> I'LL CODE MY OWN HUMANITY

is that a cultural conceptualization of DID thing where people make parts seem/influence them to be more seperate than they are*, or do people really have different names for parts? (same question for not recognizing your parts as yourself?)

(im struggling to wrap my head around it, in trans communities its pretty normal to change your name, so im startled when its applied to parts and its not normal?)

*let me know if im misunderstanding what you wrote/believe

parts can have different names! many reasons for it. for convenience, as a way of recognising and validating a given part of yourself... sometimes a name 'comes with' a part due to it being a name you associate with a certain time in your life or certain character archetype this part of yourself embodies.

you're totally right that having multiple names and changing your name is not really a disordered or strange experience in most cases, so, similarly, an individual with dissociative parts having many names between themselves doesnt necessarily have anything to do with them not seeing their parts 'as themselves' or not considering them associated with their life. even in ye olde popularised DID case studies (see Eve, Sybil) multiple alter names these women had were derived from real names they had throughout their lives (eg. child alters were named their childhood nicknames, 'unmarried' alters identifying with their maiden names). it makes a lot of sense how various personal names could be divided like this during experiences of complex dissociation, to me.

personally, ive done many a naming ceremony for new parts of myself ive come to know over the years, many a discussion with a part of myself over what they would consider their name to be (including collaboratively revising their choice with them when their chosen name had negative connotations), and many a slapping on a title for convenience, too. i also personally come from a culture where it is normal to have a different name in different situations/with different people, too, so i have a lot of names i associate with different me-concepts, even outside of me also having DID. and i think that's cool and chill. i am a guy with many many public and private names for navigating myself, my relationships, and my culture. and i feel very strongly that this, including when it is alongside any Multiple self-concept, is not psychopathological [1, 2, 3].

pwDID 1: my dissociative part does not have a name, because i conceive of them / experience them as a part of me / me in a different 'mode'. i may give them an epithet for convenience (e.g. 'angry me'; 'child me').

pwDID 2: my dissociative part does have a name, but i still consider them a part of myself and the fact they have a unique name does not contradict that. i can have more than one name. their name may even be a name i have used in the past during a period/circumstance i associate with this part.

pwDID 3: my dissociative part does not have a name, but i also cannot conceive of them as a part of me. i may struggle to conceive of them at all, and i may give them an abstract epithet for convenience (e.g. 'the thing that controls me').

pwDID 4: my dissociative part does have a name, because i cannot consider them a part of me at this moment in time. having a name for them helps me to refer to them in the third person and establish a divide that reflects and assures my emotional reality.

these ^^ are all very real experiences. but popular media and spokespeople often miss these nuances, and assume that pwDID 4 (name & 'not me') is the only presentation that occurs under DID, and assumes that pwDID 4's presentation occurs not because of their subjective sense-making, but because they really are functionally possessed by several discrete entities that inexplicably and 'actually' have their own distinct autonomous identities.

What's your OC's favorite cuddling position?

What's their favorite comfort food that they eat when they're sad?

What's a secret passion of theirs?

What's an item that is deeply important and special to them? What makes it so special?

Do they have any collections?

What does their laugh sound like?

If they were in a book, how would they describe themselves?

If they were in a book how would they be described by others/ the narrator?

What's something they will never fail to get excited over?

How many pillows do they sleep with?

What's their favorite thing that their partner (if they have one) has ever said to them?

What's the sweetest thing they've ever said to their partner (if they have one)?

What's the most memorable compliment they've ever been given?

What's something they unashamedly adore?

What (kind of or specific) outfit do they feel most comfortable with?

Do they have a "lucky" item?

What's their sleeping position when they're on their own?

What's their favorite scent?

What's their favorite texture?

What's something they do absentmindedly that their partner (if they have one) finds adorable

What's their dream date like

Do they have a best friend? If so who is it?

Do they like having their hair played with?

What's their favorite (non-sexual) place to be kissed?

What's their favorite place to kiss their partner?

What do they love about their friends?

What's their favorite childhood memory?

What makes them feel safe?

What's the cutest thing their pet does (if they have one)?

What's their favorite animal?

If they could have any pet, what would it be?

What's their favorite thing to do with their partner?

What's their favorite room in their home (if they have one)?

What do they taste like when kissed?

You, the one I left behind

If you ever walk this way

To be exuberantly free