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summary/ tl;dr at the bottom of the page
Inroduction
What is DID?
DID is the acronym for Disassociate Identity Disorder, previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder.
DID is defined as: a mental health disorder, which a person has two or more separate identities, in which these personalities have different appearances, history, backgrounds, behavioural patterns, likes and dislikes. DID is a form of dissociation, similar to (but seperate disorders, with some links) derealization/depersonalization disorder or dissociative amnesia. Other personalities can be internally percieved as different species or races, even ethnicity, as every alter has a different background and history, little, or none at all. (When a personality comes to be active, 'fronting', the other personalitie(s) (usually) experience a form of amnesia and cannot remember the occurances of another 'alters' front.
The causes of DID can vary, but are linked to the repeated psychological trauma of intense physical, sexual, or emotional abuse at a young age, around and under 6. These factors cause the brain to dissociate and starts creating other personalities to handle what has occurred, as DID is a coping mechanism / trauma response to protect the core person or body.
Required Diagnostic Symptoms are:
-displaying two or more distinct identities involentarily who have different patterns and ways of perceiving the world, thought processes, etc.
-reoccuring memory gaps in memory in everyday situations and events, personal/important information, unable to be regular forgetfulness.
-symptoms are not due to religiou or cultural practice, alcohol, drugs, another medical condition, or imagination/ fantastical play
-symptoms cause stress, struggle or problems in everyday events and relationships.
Otherwise Symptoms of DID include
- memory loss (especially when one alter (personality) is fronting while another is not)
-out of body experiences
-severe dissociation
-depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts
-drug use and abuse
-lack of sense of self/ self identity
-emotional numbness & detachment
(some being side common symptoms, not required to fit diagnostic.)
Treatment includes talk therapy, and some medications such as antidepressant, , or individually fitted treatment, none known to rid of alters fully.
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What is OSDD-1?
OSDD-1 is the acronym meaning Otherwise Specified Dissociative Disorder, previously DDNOS (Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified).
OSDD-1 is defined as: individuals who have similar sympoms to those with DID but who do not fully meet full disgnostic criteria for DID. OSDD-1 describes: OSDD-1a, generally being individuals who have separated dissociative parts, but are not differentiated enough to be considered alters; and OSDD-1b describes individuals who do not have amnesia between these alters and share memories and relevant information (not strictly, as people with OSDD-1b may still experience situational, but not consistant, switch - based amnesia)
The causes of OSDD-1 are the same as DID, as OSDD-1 only functions differently from DID in missing diagnostic criteria only in areas of symptoms. with this being said- see the causes of DID to see the causes of OSDD-1.
The Diagnostic Symptoms of OSDD-1a are the same as the diagnostic criteria of DID, with the lack of strong enough differencitated parts to be fully formed alters, but still presenting different dissociative parts that can influence thoughts and actions in some cases, and the presence of amnesia.
The Diagnostic Symptoms of OSDD-1b are the same as the diagnostic criteria of DID, but with the lack of amnesia, where the other identities/alters can act as themselves, but all alters (for the most part) share memory and information.
Otherwise Symptoms of OSDD-1 are again the same as DID, with the lacking features of each subtype applied.
Treatment includes talk therapy, medications to treat additional treatable symptoms, or indivitually fitted treatment.
What is the difference between DID and OSDD?
Both of these disorders are trauma based, but DID and OSDD are typically cormorbid with C-PTSD. C-PTSD encompasses posttraumatic response on a neuropsychological level, and the relationships with others and the world due to it. DID and OSDD describe the interrupted development and different actions / symptoms that occur because of the trauma endured, showing the dissociative disconnect of a core survivor of a system that simple singlet (non system, non- osdd/did people) CPTSD surviors.
Both subtypes of OSDD are similar but not 'full blown' cases of DID due to their diagnostic symptoms, and all have the same causes and non-diagnostic or side symptoms (with lacking diagnostic traits of DID applied tothe subtypes of OSDD)
SUMMARY/ TL;DR
DID: trauma response/ involentary coping method, dissociative disorder. is the presence of different identities (alters) in a CPTSD/ young age occured trauma surviors headspace, able to take front of control of the body, usually to fulfill certain functions to aid the body.
OSDD-1: the presence of 'near DID', being a condition of almost the same as DID, only differenciated by lacking elements depending on the subtype
OSDD-1a: the condition of 'almost DID', only lacking the full formation of identities enough to be considered identities.
OSDD-1b: the condition of 'almost DID', only lacking the amnesia experienced beween fronts of alters.
What is fakeclaiming?
Fakeclaiming is the term that describes claiming that a system (specifically people who have DID or OSDD-1b) is not real, or generally 'invalid'.
While fakeclaimers may be correct at times, finding people who fake these disorders and pointing it out, fakeclaiming is unacceptable in any situation where there is no solidified proof. The only time that fakeclaiming is okay, and truly not fakeclaiming- instead pointing out a harmful case, is when the faking individual:
-has admitted to faking
-has been through diagnosis process and been proven not to have the disorder but pretends to have it
-has proof of truly not having alters
Why is fakeclaiming so wrong?
Fakeclaiming is wrong over letting someone fake being a system. While faking being a system is not okay, fakeclaiming affects everyone who suffers from these disorders, and oftentimes creates a false idea by singlets of what within these disorders can be real or fake.
A common example includes systems splitting and creating fictives or nonhuman alters, who are absolutley possible, and fakeclaimers claiming that the system is faking their status of a system because they see it as 'rediculous', adding to a stigma that the disorder is unrealistic or generally faked.
Within this, systems of all kinds become affected- stigmas created by fakeclaimers tells systems that they aren't able to exist, and not only damage systems and reputations, but can help contribute to the scattered, oftentimes hard to decipher identities of one, some, all alters, or the core.
On the other hand, if fakeclaiming does not occur, and a singlet continues to fake being a system, the cost is much smaller. Instead of effecting many systems via fakeclaiming, a specific faking singlet who is acting out wrongly with the idea of systems involved, can be taken care of, especially within system communities on individual levels, and damage and stigmatization is reduced.
Does this make faking okay?
Faking isnt okay, under any circumstance.
The issue is- fakeclaiming is claiming someone is pretending, but nobody can be sure that someone is faking until they go through a disgnosis process and come out as a proven singlet. Some diagnosed systems don't even know that they are systems until diagnosis. it just reenforces the point that the only time it is okay to say that a system is not a system is when there is genuine proof.
A (unexcusable) reason someone may fake DID or OSDD-1b is because they have trauma or are in need of a coping method and find pretending to be a system as a form of coping. This is not acceptable but also explains another reason why fakclaiming may hurt more people than is worth it.
Faking AND fakeclaiming are wrong. Fakeclaiming is worse.
Common Faker-Claims
Excuses people use to tell systems why they are faking
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"You're too young to have alters"
There is no 'age of' to be a system. The age range of trauma experienced for a person have this disorder must occur before the persons personality and identity has fully developed, being a factor as to why/ how this disorder can occur. A person must go through the faulting trauma and develop this disorder even in early form around the ages 6 to 9. There are some general differences between DID/OSDD1b in children vs adults, but does not change the fact the disorder exists when developed, in the aforementioned range. There is no information to suggest that alters will not front in younger individuals, and has been proven to occur.
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"You're too young to qualify for diagnosis / diagnoses occur at ages 20-30"
Diagnosis are usually held off until after puberty, but the given age range is misinformation. The idea that you generally recieve diagnosis in this age range is actually from a different dissociative disorder, depersonlization disorder. The road to achiving diagnosis includes self diagnosing, as to apply ones self to the disorder to handle and self treat it until able to get a diagnosis later. Along with this, diagnosis timing is not in candice with the development of the diagnosis. The disorder is usually diagnosed later/ after puberty to help rule out inconsistencies that can interfere with information to diagnose an individual. This does not change that the disorder must develop at the young age range, and exists in the time between development and diagnosis still.
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"You don't have _ type of alter, that's _"
(EX) "You can't have a little alter, that's a kink!'"
Roles of alters are real and exist due to splitting of the core person to fulfill a role that (generally) an alter(s) or the core cannot do. Roles for alters aren't always present, but often are. Roles exist because of things that happen, usually because other alters cannot do some things, giving the alter a 'job'. It reflects the reason the disorder develops- because an individual cannot withstand certain environments, so they begin making other individuals to cope/ respond and start doing jobs. Based on the example- littles can exist for many reasons, in reality not being a kink, or anything suggestive to begin with. There are examples of people with DID/ OSDD-1b developing littles because of trauma, alike how people age regress. Some people develop littles because it is from, or represents the core at the time of the trauma happening, or because littles help people cope with the trauma endured at a young age. Often littles also exist simply due to the varied ages that alters are formed as. Another example is protectors- systems will often form protectors because they will protect the entire system from danger of varied types that the rest of the system cannot do. *Roles exist because the system needs the role/ job fulfiled, or because the role describes a feature(s) of alters.
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"This many people cannot have DID/OSDD. It is super rare."
DID/ OSDD are not based on percentages or chance. DID and OSDD are disorders created by environment. Because of the prevalence of a necessary environmental factor being the cause of these disorders, and the fact that these environmental factors are not, and will never be consistent numbers, the percentages brought up in diagnosis amount are/ will never be solidified or speak for how many people will / have DID and OSDD at any given time. This does not even account for people who do not realise they have these disorders, or cannot get a diagnosis, a privilege. Additionally , the 'level' of trauma endured to cause DID or OSDD in individuals who have it is subjective- There is no specified 'amount' of trauma that creates this disorder, simply trauma.
Even when looking at percentages, numbers range widely. Either way- none of these numbers are rare. The amount of people with green eyes is considered uncommon- but not rare. Which are similar numbers to some sources stating DID has the same amount- 2% of the population. But this isnt the only DID statistic- some statistics show up to 15% of people can have DID, which is not impossible. Either way, the percentages do not need to be relevant as they do not reflect how many people will or do have DID, and usually do not account for OSDD1b systems.
"You have too many popular people/ characters/fictives to actually be a system"
There are no rules to systems. Systems will come in unlikely combos, especially when popular media is often consumed by the system. While it is true that some people faking systems may use many fictives to act as a system, plenty of real systems can be introject/ fictive / factive heavy. Fictives are common in systems, especially as many systems, just like singlets, will consume media (especially popular media) and can easily connect to characters and from there splitting alters can form as characters or people from media sources. While many people take popular characters and people from media showing up in systems as faking or roleplay, this is in the end more likely than a lesser known characters because popular media = more likely for systems to consume that media, then more likely their next fictive could be from that popular media.
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"You have far too many alters to actually be a system."
There is no limit to the amount of alters a system can contain. It has been acknowledged in real psychological fields that while most systems have around 13-15 alters on average, There can be on the upwards of 100 alters within a system or more. The amount corresponding to how many alters a system has is not always based on anything, but splits that create new alters can occur during times of trauma throughout the systems life, potentially making more than one alter at a time. Alters can also be created corresponding to important times of a systems life, potentially trauma-wise.
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"If you have a typing quirk, cosplay, like _, you're probably faking."
Alters are people too, and especially if they are sourced in media with these features or are teenagers, its not unlikely at all that they would show interest in things like this. For example, if a fictive comes from homestuck, they might use a typing quirk, or if a fictive is a teenager. Just like how singlet teenagers or general people will use typing quirks, alters can do the same as they're people with random quirks they pick up too. Along with that, sometimes cosplay can be utilized by fictive or general alters as a way to present more accurate to their headspace presentation.
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"If you are a nonhuman alter you couldn't possibly be speaking/ (functioning in a certain way.)'
While alters can act specific to and limited by their species or features, DID/ OSDD do not possess powers that make you physically inable to function depending on species or features. For example, a person with a dog alter may act like a dog, act nothing like a dog, be able to speak at any level, or be (involentarily mentally, not physically) inable to speak. Same with functioning technology, as alters of any type form in different ways with different levels of knowledge, different (mentally based, never physically altered) abilities.
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"Your alters are not of the realistically impossible features they claim"
Alters are not always made to be realistic. Alters are often created in specific ways so they seem to fit their job. An example of this could be a dragon alter who is a thousand years old that has powers to fly and breathe fire, who may be a protector of the system because it was created to take upon an identity that reinforced the idea of protection or strength. Because alters are created to do jobs most of the time, or based on things the system / alters within the system connect to, these unrealistic features are easy to become applied to alters, and do not affect the diagnostic criteria of a system.
Systems are extremeley misunderstood and there are many misconceptions behind these disorders that should be better understood.
Systems do not, can not, or are NOT:
-especially prone to violence, being harmful or hurtful
-'psychotic', especially as being a 'psycho' is a stereotype derived from psychosis, which is not evil, violent, or bad either.
-have big, obvious, dramatic switches every time
-people with personality disorders
-a bunch of moods or ego states
-choose or design alters that form or how /when
-always unaware of fully aware of alters or fronts
-easy to notice/ diagnose in every case
-form without childhood trauma
-incredibly rare
-always/often faked
-form in adults
-fully voluntarily die as an alter / go dormant
-front in strict ways (dependant on the system)
Essentially, the vocabulary of DID/ OSDD-1b is:
DID: A mental health disorder caused by repeated childhood trauma, in which a person has more than one dissociated identity, which the identities front to, causing the unfronted amnesia. It is considered a psychological defense.
OSDD-1b: A mental health disorder that almost meets the criteria for DID, only lacking the amnesia aspect between fronting alters.
System: The group(s) of alters contained within a body including the core, a person with OSDD-1b or DID.
Sub-Systems: smaller groups of alters that may be paired together for multiple reasons. they may be organized by ability or consistent cofronting, placement in the innerworld, or details of formations etc.
Singlet: A person who does not have OSDD/DID, is not a system (has a single personality/ inviduality
Alter: A dissociated identity or part, with full individual personalities, thought processes, actions and memory.
Dissociation: A break in how your mind handles informatio, affecting time, identity, thoughts, feelings, surroundings, memories.
Headspace/ Innerworld: An internal space where alters reside, can be of feeling or visual mapping out. Can affect cofronting, how much alters can see fronts, or communication.
Fronting: A specific alter or few controlling the body and talking over general thought processes and actions.
Co-Fronting: Several alters fronting at once, sharing or divvying out control ad primary thought process usually.
Switching: an often triggered action of one or more alters moving to front in place of another
Blackouts/ Amnesia/ Time Loss: The loss of time or blacking out from the perception of any alters not fronting to have experienced the lost time
Dormant / Dormancy: A description of a 'deactivated' alter, who no longer fronts or appears to be within the headspace. (Can come back to the innerworld and fronting)
Splitting / Splintering:The division of a personality(s) or the general system, creating a new alter(s)
Integration: When two or more alters in a system combine into one alter, with varied results.
Fragment: an alter that is incomplete, or not whole, usually serving one function, holding one memory, or one emotion.
Core: The original person/identity before the disorder developed and any dissociative parts developed. Not always nessecarily the host.
Host: Whatever alter(s) front the most, and take lead of most fronts and do the most in the real world.
Little: Any alter of very young age, usually prepubecant- around 7 years or younger.
Age Slider: An alter whos age slides, or changes as It is not fixed.
Gatekeeper: An alter who may assign roles to other alters upon formation
Introject: An alter formed around a person, who may think they are the person. These alters may think they are abusers that have caused the core or system trauma.
Fictive / Fictional Character: An alter created based on a fictional character. The information based upon can be very very similar, or very different, only based on the character. These alters usually look different in the headspace as well.
Factive: An alter created based on a real person. This could be a content creator, actor, friend, etc - any real person who can be any level of similar or different to the real person, simply based on them.
Caretaker: An alter that takes care of other alters, mostly littles and alters in need of comfort. Sometimes called/ overlapped with soothers.
Protector: An alter thats job is to protect the system in any contexts
Sexual (Protector): An alter that protects the system from sexual situations, meaning different things depending on context.
Trauma Holder: An alter that may hold all memory of traumatic situations, for multiple reasons including to protect the traumatic memories from the rest of the system, or to process the memories.
Nonhuman Alter: An Alter who is not human, being animal, demon, ghost, mythological beings, etc.
Persecutor: An Alter that has protective logic, but has a distorted view of reality, often acting in a harmful way that can hurt the system, body, people around the system, or other alters.
How to be a good singlet friend / family member / partner to systems
Nothing about your relationships with systems should be too wildly different than with other singlets. When you find that you have met a system, remember that they are all connected and know each other in some way so there's no need to treat everyone in the system that you don't know like you do to strangers - but don't act like you know them if you do not. Every alter is an individual person, and when getting to know parts of systems, work on learning their names, pronouns, and talking to them to better understand their personality.
Remember when talking to systems that any questions that you wouldnt ask a singlet is not generally okay to ask systems. Never ask something like 'how did you develop DID/ OSDD' unless you are in that convo and they are comfortable with it. Don't ask a alter to use their role to your advantage - alters have roles to supourt the system as a whole. Do not attempt to trigger specific alters out, do not treat fictives/factives strange for their origins or the fact that they are fictives/ factives. Only treat fictives/factives like their source perfectly if they want that, and vice versa. Even if you have an alter you're closer with and like more than others, don't show priority or signs that you prefer some over others, it makes other alters feel unwanted, or shameful that they 'aren't the right alter'.
Avoid treating alters weird based on their roles. For example, a sexual alter is still a person- just with a job. Do not treat sexal alters like they're only their job, or oversexualize them. Sexual alters are regular people too.
When systems are having a switch, stay calm and remember its just like one person walking out of a room and another walking in. Ot ma be fast and passing, and you can just start doing something else, or just continue talking redirected, or it can be long and you may need to be patient. In most switches, you should not touch the body, or try to 'snap them out of it' or generally disturb them. Only mess with the body if a switch is happening, and the person is in danger, falling, handling something with potential to become dangerous in the situation, etc.
If you know and can recognize/ remember them, avoid anything that will trigger a switch for a system. if they need to trigger themselves with things to switch, they might, and with permission its okay to help them, but otherwise triggers are generally unpleasant unless necessary and not forced by other people.
Always remember when talking to systems that everyone in the system is different, and being friendly to everyone till help things a lot. If there are alters especially unkind to you, remember that it is not the rest of the systems fault.
In the end keep your mind open and be there for systems you know. If systems are hard for you to understand or something, try slowly getting used to them. Avoid telling them too much about their disorder or telling them about medicating/ curing/ treating the disorder. it is up to the system on how they will handle the disorder as there is no 'cure' and the reality is learning to adjust and live well with the disorder.
One of the best things you can do for a system is just trying to understand and being there and talking to the alters.