Dissociative Identity Disorder FAQ

and useful facts about other dissociative disorders, coming to you live from two people with dissociative disorders

What is DID?

DID is a disorder characterized by the presence of two or more dissociated self states, known as alters, that have the ability to take executive control that comes with some degree of amnesia. DID forms at a young age due to chronic childhood trauma, usually developing before age 7.People with DID also experience amnesia. When other alters front, its very common for the person to not be able to remember what they did while fronting. This also includes a level of amnesia for the traumatic events that happened. It is common for specific alters to be able to remember certain memories, while others are fully unaware or forget again after they do remember something, especially if it is upsetting.There are a few other types of dissociative disorders with their own distinctions and specific criteria. OSDD (and its subtypes) is a dissociative disorder used as a catch all for symptoms displayed that do not completely match another diagnosis.

Common Terms

System - A collective of alters that share a body.
Fronting - The current alter or alters in control of the body (when multiple people are controlling the body, this is called co-fronting).
Co-Conscious - When more than one alter is aware at the same time.
Blending - When two or more alters are unable to tell where one begins and the other ends.
Integration - When one or more alters form a singular person permanently. This is a deeply personal decision and not the end-all be-all for DID recovery. Each collective is different.

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Alters

Alters are created to manage overwhelming trauma, or changes in life that can not be managed by an existing alter. It is possible in some cases for people to pinpoint exactly what caused a split for an alter to form. Because DID is the brain's way of coping with trauma, different alters also have different roles or functions that can relate directly to why they formed.Alters are unique, individual dissociated self states, and each have their own personalities, wants, and needs. They behave differently, have different skills, hold certain memories, and may have a degree of amnesia from each other as well. They can have a completely different name, or no name at all. Alters can each have unique ages, genders, orientations, and can even be nonhuman or animal. How an alter manifests is tied to what the brain needs to be able to cope with the situation experienced.It is not uncommon for alters to conceal their presence when they front if around strangers, or people who are unaware of the system. This is out of self preservation, and also because explaining who they are and what DID is each time would be pretty difficult.

Common Types of alters

host

The host is the alter who fronts most often from day to day and manages life. Hosts usually do not hold traumatic memories, or if they do they might be unaware of most of it. The host can change at any given time.

protector

There are lots of different types of protector alters, and each can range in their motivations and the way they express themselves. They form to protect the system from outside threats, real or perceived.

caretaker

As the name suggests, a caretaker usually manages care for other alters in the system, especially child parts. A caretaker alter is also considered a type of protector.

persecutor

A type of protector alter that usually acts in a harmful way to other alters in a misguided attempt to protect the system. Some persecutors may internalize abuser's logic and their actions may mirror them. However it is important to note that with patience, persistence and kindness, once the person is safe from abusers, persecutors have the potential to change. Don't call persecutors evil or "the bad one", as it will both reinforce the idea that this is all they can be as well as be very hurtful to an alter that's just trying to keep the body safe in their own way.

child alters

Child alters, or littles, are extremely common within systems. There can be multiple littles in a single system with different roles. They can hold memories of childhood trauma, positive childhood memories, or represent an idealized concept of a perfect child. Littles have the mind of a child, some may have access to adult words and concepts, but should ALWAYS be treated as the age they present. Never mistreat a little or introduce them to inappropriate content/concepts.

introject

Introjects are alters that identify as real (or even fictional) people, often times a specific abuser or someone else the host knew.

fictional introject

Also known as a fictive. Fictives can overlap with other alter types, such as protectors, persecutors, etc.. Some may have memories associated with the source material they derive from, others simply look like/present as a character. It's important to respect both fictive types. Despite being modeled after a fictional character, introjects are still their own people. Never interact with a fictive just to see how much they 'act like the character'. There will almost always be some derivation from how the "canon" character acts because by and large, these are alters that formed due to an individual's trauma.

fragment

Some alters are very limited in their role, and may only have a small number of emotions, hold particular isolated memories or have a very limited job.

Apparently Normal Part (ANP)

An ANP is an overlapping term for an alter that may camouflage as the host when they're unable to handle fronting, an ANP can become the new host after a stressful or traumatic event. These alters exist to appear as functional as possible to those around them.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, and if you wish to read more about types of alters or about specific alters, see the further reading page!

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How to be Normal Around People with Dissociative Disorders

These are tips for interacting with people you know who have DID or another dissociative disorder, that way they feel safe, respected, and comfortable around you.

- Do not ask invasive questions about trauma.
- Do not make alters feel bad about fronting too much or too little.
- Treat every alter with respect, do not demonize persecutors.
- If you're dating someone with DID, don't expect other alters to have a romantic interest in you.
- Don't intentionally trigger someone to speak with a certain alter.
- Don't ask "Who are you today?" or assume that any alter is a threat to your personal safety.
- Don't pressure someone with DID to integrate/get rid of their alters.
- Be prepared to have to explain something multiple times to different alters due to possible amnesia barriers.
- Be respectful of each alter's personal boundaries and limits.
- Never accuse someone of faking DID. Only a mental health professional specializing in dissociative disorders and the person in question can make that call. Some alters may not be as overtly different from the host, this doesn't mean they're fake-- it means there was a reason someone had to form in a way that required being covert.
- Never treat an alter as just someone/something that carries out a function.
- Never ask an alter what their function/role is as it can be deeply personal or triggering. You are never entitled to a system's personal information or details of formation.

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