Just curious, but what does being an endo even imply? From what I know itās just making up a system, but is there anything more than that?
Sorry if this might seem pro-endo, Iām just curious about the situation
Doesn't seem pro-endo at all, don't worry! It's good to ask questions
So, I've been aware of this for a few years now, and the term endo can really refer to a few different things. "Endogenic" as a word is an adaptation of the term "endogenous", which is defined as (of a disease orĀ symptom) notĀ attributableĀ to any external or environmental factor. In essence, the origin of an "endogenic" system would be one not caused or influenced by external factors (trauma, in this case).
The issue with this is, of course, that some things cannot be endogenous. Systems, or DID/OSDD-1/P-DID/UDD, are considered by all current research to be trauma-caused. So why might someone identify with being an endogenic system if that's impossible?
You mentioned one example: making it up. While I'm generally against fakeclaiming, it is true that some people do fake disorders or symptoms. It is a fact that some percentage of people who identify as endogenic systems are faking, for a variety of reasons. On the other hand, some may not consciously be choosing to fake, but could be making it up for other reasons, like lack of research. Due to the already unscientific nature of identifying as an "endogenic system", it's a fair bet that there's a larger number of people making it up in this category as compared to systems.
It's also important to mention that some endo systems, perhaps a good amount of them, are likely systems (or someone with a similar disorder) who have been misled or are in denial. This is the case due to the fact that many systems previously identified as endos before being more aware of how systems work. A lot of endos are younger, newly discovered/questioning systems, and this makes them especially susceptible to falling into endo misinformation. Denial plays a massive factor, as it makes sense why someone might want to believe they don't have trauma, especially if they can't remember it.
Some endos I've seen believe that, while they have trauma, it's not what caused their system to form, which is a very odd form of denial.
Some endos believe in spiritual plurality, but that's still not a reason to use the term. While certain culturally accepted practices are recognized as being distinct from DID, these are nothing like what "spiritual systems" claim (the ICD mentions spirit mediums as an example of something exempt from diagnosis).
There are various reasons why someone would identify as an endo, and probably some I haven't covered, but I hope this makes some sense as I'm writing this at 4:30 in the morning lol. Endos are completely misinformed about systems, and many of them are possibly systems that are simply turning to misinformation to help reinforce denial. Many endos are also simply faking systemhood.
(Edit: it's not always obvious, so I encourage approaching endos with the understanding that a good number of them are misinformed or in denial, and very well may be systems. It's important to correct misinformation while being aware of this fact. Even if this is the case, it's not an excuse for them to spread misinformation.)
The best we can do is encourage research on the topic and correct misinformation!