time, this could be another trait of protection that is allowed through a vampire part. As discussed by Howell EF (2011) in “Understanding and Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder”, a non-human part may form a protective state that is allowed to express an emotion or feeling that the host part is unable to. Expressing hunger or being allowed to feel hungry may be something that the individual was not allowed to do so the brain displaced that feeling onto a part suited for that position of dealing with that pain, or the child/adult experiencing more trauma related that feeling as being like a vampire.

“Vampire Alters crave blood”

This relates to the point I made earlier: vampire alters are not actual vampires from mythology, so they do not crave blood. However, there may be aspects of their role that give the impression they crave blood. This could include being around procedures involving blood, being around mentions of blood, or being tasked with clearing a wound if it occurs. In the mind of a child or an adult experiencing additional trauma, a vampire would be the most suitable alter for this role, as they would naturally be comfortable around blood. However, to a part that is unaware of this trauma, or even to the vampire alter themselves, they may feel them being around as an impression that they crave blood like in myths. A vampire alter may also be assumed to crave blood if they happen to also be a persecutor who causes physical harm that results in blood.

A person's craving to drink blood, known as Clinical Vampirism, is a rare condition that has been documented through case studies. However, it is often associated with a delusion or as part of mental health conditions such as schizophrenia. But, there was a case study on a man who suffered from vampirism and was later diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). His violent tendencies, stemming from his vampirism, manifested through his other identity, leading outsiders to believe that his dissociative identity was a real vampire as an alter. This perpetuates the misconception that vampire alters are always like their mythical counterparts. However, the introduction of the case report clearly states that there is no established link between vampirism and DID, and they should be treated as separate conditions. This case study serves to show that vampirism is possible in patients with DID even if DID did not cause the vampirism. We have included the case study in our bibliography to provide sources, but we must issue a trigger warning for extreme violence, SH, su*cide, and trauma of all ages. Additionally, the use of the r slur in the introduction should be noted as it may be offensive and we do not agree with the use of the word. We will have linked more reading on the topic including other case studies of people with schizophrenia and one study that talks about the different levels/types of vampirism documented. All the same trigger warnings apply.

Although vampires do not have an inherent desire to drink blood, some may find comfort in consuming red foods. This may serve as a way for their brain to establish safe foods and comfort through this alter without it seeming out of place or may have been the brain thinking the only way the individual would be able to consume these foods was if they were a vampire and hence the trait is given to the vampire alter. In my own recovery, addressing my relationship with food was important. I eventually discovered that my comfort food was tomatoes, and I found it easier to consume foods like Gazpacho, which is in liquid form. This allowed me to find comfort in eating while also embracing my vampire identity because it felt like a natural progression towards something more positive, as it also involved addressing past trauma but brought comfort too in being a non-human part.

This post serves as an important reminder that DID is a trauma disorder so everything about an individual will be shaped by trauma. It is not a fantasy or roleplay in which dissociative identities are made or exist by.

Bibliography

Howell EF. Understanding and Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder. Routledge; 2011.

Sakarya D, Gunes C, Ozturk E, Sar V. Vampirism in a Case of Dissociative Identity Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. 2012;81(5):322-323. doi:https://doi.org/10.1159/000335930

O’Brien C, Hallahan B. Delusions of Vampirism in an Adolescent and Treatment with Clozapine: a Case Report. Cureus. Published online October 2, 2023. doi:https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.46352

Halevy A, Levi Y, Shnaker A, Orda R. Auto-vampirism--an Unusual Cause of anaemia. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 1989;82(10):630-631. Accessed July 25, 2024. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1292349/?page=2

Hervey WM, Catalano G, Catalano MC. Vampiristic Behaviors in a Patient with Traumatic Brain Injury Induced Disinhibition. World Journal of Clinical Cases. 2016;4(6):138. doi:https://doi.org/10.12998/wjcc.v4.i6.138

References 3-5 are the extra case studies referenced in the post.

Written by Blade.

This is a personal and educational post.

Learning about our Dissociative Identities: Through Oliver's eyes.

Personal Post.

Written by Olive to convey the thoughts and stories of Oliver. However, this is Oliver's personal experience about how he felt being told about other dissociative identities/being a system.

Trigger warnings: Metaphors that relate to water/dr*wning and larva. Mentions of deeper fears. The term Ab*ser is used.

Our Journey has been a long one. Even though I do not remember it all, I do remember when I finally was able to take in the knowledge that had been previously said to the system, by doctors, therapists, and counsellors. Still, I had forgotten as a way to protect my part of ourselves. The knowledge that we were dissociative identities.

It sounded unimaginable for the first few moments and felt as if you were somehow drowning in the sand, but it slowly began to drip feed into the fear I had brewing inside me for as long as I could remember. The fear that I would one day be replaced and no one would notice because I was missing so much of my life. Being told other parts could take executive control of my body made this fear true, but then developed into the idea of what if I never came back. What would stop them from doing that? I could not tell if my conscious moments would suddenly be taken from me by any small or large trigger and how could I tell if now was even reality or if some part of my brain was painting the illusion that I knew who I was?

Then came a wave of guilt, the feeling that I had hurt others because I “allowed” my past trauma to continue and permanently hurt me. That I was causing others to suffer because I had to live in such a tight routine to get through the day without distress and to prevent more trauma or in some cases convince myself I would be more safe. I panicked because I feared that revealing what happened to us might somehow lead to more harm. I didn't know what the doctors knew or how they reached their conclusions, so I was afraid it could be used against me. To call me dramatic, a liar, or to inform the abusers and start the cycle all over again. Even though there was no reason for them to tell the abusers, the mere act of talking about it made me fear that they could somehow find out.

In the aftermath washed up to shore the deep internal feeling of disgust. It felt as if inside of me lived thousands of maggots crawling just under my skin. Or the feeling that trauma and pain was forever stained on my body and I would never be cleansed. I felt broken, distraught at the idea that parts of me were missing and meant I was lacking parts to my individual because others had them, like others had memories of what I thought was me.

But it was also a relief. It told me that my suffering wasn't normal, that this is not going to be the way I live my whole life because it's not meant to be this way, suffering every day is not normal. There is a solution because there is a problem. And now that I knew I could get better, I knew briefly what was wrong and that there are people specialised to help, I had a chance again to be able to live and cooperate with the other parts. To feel that in this game of life I was finally a playable character, even if not as player 1 as I assumed I would be, but player 1 had a chance to exist through us together as a whole.

Our blog is to help others learn about Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) but also share the ways we have dealt with the weight of this disorder in hopes it can help more people.

Trigger warnings: Metaphors that relate to water/dr*wning and larva. Mentions of deeper fears. The term Ab*ser is used.

Written by Olive to convey the thoughts and stories of Oliver. However, this is Oliver's personal experience about how he felt being told about other dissociative identities/being a system.

Personal Post.

Truths & Myths: Pluralpedia Part 3, Analysis of the Binary Star system Metaphor.

Written by Olive. This is both an educational post and a personal post because it goes over the analysis of a metaphor.

At a minimum, a diagnosis of Dissociative Identity Disorder requires the presence of two distinct dissociative identities. This means that some individuals with DID may only have two identities, while others may have more. However, some individuals may believe they have only two identities, but in reality, there may be other identities that have not yet been identified due to amnesic barriers and communication disturbances, and these realisations may come years after the individual is aware they have DID.

The term "non-native" is not accurate, as all dissociative identities are formed within the brain of the individual, either as a child or through further fragmentation as an adult. It is not possible for dissociative identities to be created in someone else and then transferred to another person's system. In previous posts in this series, we have discussed how DID is formed and how dissociative identities can be identified through varying brain activity.

On the Pluralpedia page, it refers to the astronomical term Binary system. In this section, I would like to evaluate the use of binary systems as a metaphorical representation of systems.

Firstly, a binary system is a system that contains two stars in some type of orbit around each other, which could include an orbit around a distinct centre of mass or may appear more that one star is orbiting the other star even though it is still technically around a centre of mass of both stars. In the theory of one star orbiting another, this creates an idea of a dominant star and a non-dominant star. This reflects language used in the ICD-11 to describe Partial Dissociative Identity Disorder, where the individual will have a dominant distinct identity and a non-dominant distinct identity.

Furthermore, to continue with the metaphor of dissociative identities being represented by stars, in binary systems, there are various types of stars. These different types of stars could potentially symbolise the difference in alters within an individual. For instance, a binary system could consist of a main sequence star and a red giant. In this scenario, the red giant, being larger, could represent a protector alter who is more powerful. Additionally, the fact that it is an older star could represent the protector's wisdom or heightened awareness of the individual's trauma. It could also serve to illustrate the varying ages of different dissociative identities. Other possible combinations could include a red giant and a white dwarf, or a main sequence star and a white dwarf.

There are varying levels of connections between stars in binary systems, which can mirror the level of communication between the parts of a system. In Detached Binary systems, two stars are completely separate, similar to how dissociative identities in DID systems may not have any communication at all or may have challenging communication, especially in early recovery. They may be aware of each other or only notice the influence other parts have on them. Like how both stars in a binary system will "wobble" around a shared centre of mass, which is influenced by the other star. This is one way that binary systems are identified in astrophysics.

In Semi-detached binary systems, one star has a mass transfer stream to another star. This stream is similar to how some parts can have semi-fluid communication and even have the ability to be partially aware of what one part did when having executive control. This happens when amnesia is lower therefore black-out amnesia is less and more awareness is possible.

In a Contact Binary system, the stars appear to be one big star with two main cores. This is similar to when dissociative identities are integrated, meaning they can function as one because amnesic barriers have been removed and there is a greater connection in memories. This may lead to fusion, becoming only one identity, but alternatively, a system may remain integrated and live under functional multiplicity.

However, even though this metaphor seems to be relatively good in describing the basics of Dissociative Identity Disorder in terms of dissociative identities, the big problem with comparing it to binary systems in the universe is that binary and multiple-star systems are very common. Our solar system is a large anomaly when compared to the rest of the universe in terms of our star, the arrangements of planets and well the fact it has life. Using this metaphor to someone who understands astrophysics may give them the impression that DID is more common than it is. Even though any percentage of the population will equate to a lot of people in a visualised sense, its proportion is not suitable for a comparison of the proportion of binary and multiple-star systems.

One potential issue is the formation of binary systems. When there is gravitational instability in the disk surrounding a protostar, it can lead to disk fragmentation and the formation of two stars from one disk cloud. While this accurately reflects the concept that dissociative identities stem from one whole rather than multiple wholes within one body, the use of the term "fragmentation" may perpetuate the misconception that DID is caused by the splitting of one whole personality. In reality, DID develops because the personality never fully forms as a whole. However, the larger concern is the fact that binary systems can also form through the "Dynamical Capture of a star," where two independently formed stars interact and begin orbiting each other due to their gravitational pull. This is not an accurate representation of how dissociative identities function in DID. It is dangerous to suggest that DID can behave in this way through the use of this metaphor, as it may lead some individuals to believe that they can gain or transfer alters or even choose to form a system as an adult. This can be harmful, as it may prevent individuals from seeking proper treatment for their symptoms or addressing underlying conditions that may be contributing to their experiences.

If you are interested in physics metaphors to describe DID, we have posts on the Grand Unified Theory and Black holes.

Black Holes: A metaphorical view of Trauma in Dissociative Identity Disorder. Part 1

Written by Olive. This is a personal and educational post.

This post covers in more detail why new dissociative identities may be formed in adulthood and define integration in terms of the end-goal treatments for DID.

When trying to understand the complexities of life, metaphors are very powerful tools to visulise our experiences. We find many aspects of Black Holes can be an analogy for the way trauma interacts in the lives of individuals with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). In this post, we will explore the anatomy of black holes and explain how we relate each aspect to our lives, whilst providing an educational light on the disorder’s realities.

Singularity.

At the centre of every Black hole is a point known as the singularity. This point is considered to be where all the mass of the black hole is centred under infinite density. When something passes the event horizon of the black hole, it will travel inwards towards the singularity.

At the heart of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) lies chronic, severe childhood trauma. We envision this trauma as a singularity, events from which all experiences are affected and the initial formation of alters. Even alters formed later may stem from this foundational trauma. The trauma is deeply stored within us like an infinitely concentrated source of pain. It disrupted our childhood integration, leading to remaining fragmented, and continues to hinder integration efforts today.

The Event Horizon.

Past the event horizon, considered the boundary that defines the black hole, the escape velocity required to overcome the gravitational force of the black hole is greater than the speed of light. This means nothing can escape from a black hole, not even light.

Trauma is not always visible, it can be mental, emotional, or even physical and does not leave a lasting effect on the body. This can be reflected by the fact that light cannot escape from a black hole therefore it cannot be seen and is only observed from objects around it. Victims may not be believed if they do not have “physical evidence” on their body but evidence of trauma can be seen from the history of the environment around them.

The event horizon of a black hole can be likened to the window of tolerance for individuals with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Once something breaches this threshold, causing overwhelming stress or trauma, it can lead to fragmentation in the brain. It's crucial to understand that the nature of these experiences can vary greatly. They can be as seemingly insignificant as a photon of light or as impactful as an entire planet. Similarly, some black holes may exist near planets without consuming them, reflecting how different individuals respond differently to potential trauma.

This metaphor illustrates how anything can be traumatic for a system, potentially causing a split later in life. The severity of the trauma does not need to match that of the initial childhood trauma for it to cause further disturbances in integration. Everyone has a unique window of tolerance, which is why not everyone with severe childhood trauma develops DID, but all individuals with DID have experienced chronic severe childhood trauma.

This can result in systems having dissociative identities that are very specific, such as being the only one to handle money, or whose whole role is to complete a mundane task of life, such as being the one to take a shower or hoovering because this may for some reason overwhelm an individual, such as the fact it is repetitive or it could be overstimulating. Even the thought of being in a situation that could reactivate traumatic memories can cause the brain to split, such as dreading a visit to a family member, this shows examples of fragmentation being a defensive mechanism because the individual will now be able to handle the situation and did not need to be retraumatised for the brain to become aware that the current system is overwhelmed by this task. This conceptual framework is supported by the work of Van der Hart, Nijenhuis, and Steele (2006) in “The Haunted Self: Structural Dissociation and the Treatment of Chronic Traumatization”, where they discuss patients developing new dissociative identities in adulthood and the theory that later in life structural dissociation becomes a mental defense tool, despite beginning from traumatisation.

Hawking Radiation.

As is also presented in the work of Hawking (2018) in “Brief Answers to the Big Questions”, in quantum theory, space is filled with matter and antimatter pairs, such as a proton and an antiproton, that spontaneously appear, collide, and then annihilate each other. If this spontaneous appearance occurs near the event horizon of a black hole, the matter particle can either fall in or escape and appear to be radiated by the black hole. Theoretically, the anti-particle is traveling backward in time so if the anti-particle falls into the black hole this can also be a way it loses mass. As the anti-particle travels it will eventually in time reach where it first appeared and then travel forward in time because the gravitational field scatters it. This process is known as Hawking radiation, and it explains how black holes dissipate over time and why the very first black holes formed in the universe are no longer present.

The process of Hawking radiation can be likened to the slow yet significant role of processing trauma. To be effective, it must proceed at a pace an individual can handle, and it may never feel certain when a breakthrough in trauma recovery will occur. However, it brings hope that healing from the trauma that caused DID and its symptoms is possible. Through therapy, dissociative parts can become more integrated, meaning they will have a greater connection of memories without amnesic barriers and better communication. This can lead to either functional multiplicity, where all integrated parts work together while maintaining multiple dissociative identities, or final fusion, where all dissociative identities fuse into a single, unified personality. A clear distinction between fusing dissociative identities and integrating them is further supported in the work of Llyod (2023) in “Integration and Fusion in DID/OSDD: Part Two”, which verifies my use of the word ‘integration’.

Written by Olive. This is a personal and educational post.

Bibliography

Van der Hart O, Steele K, Nijenhuis E. The Haunted Self : Structural Dissociation and the Treatment of Chronic Traumatization. W.W. Norton; 2006.

Lloyd M, The CTAD Clinic. Integration and Fusion in DID/OSDD: Part Two. YouTube. Published December 17, 2023.

Hawking S. Brief Answers to the Big Questions. Hachette UK; 2018.

Spanish Version:

Our collective art name is Whisper Studios. Welcome to the first product by Whisper Studios :D

The pose reference from this drawing comes from @kaosdisabledsupport on Tik Tok. Modified slightly as the original pose uses two crutches but we have modified this as we are a cane user.

We may be disabled, but having a disability is not all we are.

Living with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) is undoubtedly challenging, but it does not define who we are. It is important to recognise that living with a disability and adapting to everyday life should not be the source of inspiration for others. Instead, let us be inspired by the achievements, strengths, creativity, compassion, and passions of disabled individuals.

Disability Awareness Month.

Truths & Myths: Pluralpedia Part 2, Brain Activity in DID

In the fact check, we cover brain activity in switching, brain activity between EPs and ANPs in DID and how this compares to actors trying to imitate having dissociative identities.

All parts exist within one biological body, parts are caused by different brain activity, which means other parts cannot have their own DNA. Moreover, parts do not have physical bodies, any claim to a body is a visualisation tool aiding the part to develop its identity and gain comfort. This visualisation also does not have DNA but that does not mean it cannot be changed. Parts can have different types of relationships though, some parts may consider each other family. This is related to how people have biological or chosen families but in relationships between parts, they reflect those family types rather than actually being those family types.

In the fact check section, we will show studies where actors could not successfully simulate dissociative identities and switch between them. This shows how a person cannot gain dissociative identities by believing they have them or trying to create them by will or want.

Genealogist fact check:

Using quantitative electro-encephalogram (QEEG), it was seen that the change between dissociative identities was seen as beta activity (beta waves are high-frequency, low-amplitude brain waves in the awakened state and are involved in conscious thought and logical thinking) in the frontal and temporal lobes. The frontal lobe is responsible for expressive language, voluntary movement and executive functions, which include the ability to plan, organise and self-monitor. [2] The temporal lobes process auditory information and encode memories, they are most associated with these roles. [3]

Willogenic fact check:

There have been studies conducted to examine the differences in brain activity between ANPs and EPs in patients with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). The terms ANPs and EPs originate from the theory of structural dissociation, which will be discussed in a separate post. In summary, an ANP (apparently normal part) is responsible for carrying out daily tasks, while an EP (emotional part) holds traumatic memories and prevents them from being experienced by the ANPs. Instead, the EPs relive the trauma, rather than being able to experience the present moment like an ANP would. According to this model, EPs are present in patients with PTSD, CPTSD, OSDD, and DID but DID is the only disorder that involves multiple ANPs, setting it apart from the others.

Study one: [4]

In a study, EPs and ANPs in DID patients were shown angry and neutral faces to observe changes in activity and reaction time to a changing coloured dot on the face. This was compared to a control group of actors attempting to simulate an EP or ANP state. The results showed that EPs in DID patients had higher activity in the right parahippocampal gyrus when presented with either face, compared to DID ANPs. The right parahippocampal gyrus is involved in the recall of autobiographical memories, with a right hemispheric predominance, and is also part of the re-experiencing of symptoms in disorders such as PTSD. This supports the theory that EPs play a role in storing traumatic memories.

The observed activity also suggests and supports the idea that EPs within DID may perceive safe individuals as dangerous and when confronted with reminders of traumatic memories, they may reactivate those memories. While there were other findings in the study, further statistical evidence and a larger sample size are needed to conclude. However, the control group was unable to replicate the activity and reaction time of DID ANPs and EPs. Their reactions were the opposite. When attempting to simulate ANPs and EPs, the actors showed an inverse reaction time and neural brain activity for each state. For example, when the actors were meant to act like ANPs, they tended to react like EPs in DID patients. For ANP-simulating controls neutral faces were salient, they did attract much preconscious attention, as happened for authentic EP. The current findings add to the psychobiological evidence that DID is neither an effect of suggestion and fantasy, nor role-playing.

Study two: [5]

Additionally, a study was conducted to measure brain perfusion, which refers to the passage of fluid through an organ, normally the delivery of blood to a capillary bed in tissue, during rest. The study compared DID patients to controls and found that DID patients have a higher resting state metabolism, the rate at which calories are used, in the Default Mode Network (DMN), which is active when the person is not focused on the outside world so they are in a resting state such as daydreaming [6], of the brain. This can be explained by the fact that DID patients’ brains are more focused on attending to their self-states during rest, something that the control group did not experience.

Moreover, compared to an EP in DID, ANPs in DID showed more metabolism in the bilateral thalamus, the part of the brain that relays sensory and motor signals and regulates both alertness and consciousness [7]. Furthermore, the study found that EPs in DID have increased regional cerebral blood flow in the primary somatosensory cortex and several motor-related parts of the brain. The primary somatosensory cortex is involved in action planning and execution, indicating that EPs are highly aware of their body being in a threatening situation. This heightened awareness would trigger the need for defensive motor reactions, making it difficult for them to fulfill the instructions for resting.

“Neural processes associated with intended and motivated role-playing of ANP and EP were clearly distinct from those correlated with being ANP and EP following rest instructions.” [1]

Conclusion:

Overall, these studies clearly show different alters are due to varying brain activity but also show that DID has a biological backing whose results cannot be replicated through acting or attempting to immediately the presence of dissociative states.

However, it is always important to note that more research should be done with larger samples, but the studies spoken about here at the time of their research were the largest.

Genealogist:

Şar V, Dorahy M, Krüger C. Revisiting the Etiological Aspects of Dissociative Identity Disorder: a Biopsychosocial Perspective. Psychology Research and Behavior Management. 2017;Volume 10(10):137-146. doi:https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.s113743

Queensland Health. Brain Map Frontal Lobes | Queensland Health. www.health.qld.gov.au. Published January 21, 2021.

Queensland Health. Brain Map: Temporal Lobes | Queensland Health. www.health.qld.gov.au. Published January 22, 2021.

Willogenic:

Schlumpf YR, Nijenhuis ERS, Chalavi S, et al. Dissociative part-dependent biopsychosocial reactions to backward masked angry and neutral faces: An fMRI study of dissociative identity disorder. NeuroImage: Clinical. 2013;3:54-64. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2013.07.002

Schlumpf YR, Reinders AATS, Nijenhuis ERS, Luechinger R, van Osch MJP, Jäncke L. Dissociative Part-Dependent Resting-State Activity in Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Controlled fMRI Perfusion Study. Chao L, ed. PLoS ONE. 2014;9(6):e98795. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0098795

Callard F, Margulies DS. What We Talk about When We Talk about the Default Mode Network. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2014;8. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00619

Tuttle C, Boto J, Martin S, et al. Neuroimaging of Acute and Chronic Unilateral and Bilateral Thalamic Lesions. Insights into Imaging. 2019;10(1). doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13244-019-0700-3

Feel free to send us an echo to our page or leave in the comments any questions or suggestions for future parts to this series.

Part one of this series covered DID formation.

Made from the collaborative efforts of the system who run this blog.

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Thank you!

We are very passionate about raising awareness for Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).

Our goal is to be a useful and helpful educational page, spreading awareness and building a sense of community through personal posts. All thanks to our interest and hobby in research.

We truly appreciate that people enjoy and learn from our content, and we are grateful for your support.

We hope to continue creating content that you and everyone else can enjoy, but also grow a greater understanding from.

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What is switching technique? In your last post you said switches cannot be controlled but that some therapists might asked the client to switch to see how well their alters work together. I just wanted to understand this a bit more and know how have more controlled switching.

Hello, this is an excellent question!

The technique stems from the therapeutic idea that dissociation is a defensive mechanism. Mastering a defensive mechanism requires skill and practice to be effective, so dissociation between switches should be seen as a skill that needs understanding and control.

Another aim was to counter the misconception, held even by therapists, that switching between parts implies a problem or a regression in recovery, which is simply false.

This therapy aims not to shut down switching between parts, but to open it up in a way that will be productive and useful to the lives of the system. The system can swap between parts, enabling a chosen process of switching to meet daily demands and reduce distress without a trauma trigger.

I will use an example to explain when this technique might be useful.

If someone knows that doing a task, like taking a shower, will cause distress, they may feel anxious and dread the task beforehand. The first step would be for that part to acknowledge that the position they are currently in is not good for them but is also nontraumatic because the shower has yet to start.

A good understanding of the system is crucial, as the current fronter must know which part is most suitable for a task and have enough ability to handle it. You would not want to accidentally bring a part that is triggered by water, especially the thought of water, as then it turns this moment of anxiousness into a traumatic moment.

The key to making this technique work is having strong communication skills, allowing you to connect with the right part and for them to listen and respond actively. There also needs to be a willingness to collaborate, there needs to be productive communication, as well as a boundary that it is okay to call on that part when needed. It may also be good to have an established time or task that, once completed, the original fronter will return.

However, it is recommended that trying to switch intentionally should be practiced in a calm and safe area. It should be practiced when it is not needed, which is why therapy is often suggested as ideally, it is a trusted space, if you try to practice this technique during the example I gave and it does not work it can cause more distress and will not help you learn quicker.

As a general thought, we say that systems do not have control over their switches because even if they have practiced the switching technique, in the process of learning you must accept that it might not work even if a lot of effort was put into it and that's okay and to not worry much about it.

Learning to master a skill also allows more control to be given back to the system as switching can feel quite chaotic for people with DID. It can make switching less scary for an individual if there is more control over it but also it means there is more control to block switches if they are not useful.

Since you mentioned wanting more controlled switching, Increase communication and knowledge of the other parts of your system.

From our personal experience we find talking out loud to each other is an easier way for the other part to hear us and then respond internally, it creates this loop and a more natural back-and-forth conversation. However, external communication such as a diary is also good and can mean boundaries are clearly established.

Suppose it is about the first building of relationships or establishing a more long-term communication for the first time. The technique we found the most successful was to ask in the case they did not have to do the role they have and if all the threats went away and they no longer needed to do what they have to right now, what would they like to do? Showing interest helps build trust and allows for a deeper connection through a task, even if the task is something like sitting out in the garden more.

Our sources helped us accurately answer this question along with our own knowledge:

When 'swapping' between parts in DID / OSDD can be helpful

Switching Between Parts - why this can be helpful in DID and OSDD

Link to Post talked about in the ask.

Truths & Myths: Pluralpedia Part 1, DID Formation.

In the fact check, we cover how DID is formed.

Welcome to our "Truths and Myths" series! In this series, we aim to debunk misconceptions and provide accurate information about Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). We will mainly focus on DID as it is the disorder we are most familiar with on both a personal and research basis.

Each post will highlight the accurate and inaccurate parts of each term, from the best of our research ability. Then, at the end, we will explain the full story of what DID actually is and provide our sources. We will be taking requests for terms anyone would like us to review. Otherwise, we will use random terms we find.

This first post is an exception to the random terms as we wanted to go over the formation of a DID system.

To develop Dissociative Identity Disorder, a child must experience overwhelming, severe, and repetitive trauma during their childhood. Having a dissociative disorder such as DID, PDID (ICD-11), or OSDD (DSMV) is the only way to have forms of dissociative identities.

As previously mentioned, DID can only be formed from trauma.

However, it has been suggested that individuals with a natural ability to dissociate or use dissociation as their primary response to trauma are more likely to develop DID. This innate ability allows them to reach a high level of dissociation and form dissociative identities. It is important to note that there is currently no confirmed link between this ability and the development of DID, but it is a proposed logical theory that would need more research.

Furthermore, certain biological factors can make an individual more susceptible to trauma, such as being born biologically female or being neurodivergent. For example, biological females are statistically more likely to experience s*xual abuse, which may have been the trauma they experienced as a child that led to the formation of their system.

Additionally, it is crucial to clarify that Dissociative Identity Disorder cannot be present at birth, and therefore, one can not be born with a system.

Though I suppose technically, in the way the theory is currently proposed, people who have DID never had a "singlet" phase. Otherwise, they would not have been able to form a system or develop DID.

The theory of how personality is structured suggests that the personality comprises "modes" that contain cognitive, affective, behavioural, and physiological representations. These modes also represent a plan for encoding experiences and responding to internal and environmental demands. [1]

For example, a person may have a "mother mode" activated when caring for a child, and this mode would have planned what care a child needs. However, the person will also have other modes, such as one associated with demands about their work or demands for defence in verbal ways. In a regular adult, all modes are connected to each other and are under a "conscious control system," which allows for an integrated self-state. This is why it may feel you have fluctuations in your personality or feel differently around your family than your friends. They are different modes, but importantly, they are all integrated together, unlike in an individual with DID.[1]

DID occurs when this coupling process of modes is disrupted by dissociation caused by trauma. This results in smaller, more isolated pockets of modes, leading to multiple conscious control systems that represent different and discontinuous modes. Each of these systems has its own aspect of self, reflected by the modes within it.

The coupling process can be disturbed when a child tries to displace their thoughts, feelings, and emotions onto a “not me” in order to escape what they are experiencing and carry on with life and allows the child to remain for example creative or have a sense of humour even in very difficult circumstances. This leads to disconnected feelings and disorganised attachments to primary caregivers, which means the integration of modes is impossible. [2]

One's I specifically used to write my explanation:

Şar V, Dorahy M, Krüger C. Revisiting the Etiological Aspects of Dissociative Identity Disorder: a Biopsychosocial Perspective. Psychology Research and Behavior Management. 2017;Volume 10(10):137-146. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S113743

Mclean Hospital. Dissociative Identity Disorder: What You Need to Know | McLean Hospital. www.mcleanhospital.org. Published August 29, 2022.

Other external sources that also validate my claims but were not used specifically in the writing:

Cleveland Clinic. (Section under What causes Dissociative Identity Disorder)

NHS (Section under Causes of Dissociative disorder. It is important to note that this covers all dissociative disorders, not specifically DID)

Better Health Channel. (Section under Causes of Dissociative Disorders. It is important to note that this covers all dissociative disorders, not specifically DID)

Thank you for reading our first part to this series. Feel free to send us an echo to our page or leave in the comments any questions or suggestions for future parts to this series.

Made from the collaborative efforts of the system who run this blog.

"Can you switch for me?"

“Can you switch for me?”

This is a reupload because our account had a few issues, that are all fixed now.

Feel free to ask any questions you would like us to answer.

Switching Questions and Answers 1:

Answered by Blade

This question can have both positive and negative implications, depending on the person and the situation. I would like to discuss certain scenarios where this question may or may not be appropriate.

Scenario one: Clinical setting (Appropriate)

In a clinical setting, such as therapy, this question may be asked. However, the wording of the question is inappropriate but the intent of the question is. The therapist may be trying to assess the system's ability to reach out to others and switch in a calm setting. This can help the therapist understand the system's communication and willingness to collaborate. If the therapist is familiar with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), they may be asking in order to use a therapeutic approach known as the "Switching technique." It is important to practice this technique in therapy and the therapist will have a better understanding of where to start teaching this technique based on already established levels of communication.

Scenario Two: Asked to switch as proof of disorder (Inappropriate)

If someone, whether it be a friend, stranger, or therapist, asks you to switch as proof of your disorder, this is highly inappropriate. It suggests that your disorder is a show or not real. Switching for systems cannot be controlled and should not be used as a means of proving the disorder. Even if the system has experience with the switching technique, it should only be practiced in a calm setting and used in practice to protect from distress, not to entertain others. Positive triggers, while not negative, can still cause harm to systems. Switching can cause headaches, fatigue, and communication issues if someone is forced out without warning. Forcing someone out can also make them feel invalidated as an individual and could potentially harm progress in future communication or willingness to collaborate.

Scenario Three: Asking because they want to talk to a specific alter. (Mixed)

In a clinical setting, a therapist may want to work through trauma with a specific alter or has done so in the past. They may also be trying to understand the system better. In this case, the therapist may ask this question to see if the alter will come out. However, it is important to note that this can be both good and bad. If the therapist is pushing for a forced switch, it is not appropriate. In a personal situation, if the person is suggesting they do not want to talk to the current fronter and only want to talk to a specific person, it can be harmful. This can also be the case if the person is not a good friend and only wants to talk to an alter they find "interesting," such as a fictive. This suggests that our lives are for others' entertainment, which is not acceptable.

Scenario four: Asking to reduce potential harm or risk to the system (Appropriate)

In a personal setting, if the system has been triggered and someone who

should not be out for their safety, such as a little, has fronted, it may be beneficial for someone to ask for a specific protector to front to handle the situation. In this case, being asked or told for someone to front can benefit the system. The person asking in this situation is most likely a good friend and is asking for good reasons so that there is less pressure in the system to figure out a solution if an external person is guiding the system through who should be trying to front.

Answered by Blade

Switching Questions and Answers 1