A Guide to DID & OSDD-1 â
|| The Fundamentals of OSDDID.
Written by an adult with professionally dx'd DID, who's had over two decades of lived experience and five years of dedicated research.
⢠What are DID & OSDD-1?
Dissociative Identity Disorder [DID] and Other Specified Dissociative Disorder Type One [OSDD-1] are complex dissociative disorders classified under "Dissociative & Conversion Disorders" in the ICD-10, and "Dissociative Disorders" in the DSM-5.
DID as defined by the ICD-10:
"A disorder characterized by the presence of two or more identities with distinct patterns of perception and personality which recurrently take control of the person's behavior. This is accompanied by a retrospective gap in memory of important personal information that far exceeds ordinary forgetfulness."
In the ICD-10, OSDD-1 is classified as "Dissociative & Conversion Disorder, Unspecified."
(Because of the difference between the ICD-10 and the DSM-5, and how common language surrounding the disorder is often based on the DSM, I will use the DSM-5 description to define OSDD-1.)
OSDD-1 as defined by the DSM-5:
"Identity disturbances associated with less-than-marked discontinuities in sense of self and agency [subtype 1a], or alterations of identity or episodes of possession in an individual who reports no dissociative amnesia [subtype 1b]."
Simply, DID is characterized by multiple identity & self states, each with their own separate narrative, somatic, and emotional experiences. These various identities can exert autonomous control when activated, and experience dissociative amnesia between each identity state.
OSDD-1 is very similar, but these identity states are less defined or distinct [subtype 1a], or the dissociative amnesia present between these identity states is most often limited to emotional experiences [subtype 1b].
(Note: These differences are subjective and can be fluid.)
⢠How do they develop?
OSDDID is developed through multiple factors, including: a genetic baseline for dissociation; unstable family dynamics; disorganized & fearful attachment to one's caregivers; repeated, intense trauma; and unresolved, inescapable stress in early childhood.
⢠What is dissociation?
Dissociation is defined as a disconnection & lack of continuity between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions, and identity.
A natural response to trauma & inescapable situations, dissociation helps to disconnect one from their current experience. When a young child is in an inescapable situation, they will dissociate away from certain thoughts, feelings, actions, behaviors, and the experience itself.
This act helps the mind to compartmentalize these experiences, allowing the child to function in day-to-day life.
However, when these situations are repeated, overwhelming, and are unable to be processed in a safe environment (often because one doesn't exist), their dissociation turns pathological, or disordered.
Their dissociation bleeds into everyday life, and causes issues in function.
⢠How does dissociation develop into OSDDID?
Dissociation is the very base of these disorders, causing not only amnesia, but functioning as the formula for how these identity states - often called parts or alters - develop and interact with each other and the world around them.
Our fiancĂŠ wrote a thread explaining how alters form in simple terms and an easy-to-follow example. You can find it here (thread no longer exists đ).
To get a little more in-depth, the currently accepted theory regarding the development of OSDDID and the formation of alters is "[the theory of] Trauma-related Structural Dissociation of the Personality." It states that when a child dissociates during inescapable situations, those experiences are compartmentalized into neurobiologically predetermined "action systems."
Essentially - alters are, at a very base level, a manifestation of these action systems.
From the ToSD:
"These systems are conceptualized as evolutionary based action systems that serve major functions, predominantly survival of the individual in the face of major threat, survival of the species, and management of daily life."
Alters are divided into two classifications according to the ToSD: ANPs and EPs.
I've written detailed, informative threads on these classifications. You can find them here.
[ANPs]
|| The "Apparently Normal" Part of the Personality || Summary: an ANP is a part that encapsulates survival & daily functioning, and has f
[EPs]
|| The "Emotional" Part of the Personality || Summary: an EP is a part that encapsulates the complex mental systems involving traumatic e
⢠What really are alters?
Objectively, alters are the dissociated identity states that form along the predetermined action systems described in the previous section.
Simply, they are compartmentalized experiences that have developed their own sense of identity.
In a subjective sense, alters are individual identities within a single person, who have their own ways of perceiving and interacting with their experiences & the world around them.
Alter identities vary in personality, as well as gender, orientation, age, appearance, and more.
These variations in identity and personality are due to the inherent differences in life experience caused by mental "barriers" formed through dissociative amnesia.
Your identity is the sum of your entire life experience. When you can't remember and/or feel connected to bits and pieces of your life, your identity will differ based on what experiences you DO remember and/or feel connected to.
For example, an alter who was only active during childhood is likely to identify as a child, since that's the sum of their lived experience. This lived experience identity will also factor in subjective beliefs formed through socialization & cultural "rules."
Example: a male child who's told "boys don't cry" may form an alter that identifies as a girl, whose function is to express emotions in a way a boy "can't."
It's important to recognize that the identity of an alter is very real, and very important to that individual alter.
That said, these identities don't exist in a vacuum, and may include harmful beliefs one learned in childhood, and in subsequent traumatic experiences.
Alter identities deserve acceptance, validation, and critical examination.
Their identity is as real as anyone else's, but may need to be more deeply assessed by the person with OSDDID and their mental health team.
- Transcribed from a twitter thread by @/ColubridC with his permission. Link to OG thread : https://twitter.com/ColubridC/status/1410820188950327299?t=jr7g56CEzp2kgWvB5yezow&s=19
