#topic: tracking

Thank you in advance :)

[PT: Welcome! Please, take a seat.]

When it comes to switching itself, it can vary quite a bit between different parts. Often, we don't notice a switch has happened until we do something the previous fronter wouldn't. This particular method very much relies on knowing what actions do and do not match up to parts. More overt switches in our case come with a wave of much heavier dissociation and are easier to recognize.

Most often when we're uncertain as to who's in front, we first try to ground, and then go through a list of parts and think about what attributes sound "right" as fitting me. Pronouns, behaviors, personality traits, likes and dislikes, and similar things. We try to keep records of these as best we can and add other potential indicators. We keep a false member/"custom front" on our front tracking app labeled "blurry" for when we are too dissociated to figure this out.

However, one should try not to put too much pressure on recognizing who's fronting at every given moment. It can be helpful, but focusing on it too much can very easily cause undue stress. You aren't required to know everything about your system—that's just a part of how the disorder works.

As always, additions are welcome & appreciated.

we struggle with most tools designed for systems because they don't really adjust to our needs, trying to constantly be hyper aware of who's fronting and who's co-conscious always ends up giving us headches and makes our symptoms worse. and since we usually tend to have parts influecing us or being somewhat conscious in the background while still unaware of what's happening or what we're doing it always becomes way too much to keep up with so we end up not even being able to trach anything

with our communication we have days where we only can communicate internally when we focus and when we find something that we feel like might help we always forget that we can actually use those tools so we never end up using them

We also have this thing where we front in either pairs or like small groups right? If the alter in front stays in the front but the alter co-conscious goes away and another alter or two come in to be co-conscious we tend to have gaps in our memory and kinda zone out because of it so it really sucks

and like, idk, It feels so isolating that so many tools that other systems reccomend and use every day straight up don't work for us because of the way we function, because tracking every single thing would be impossible, headaches from trying to be constantly aware of whats happening innour system which i mentioned earlier, and also the amnesia getting in our way. I get that systems are not a one size fits all thing, which is fine, but it is a problem when most tools are designed for people like you but won't work with you specifically because of your symptoms manifesting themselves in a way where these tools are not worth trying out. These tools are designed with a one size fits all approach

so yeah im trying to ask for advice on some ideas on what to do and like alternatives and stuff, would really appreciate it

Sorry if anything doesn't make sense or if there are any typos, I'm mentally exhausted and i cant get myself to read and reread over and over again to see if it makes sense (i already did that a couple times but i feel like its not enough and i also had times where i had things that slipped under my radar). If there's anything we need to clarify or explain further please tell us

[PT: Welcome! Please, take a seat.]

I'd suggest perhaps focusing less on what individual parts are fronting and focusing more on your symptoms and emotional states. You might keep a list of parts to help with unblurring or simply archival purposes, but that doesn't mean you have to track who specifically is fronting.

While we do enjoy tracking certain individual parts' influence, it can be very hard at times. We've mentioned having a "blurry" custom front in another post, but we also have some based just on what we call "personas." These are general ~vibes~ of the current fronter(s) and can be marked in place of or alongside individual parts.

Much of our communication between fronters is done out loud for similar reasons to what you've described... External modes of communication are easy to forget about if they're out of sight. Sticky notes help us with remembering most tasks, but most communication between fronters and co-fronters is out loud or in our head. Only a few of us have semi-permanent communication between front and our innerworld.

And if it's any consolation: my own system functions in a similar way. Your experience is shared with many others as well, even if it seems less common.

[PT: Welcome! Please, take a seat.]

Much of our understanding of who's in co-conscious relies on "vibes." I'll often catch myself thinking something or feeling something that doesn't come from me, but that is in no way foolproof and can be difficult when we're more dissociated.

Semi-regular "check-ins" also have shown to provide some help. These could be things like we've previously brought up on this blog (what's my name; my role; etc.) or an introspective check-in (can you identify any emotions you're feeling; what's something that may help you; etc).