#pro plurality

changes made: Generalized terms narrowed down to anti and pro endogenic. The terms system, sysmed, and traumascum addressed.

-I will be using anti endo to refer to an individual that believes that plurality cannot exist outside of trauma. I will be using pro endo to refer to an individual that believes plurality can exist outside of trauma. they will only be used in this context, please do not assign the terms negative or positive connotations in the context of this post.

-I will be using Disordered system to refer to a system who has a CDD. I will be using non disordered plural to refer to a system that does not have a CDD. they will only be used in this context, please do not assign the terms negative or positive connotations in the context of this post.

TERMS on different sides

The term Endogenic is often viewed on the anti endo and CDD-exclusive side of the system community as a label for people that claim to have DID or other CDDs without trauma. Some believe this term pushes to demedicalize dissociative disorders and shouldn’t be used at all, while others believe it shouldn’t exist because plurality as a concept cannot exist without trauma and a related dissociative disorder.

the term Endogenic is often viewed by the pro endo community as anyone that experiences plurality/multiplicity that was not directly caused by trauma. This view can directly contradict the view of anti endos that say plurals cannot exist without a CDD.

Plurality is a term not used as often in the anti endo community, more likely to use terms such as System, multiplicity, or multiple personalities. They often see it as merely a symptom of complex dissociative disorders, and part of a list of criteria that can only occur in OSDD/DID.

Plurality is more freely used in the pro endo community that views it as separate from DID’s diagnostic criteria. This side actually seems to shy away from the later two terms, but uses terms such as System and collective freely. They often see plurality or systemhood as merely multiple consciousnesses or personalities within one body, and not as a clear sign of a disorder.

Traumagenic has gained a negative rhetoric in the anti endo community, as to many of them, it invalidates disordered systems by having to state that they experienced trauma, when trauma is already part of the diagnostic criteria for CDDs. They feel it is unnecessary and associate it with the non disordered community.

Traumagenic, like Endogenic, is a term used in the pro endo community as a label for anyone that experiences plurality caused by trauma. They often view these labels positively, creating many non medicalized terms to refer to plural experiences

System is a term used in the anti endo community to refer to multiple alters or headmates working together inside of one individual with a CDD. this term is used CDD-exclusively by anti endos, and they believe that individuals that claim to be endogenic should not use the term to refer to themselves.

System is used non-exclusively by pro endos to refer to any plural that has mutiple parts working together as a whole. they believe that any plural should be allowed to use the term, but some may prefer not to.

sysmed (I believe) was coined by pro endos to refer to someone who sticks to the more rigid form of diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5 to determine whether a system is valid as a disordered system or not. the term can be used positively or negatively, but it sees to have been used as primarily an insult by pro endos, and it's (above) definition by most disorded systems.

Traumascum is an insult. it is a derogatory term coined by pro endos to replace sysmed as something more harsh, though it has begun to be reclaimed by anti endos as another term for sysmed, but in a non-derogatory way.

I do not support the use of insults in this post, and will remove any replies that use terms in a derogatory or non-pragmatic way.

HOW THEY VIEW THEMSELVES AND EACH OTHER.

To the anti endo and CDD-exclusive side of plurality, their community is factually correct, spreads real, solid information, and helps disordered systems deal with and handle their disorder in a way that may make it less disabling for them. To a majority of them, making sure their spaces are clear of any endos, pro endos, and non-disordered plurals is part of keeping their community safe from misinformation. To many of them, non disordered plurality is fake, pretend, cultural appropriation, the spread of misinformation, and can directly harm newly realized or naive systems. As well as that, they believe heavy introspection can have nasty repercussions for systems that are not ready to look into their trauma or experiences.

The endogenic, non CDD-exclusive community seems to value being open and accepting of all labels, expressions, and forms of plurality, regardless of where they came from or why they exist. They often view freedom of self expression as a form of self care, and encourage others to look into their experiences as much as possible. To them, restricting plurality to CDDs can be harmful and cause systems to doubt themselves and fear being seen as fake. To many endos, the CDD-exclusive community is too strict in their views and may cause systems to hide their systemhood.

[not all anti endogenic individuals are CDD exclusive, and some pro endos are, if you fall under categories not addressed above, please be aware that communities were narrowed down to fit the majority, and may not apply to every individual experience.]

in all, it’s a dog eat dog world. Many beliefs are contradictory, and often demonize the other side’s views.

doing research and looking into posts for this made me realize that this feels similar to something I saw based on neurodivergency and autism.

it said something along the lines of “who cares if every single person who self diagnoses is faking, or is wrong. If the resources that are there for everyone help them, why should we tell them they can’t use it? We should all strive to be happy and healthy together, instead of miserable divided.”

I also saw “leave a seat open at your table for those like you, and one open those unlike you.” While searching for public opinions on these topics.

Honestly it might be foolish sunshine and rainbows of me, but I wish we could all get along and work towards the happy and healthy together goal.

On that note!

We’re currently testing out the pluralflux label because we like labels.

we are an endogenic system of two that uses the terms system, collective, piece, part, half, whole, person/persons, etc… We do not like to use terms such as alters, headmates, or other terms that make us feel like we are claiming medical terms.

we do not have DID. We do not have a dissociative disorder. We do not dissociate, we do not have amnesia, All of our heavy trauma happened at ages 13+, and we work together and separate comfortably as two parts of a whole, with no desire to fuse or fear of splitting further.

we are two separate people with different gender, species, and sexual identities. Different opinions, personalities, and goals. We actively want and do different things, and make separate decisions with separate trains of thought.

our first obvious encounter with signs of plurality happened two years ago. I (the collective) was 17, and had never experienced signs of plurality, nor had I ever doubted my singularity. Though I did know about DID at the time.

—STORYTIME—

I was inside when I noticed that nobody else was in the house. I came to the conclusion that the rest of my family was outside. Usually when my family is all outside they are working or doing something important, and will get upset with me if they come back in and I’m not doing something they deem important enough to not be helping them.

now I had a decision to make. Either stay inside and get more time alone to do things I wanted to, at the risk of getting yelled at. OR. Go outside to offer help, look into the situation, and play it safe, at the loss of my free time.

I stood in front of my door mulling it over for a good few minutes before I decided to stay inside. Only- part of me disagreed. One of us had decided otherwise. As I turned to walk back into the house, I suddenly wrenched myself backwards and grabbed the door handle, fully preparing to walk out the door.

the sudden moment of conviction from a source that very blatantly disagreed with a decision I had just made scared the ever living shit out of me. I was so shocked that we stood there for a while minute before forgetting the disagreement and going back inside. It was not that I “suddenly changed my mind” or “had second thoughts” or “part of me wanted to do the other thing.”

half of us made the decision to stay inside. We were aware that *something* was reasoning otherwise, but I genuinely wanted to stay inside, and I’d made the decision to do just that. Only, I wasn’t REALLY paying attention to the half that wanted to go out, because next thing we knew, Zeph was actively taking action against Kat to go outside, physically moving the body to do what they believed NEEDED to be done, regardless of what we *wanted.*

this has happened a few times since then, and it’s always just as odd feeling.

I’m going to use this opportunity to introduce us.

the body is currently going by the name Kat. The body is a vessel, and holds a collective (⭐️)They/it. (how does the starlight system sound?) and two halves.

Kat(🐺🍃)They/it. one half of the collective. Has kept the name of the body. Exists purely through emotions and wants, acting impulsively based on desires and what seems the best. Is usually controlling motor functions when separate.

Zephyr(📜💨)He/They/it. One half of the collective. Runs pros and cons of situations, functions best and replies more reliably when stress turns off the brain’s emotions. Can and will take over motor functions if Kat is lacking or if the situation is deemed important enough. (Fun fact: Zeph used to be known as Kat² by our partner before we found a name that suited him)

while we are two separate people who argue, complain, and care for one another, we also share a brain. Our thought processes are separate, but we never don’t know what the other is thinking. Sometimes it’s innate, just knowing what opinions and feelings are being processed from where, sometimes it’s two loud thoughts flip flopping for the front of the mind, and sometimes it’s genuine, out loud conversations to get points across more clearly.

there are none of the boundaries or separatedness that disordered systems have described, nor is there a headspace. We do not “switch”. There is absolutely no amnesia or confusion on “who did what.” It’s the one body, one brain, one set of memories, two people.

we don’t want to fuse. We don’t struggle as a collective or as separate identities. We don’t find being plural disabling. We don’t feel alone, or overcrowded. This is just how we are. Sometimes we are so much of the collective that it’s impossible to discern separate consciousnesses, and sometimes decisions cause us to physically rebel against one another. We are constantly changing, but we are always just us.