These questions are ones we have heard before and are ones that singlets tend to wonder. If any systems have any questions they would like me to add feel free to talk to me.
What is Dissociative Identity Disorder?
Dissociative Identity Disorder, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder, is a mental health condition characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality states or identities within a single person. These distinct identities, often referred to as “alters,” can have their own names, ages, histories and characteristics. The transition from one alter to another is often referred to as “switching.”
Can you be have DID/OSDD without trauma?
It is caused by repeated childhood trauma. Trauma can include physical, mental, emotional, or sexual abuse, invasive medical procedures, repeated natural disasters, severe neglect, and/or war. The trauma must have been repetitive. Without trauma, DID/OSDD cannot form
Do you have to have amnesia?
To have DID in particular, amnesia must occur. Amnesia is defined as gaps in the recall of everyday events, important personal information and/or traumatic events.
Does every system have fictives?/How do they form?
Fictives (or Fictional Introjects) exist in some systems. Fictives are fictional characters that become alters. They are formed like any other alter, from trauma, either at a young age, or stress happening to someone who ALREADY has DID. They do not develop just from a love of a character, or from wanting that character to be real. They are not the same as imaginary friends, or roleplay characters
Aren't you just roleplaying?/Aren't you just kin-ing them?
This is not the same as being kin with someone/something. Being kin with a character means relating to that character. This is not the same as an alter. Some people may believe they are the character that they are kin with, but this is not DID & the like either. Alters are not roleplay characters. People who roleplay and create characters might feel like their characters have their own personalities, to the point that the character ‘doesn’t listen to them’ about certain things, but this is a fairly normal thing for writers. It is not DID, and they are not alters. Roleplay characters, like any other character, can be introjected into the system in some cases, if the person already has DID.
(You can still do whatever you’d like with that character, even if it feels like they would disagree. Knowing how they would feel about certain actions, or feeling like they wouldn’t agree or approve of you doing something when writing what they would do is not the same as an alter.)
Aren't you all just one person??
Alters are parts of a single person that have been kept from being able to gain a full sense of self or identity because of trauma as a child. This does not make the alters fake, and does not mean that the host. (if there is one) can control them. Alters are not the same person, and do not identify as each other or the host. This is the entire point of DID & the like, to not identify as each other to compartmentalize traumatic events so the person can go on living.
(It’s completely normal and in fact part of the disorder for alters and the host to not see themselves as the same person. For all intents and purposes, they are not the same person.)
Is it the same for everyone??
Everyone experiences the symptoms of DID (In particular) differently. This does not mean that if someone does not meet the DSM criteria for DID that they don't have a dissociative disorder.
How long has it been around??
DID (In particular) has been around for a very long time, and has been recorded all the way back to the 1500′s. Just because they didn’t have the same terminology or understanding of it that we do today, doesn’t mean it didn’t exist.
