Not A Wolf Or A Lamb

This may be really random but was just wondering if anyone’s pets notice when they switch?

Okay, so I might get a lot of hate for this, I might not. I don’t particularly care either way, as long as word gets out about this, because it’s extremely important to me.

As I’m sure most people know by now, bees are disappearing at alarming rates. Simply put, our entire species could not survive without them. This is due to a syndrome called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

Many vegans opt to use agave nectar instead of honey, because agave nectar is plant based. But harvesting of agave nectar is threatening the existence of two other endangered species: Mexican long-nosed bats (who live strictly off of nectars - primarily agave nectar) and the Jaguarundi (a solitary feline who basically looks like a love child between a jungle cat and a ferret.) Approximately 113,126 acres of these animals’ habitat were destroyed from 1991 to 2000, and more has been destroyed since.

On the other hand, beekeepers are essential to increasing bee populations. They monitor the bees’ health and help protect them from dangerous parasites and pesticides that are suspected to cause CCD. In addition, well-kept bees never need to use the amount of honey they produce; Honey is made by the bees to consume only when there is not enough food for them outside the hive. In the care of a good beekeeper, this will only happen during the winter months, and the keeper will leave enough honey for the bees to thrive until it’s spring again.

It’s alright, the fact that you’re making an effort speaks volumes

2) though Tumblr likes to throw misinformation out there, BPD does not cause alters. BPD is a lack of sense of self. In some cases this can lead to a sort of imitative DID like presentation, but it is NOT true DID. It is simply a form of borderline mirroring. This does not mean these people are intentionally or maliciously faking, but it is not a true dissociative disorder. If the person switches social groups to a non DID group often the symptoms will lessen if not vanish in a short time. In imitative DID there is also a lack of amnesia and less pronounced distinction between states more similar to DDOS. If someone with BPD has a trauma background it's possible for them to have both BPD AND a dissociative disorder but BPD on its own does not cause it

3) DID is formed by interrupted cognitive development between the ages of 3-9. It can not form after 9. It requires severe and repeated trauma to form.

I told my mother about my alters yesterday. She reacted much better than I expected her to. Although, for us it wasn’t an entirely positive reaction, because she seems to think we will want to go through integration. We don’t, and probably never will.

While I could explain why we don’t want to myself, my mom is the type of person who listens better when given other opinions.

I’m really not sure if there’d be much of a point, and it could actually be dangerous to continue holding onto the idea of DID or OSDD-1 if it’s an imitative case due to a disease such as Wilson’s.

For one, Wilson’s is genetic and potentially fatal if left untreated. Adequately diagnosing and treating that is far more important than staying in a community for a completely different illness with different mechanics and different causes. Reinforcing the idea of DID if the presence of something like Wilson’s is more likely could actually result in the person denying life saving medical attention, which is really not good. If someone is experiencing psychiatric symptoms directly related to Wilson’s, it’s because of excess copper accumulating in the brain, not because of trauma and dissociation. Treatment for DID and coping methods within the community won’t help someone if their symptoms are related to physiological causes like excess copper. And delaying adequate treatment can actually result in irreversible damage, including to brain tissue (x). So that really should be ruled out and handled first.

Second, if the Wilson’s is treated, odds are high that the psychiatric symptoms (if they are truly imitative and not genuine co-morbid DID) will lessen or go away, making being a part of the DID or OSDD-1 community useless to the person. What would the community be able to do for them? What kind of coping methods would be of any use if the symptoms aren’t actually due to dissociation? What would happen if members of the community mistook symptoms for dissociation instead of copper accumulation and encouraged the person to use specific coping techniques instead of seeking out medical attention? What if said community encouraged the idea of repressed or dissociated memories should the person not remember what would theoretically cause their DID?

What I want to make clear is that it’s not a matter of not being allowed in the community if the person doesn’t actually have DID or OSDD-1. What I want to encourage people to think about is “what would the effects be?” Not just in terms of medical, but in terms of mental effects. Dealing with DID or OSDD-1, and all of the history that causes it, is really rough stuff to go through. It’s not something that should be taken lightly, and not really something I’d recommend for people that don’t genuinely deal with it. Community support and solidarity is great for those that have to go through those struggles, but it’s not nearly as helpful for those who don’t have the condition(s). And considering the consequences could be dire, handling Wilson’s is probably a much higher priority and safer bet than sticking to a community that doesn’t pertain to the actual cause of the symptoms.

A: Alphabetize your CD’s or movies.

B: Bake or cook something tasty, build a pillow fort, blow bubbles, blog, begin a mood journal, build a sandcastle, buy a plant and take care of it.

C: Clean out your room, complete something you’ve been putting off, color coordinate your wardrobe, compliment someone (including yourself), chew gum, count backwards from 100, color with crayons, crochet, cut up fruits, crunch ice, create your own dance routine, call a friend, carve a pumpkin, color your hair, cook a favorite food, cuddle with a stuffed animal, count ceiling tiles, collect sea glass at the beach.

D: Dance, draw, drink something healthy and refreshing, do jumping jacks, dress up, decorate your mirror with positive affirmations and favorite photos, draw on the sidewalk with chalk, doodle on sheets of paper, donate to the less fortunate, decorate a ceramic mug, drive to a farmer’s market.

E: Exercise, eat your favorite snack, enter the secret door, embark on an afternoon adventure, enroll in a class.

F: Fly paper airplanes, find oranges and apples in your fridge and draw silly faces on them, finish homework before it’s due, free write, fold origami, fly a kite, feed the ducks, birds, geese, and squirrels at a park.

G: Go on a walk, get some fresh air, give yourself a facial, go on a long drive, go shopping, go to the library, garden, get a massage, give someone a hug, go to the movies, go to the grocery store and buy yourself some flowers, get a henna tattoo kit, give yourself a pedicure, go to the park and play on the swings.

H: Have a picnic, hang out with friends or family, hug a soft toy, have a good cry.

I: Invite a friend over.

J: Join a gym or a club, jump rope, journal, jog, jump on a trampoline, join in on social activities.

K: Knit something, like a scarf or a dishcloth.

L: Listen to music, look through old photographs, light scented candles or sweet-smelling incense, learn another language, learn the alphabet backwards, laugh at jokes, list your strengths, lie outside in a hammock and watch the clouds roll by, listen to a guided relaxation (x, x, x, x, x), learn calligraphy.

M: Meditate, make a smoothie, make a CD or playlist of your favorite songs, make a list of things you are thankful for, mail a care package to a far-away friend, make a collage with pictures of your favorite things, make friendship bracelets, make a glitter jar (x, x, x, and x), make a notebook filed with song lyrics and quotes you relate to.

N: Name 3+ of your positive attributes, name all of your stuffed animals.

O: Organize your closet.

P: Play with a pet, paint a picture, piece together a puzzle, plan out your dream house, pop bubble wrap, practice deep breathing (5 counts in through your nose, 5 counts out through your mouth), play a board game or cards, play a video game, participate in sports, paint your nails a new color, print out your favorite bible verse (or quote if you aren’t religious) onto a card and memorize it, play a musical instrument, put on your favorite outfit, practice dance moves, punch a pillow, pull weeds in the garden, pop balloons, put on boots and stomp around, play with silly putty or play-doh, put together a scrapbook.

Q: Quietly take some alone time to breathe, calm down, reflect, and relax.

R: Read a good book, ride a bicycle, rock climb, read inspirational quotes, rearrange your bedroom furniture, rip up paper.

S: Spend time with friends, sing, stretch, smile at a stranger, snuggle up in a warm blanket with a cup of hot chocolate or tea, squeeze a stress ball, surf the internet, smell lavender, send a handwritten letter to someone you love, sit outside in the sunshine, style your hair, string a necklace, smooth nice body lotion over your legs and arms, splatter paint, scribble on a piece of paper until the whole page is black.

T: Take a relaxing bath or shower, take pictures of something pretty, tidy up your bed, toss confetti, throw a foam ball at an empty wall, try your hand at a Rubik’s Cube, treat yourself to some ice cream, tourist a city, travel someplace new, take a walk through the woods and breathe in the scent of the trees.

U: Use positive affirmations (such as ”I can do this,” “I am a capable person”).

V: Visit with a friend, visit your local animal shelter and play with the animals, volunteer for a cause.

W: Watch your favorite movie or tv show, write poetry, window shop, watch cute animal videos on Youtube, work on a crossword puzzle, write down your feelings on a piece of paper and then rip it up.

X: eXpress yourself through art or writing.

Y: Try yoga, yell into a pillow.

Z: Zzzz’s - take a nap! Rest is important.

Additional resources:

Click HERE for more self-care activities

Click HERE for distraction websites

Click HERE for relaxation resources

Click HERE if you need a smile

Click HERE if you need a hug

Parents should not be searching through your trash 

Parents should not be snooping on your private social media messages 

Parents should not be taking your bedroom door off 

DID version!

“Oh man, I wish I had someone to help ME out with everyday life!”

“How do I get something like that? I’m really stressed out and could use a break.”

“Oh, I know all about that! I’ve seen Sybil.”

“I have alters too! lol one of them comes out when I’m drunk, she’s a slut.”

“It couldn’t have been that bad.”

“That’s so rare, there’s no way you could have that!”

“I would have noticed if you had that.”

“Everyone has imaginary friends! It’s normal.”

“Don’t you think you’re a bit old to be pretending to be other people..?”

“You’re just trying to avoid taking responsibility!”

“Can’t you just ignore them?”

“Can I talk to [X]? They’re more fun.”

“Can’t you just make [X] come out?”

“Remember when [X] happened? No? Of course you do, don’t be silly!”

“So like… what happened that was so bad?”

“How do you get rid of them?”

“That’s been proven to be fake!”

“Ugh, people with multiple personalities are dangerous. They’re probably a murderer.”

“Why do you have that?”

“What happened to you?”

My name is Julie and I have DID, or Dissociative Identity Disorder. If you’re reading this and don’t know what that is, I am more than happy to teach you at any time. However, that is not what this post is. This post is addressing a very specific issue: people who do not have DID using the online community to spread misinformation.

1. Becoming a System

DID is caused by trauma in early childhood. That is it. Nothing else can cause DID. There is no way to “become a system” or “make an alter.” If anyone tells you otherwise, they are either horribly misinformed (and therefore not a good resource) or intentionally lying.

2. System Resets

I don’t even know how this became a thing. There is no factual basis. It just doesn’t happen. You can’t just go around deleting alters and putting new ones in their place. They are people, as real as you, you could no more just one day delete your own self from your brain.

3. System/Alter Sharing

Alters are people that share your brain, not mystic entities. They can not move out of your body. They don’t have the ability to go into someone else’s mind. You can’t share alters or a headspace with someone else. It’s just not physiologically possible and I don’t understand how people can think this.

4. Integration

This is the only known “cure” for DID. It does not happen over night, it can take years, or never happen at all. And it just take all the alters and mixes them together to make one (or sometime just less) sense of self. That’s the only way.

There’s more, but I’m done for now, thank you for reading.