Notes on Switching from an NOSā Perspective
NOS is a term the Hive gave me that meansĀ āNOt a System.ā The communityās term for it will not be used on this blog (feel like I gotta say this for a while).
Just want to clarify before anyone continues reading that these are merely things I have come to understand from my relationship with the Hive thus far (eight-ish months now?) and the words from other systems Iāve seen on YouTube or via Tumblr.
Systems are more often than not uncomfortable when other people can witness them switch. So to circumvent that, if you notice your friend/family member/partner switching, turn your gaze elsewhere unless they say itās alright!
If itās in public, perhaps causing a subtle distraction away from their person could give them a moment of privacy, but please be careful not to make tons of noise or cause alarm, as that could startle or trigger the system and whoever is trying to front.
Sometimes switching can be slow, and itās essential to be patient and let it pass, meaning donāt wave your hand in their face, donāt incessantly call their names, donāt touch them unless you know who is leaving and who is fronting and you have BOTH of their permissions to touch them while switching, donāt snap your fingers at them (God, literally do that to anyone), and donāt get impatient if it takes longer than you would like it to.Ā You should respect the system and give the space, time, and comfort they need if possible.
Maybe the system would like to leave the room, or lie down or they need to be in the dark. Whatever they need in order for this to feel safe, easy, and relaxing. Please just let them, because Iām told itās always a hard process and it leaves them feeling dissociated and dizzy, often giving them headaches. Switching can happen anywhere at any time, and it takes a LOT of effort to stop or put it off, so just support your friend/family member/partner and give them what they need.
Sometimes switching is fast, or even unnoticeable and suddenly another alter is fronting. Thatās okay, too!! And when it happens, donāt complain how you werenāt done talking to X, donāt be upset with the current alter for frontingĀ (sometimes fronting isnāt even voluntary), and by God DO NOT TRY TO TRIGGER SOMEONE ELSE OUT UNLESS YOU HAVE THE SYSTEMāS PERMISSION TO DO SO.Ā Imagine being forced into a conversation that was stressing you out and youāre suddenly wearing someone elseās skin and face, you donāt feel right in your body and itās extremely uncomfortable and even terrifying because you donāt know whatās going on.
When there is a switch happening, you be patient, welcoming, and understanding. Anything else and youāre risking a bad situation and possibly breaking trust. Ah, one thing I neglected to mention is that every system is unique in function and therefore should be asked on what and how they need to be treated during moments like this.
If I find out any more then Iāll be adding to this post in the future. If any systems or partners of systems would like to inform me of something Iām unaware of or wrong about, that is always welcome! For now, here are some of the main sources I learned from:
Spending time with the Hive
@dissociadidās YouTube video How to React to a Switch