many-ghosts-one-meatsuit

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

Common things in DID that no one likes to talk about

- switches that feel like you’re turning into someone else rather than them taking control (non-possessive switching)

- being unable to recognize amnesia until something requires you to remember something you forgot

- staying in the front for weeks at a time

- being unable to communicate with alters internally (this is so common why does everyone act like this is weird?)

- feeling like you don’t have any problems because you feel disconnected from them

- constant denial

- rapid identity, label, and appearance changes

- comorbidities, particularly personality disorders, anxiety disorders, and the schizophrenia spectrum

- autism (there is science pointing towards autistic people being more susceptible to trauma)

- disliking your system

- wanting final fusion

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

You're downplaying your trauma. Why are you downplaying your trauma? WHO TAUGHT YOU TO DOWNPLAY YOUR TRAU-

...

My friend. My absolute ride-or-die. My dumbass, fuckass dude (gender neutral) that I love. Please.

Always prefacing experiences that are serious, upsetting, or otherwise negatively affecting you because you think the other person is going to dismiss you or raise their voice and tell you that you're overexaggerating without the preamble, is not normal.

Being terrified of or adverse to asking questions to anyone because you automatically assume you're going to be dismissed and told a harsh no, is not normal.

Someone else doing something that, rightfully, would make you upset or angry, that then makes you feel sick with guilt for the fact that you got angry - a completely valid and normal emotion to experience and express in that situation- is not normal.

Just because the person didn't or doesn't know that they gave you trauma, doesn't mean that they didn't hurt you. Just because you still love that person and are close to that person, doesn't mean that they didn't traumatize you.

Just because someone else thinks it wasn't that bad, doesn't mean it wasn't that bad to you. Just because something affected one person less than you, doesn't mean it didn't affect you more.

Telling yourself that an event wasn't traumatic doesn't remove the trauma it caused. Downplaying something because you don't think it was that bad, doesn't mean it's not that bad.

What didn't happen can be just as damaging as what did.

Neglect is trauma, too.

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

Heres a reminder for you that being dissociated isn't limited to the common misconception where you are frozen in place, incapable of doing anything or even thinking, or experiencing a significant time gap,, those things. (This is a very important post, read till bottom so im happy!)

And while its hard to spot the milder signs when you're dissociating, don't worry i got you covered by bringing awareness, im showing what those signs could look like:

Dazing/blanking out several times

Hands looking weird (depersonalization)

Surroundings also looking weird (derealization)

Feeling detached emotionally, physically, or both

Light-headedness

Less reactive in responding

Forget things more often

Unable to focus or keep concentration straight

And many more..!

When you have multiple of those signs at once, then chances are you are dissociating (extra note that it can also co-occur with derealization/depersonalization). While it can be caused by various factors, i would like to add that it may or may not get worse as time passes and no one wants that thing to snowball until it got too bad (remember, preventing now is better than dealing later) so having a few tips would help:

Grounding (sensory): listening to music, feeling different textures, paying attention to things in your surroundings, trying different fragrant or scents, have some snacks to occupy your senses

Grounding (physically): feel your chest as you breathe, get your body moving to redirect focus, splash some cold water, hold something you can squeeze (such as a stress ball)

Practice being mindful. As it can help you re-anchor back to reality faster, regulate better, building more resilience, increasing awareness of oneself's state

Sometimes we go do our day without giving a thought that were detached from reality, usually by going autopilot and scrolling through social medias without being aware (well, atleast for me) and forget lots of things while being dysregulated at the end. So by being aware of the mild signs and incorporating grounding skills im sure memory gaps and those funny aftermath stuffs won't be a problem anymore, have a good day peeps.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that another sign is your hearing feels muffled, that you can hear sounds feel more distant despite close, i thought it could be grouped with the “less reactive” before.

EDIT 2: It is true that sometimes these techniques will not work,, so it's recommended to create a peaceful environment in hopes of going away sooner when waiting it out. grab some videos to watch, put some of your favorite musics or cuddle your soft pillows (if any, pets) and stay comfy! Do not stress about it because it'll be counterproductive. Full explanation at here.

- j

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

So these tags were on my post about amnesia. And I want to address it. Short answer, no you do not. You need blackout amnesia (assuming that’s what you meant by full amnesia) in order to have DID.

DID is not the only way to have a system, OSDD 1-b has very little or no amnesia and still has alters, so does p-DID.

Though I do want to differentiate between the different types of amnesia.

Emotional amnesia: where you don’t remember any emotions that you were feeling during the event.

Greyouts: when you remember what happened but have no memories of it, as if someone told you about the event but you weren’t there.

Blackouts: when you don’t remember anything about what happened, and you often don’t remember that you missed something.

I’d also like to mention that amnesia often doesn’t happen in the moment, often the memory will fade over a short period of time until they’re gone. At least that’s what I experience.

Anyways, here you are @sprites-your-cal

Hope this helped

-Apollo

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

Is it common to get fleeting moments of passive influence?

Usually - at least what I've been aware of up until this point - I experience longer periods of coconsciousness or full on switches.

However recently I've been more aware of these bleeding-through wants and needs that I can recognize as not my own. Such as a little girl saying she wants chocolate milk (who I recognize as my little), and it lasts for only a couple seconds, but I feel really compelled to get her chocolate milk and end up doing so.

But there's no switches from it that I'm aware of, the memories of getting the chocolate milk truly feel like mine and I'm not dissociated from them, and there's nothing logged in simplyplural other than me. But the thought/want that triggered that event - that wasn't me, and I'm confident in that.

Passive influence is a really normal thing. Like what you are describing is very, very normal and common. Don't fret over it

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

Systems are so fucking weird, because why am i watching the guy who’s me, but isnt at all me in any way explain to someone we were obsessed with from a show we were obsessed with what a/b/o is??

lmao

-host

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

COMMUNICATING WITH ALTERS

building communication as a system can be difficult, and there are many different ways to communicate with alters, so i want to talk about some of the different ways and give some advice and examples in this post INTERNAL COMMUNICATION internal communication can come in many different forms, such as passive influence, speaking to other alters in your head, sharing images between each other, etc. passive influence is a common form of internal communication that often happens unintentionally, some ways to recognize when this is occurring is identifying a feeling that feels "other", something that feels like its not coming from you. this can be another thought, another emotion, another desire, etc. and try to identify who it could be coming from. this can help to improve communication, you can also ask if anyone is influencing you or around front at the time and see if you get a response speaking to other alters internally is another form of internal communication that often takes a bit more effort, the best way i can describe it is like passing thoughts back and forth. the other thoughts do not come from you, and its like having a conversation with someone else in your mind. this can be difficult to do without a lot of work, but a good way to start doing this could be asking if anyone has any input on your daily activities and just see if anyone has anything to say! you may get an answer, or you may not, and either way is okay! it takes time to build any form of communication EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION external communication is often easier than internal communication, and is often done in the form of leaving notes for other alters when they front. these notes can be left in a private discord server, in a phone notes app, in a journal, or anywhere likely to be checked by other alters the best advice i have for building external communication is to leave a note in a place that you know other alters would check, and just wait for a reply when you switch. once you have established some form of communication, then you can move the notes to wherever you want to permanently keep them, whether this be a notes app, private server, or wherever else. communicate this to other alters, so they know where to check OTHER ADVICE some alters may not be ready to communicate yet, this is okay. it comes with time. do not force an alter who isnt ready to communicate to communicate with you, as you may not be ready to know what they hold or meet them yet for a number of reasons if you are first meeting the alter(s) you are trying to communicate with, it may help to write some form of introduction where you introduce yourself and ask about them. keep in mind they may not be willing to share information about themselves yet and this is okay once you establish communication, it will take some level of maintaining. it is a consistent effort and not just a one-time thing - grey

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

ADVICE FOR NEWLY DISCOVERED OR SUSPECTED SYSTEMS

if you suspect you may be a system or have recently discovered that youre a system, things can be confusing and hard. im making this post as someone who has been aware of being a system for about 5 years and has been diagnosed for 2. these are things i wish we knew and did. i hope it will be helpful to some of you and i wish you luck on discovering things about yourself and your system keep in mind everyone is different and systems are no exception, so what i list here might be incredibly beneficial for one person but do nothing for another. find what works for you. i will try to provide a variety of advice in order for you to see what fits you best DO YOUR RESEARCH research the disorder, try to find others experiences and things you think would help you. this is especially helpful if you are suspecting and not yet sure if you have it, researching symptoms and others experiences can be very helpful in determining START SYMPTOM LOGGING this can be as simple as "i blacked out today" or "i dont feel like myself right now", you dont have to be identifying switches or putting names to alters, theres no rush to be able to do that and some systems have no desire to do that symptom logging is useful because it can help you identify potential triggers and patterns in your symptoms. for example, if you can remember what happened before a period of amnesia and remember being exposed to a stressful event or something potentially triggering, this would be worth writing down to see if its a recurring pattern REACH OUT TO OTHER ALTERS this can be done in a variety of ways, but the easiest way would be to leave a note in a place itll be seen. for example, a sticky note on a mirror (if you live with other people and cant do this, try leaving a note on your phone in a frequently checked app) i would advise saying something along the lines of "hello, i am (name) and i would like to communicate with you. i suspect we have a disorder called (DID/OSDD) and we share the same body and mind. please write back to me in (location, can be a notebook or app etc) and tell me some about yourself if you feel comfortable" but you can say whatever works for you. i just think the main points to cover are having DID/OSDD and introducing yourself as well as asking for an introduction in return START WORKING ON COMMUNICATION this takes a lot of practice, so i always say its better to build up early rather than late. we have a whole post on it that can be found here REMINDERS AND THINGS TO REMEMBER if you do not remember your trauma, do not dig for it. it isnt safe to try to remember trauma without professionals help. if you happen to remember, thats one thing, but dont intentionally seek out triggers to try to remember denial is common and not a sign of faking, if you were faking you would know and would not be in denial. being wrong about having DID/OSDD (if you are suspecting but not sure) is not the same as faking no two systems are the same. you dont have to look exactly like some other system you know or online to be real its normal to not know everything right away. you wont know all your alters immediately, you may not be able to access (and you may not have) your innerworld, you probably wont remember all of your trauma without professionals help, etc. its all normal its totally ok to keep information about your system private. there is no need to share with anyone you do not feel completely safe and comfortable with switching at any frequency is normal, there is no "correct" amount to switch. any amount of alters is normal, there is no "correct" amount of alters. any level of amnesia is normal, there is no "correct" level of amnesia apps like simply plural and bots like pluralkit can be incredibly helpful for some systems, but there is absolutely no pressure to use them if you do not feel comfortable - hund

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

A list of blog posts on things (mostly trauma related) that I think should be talked about more. Please note that all links are from my personal trauma website. (There are no pop ups or anything like that and it is a safe site to use.)

Advice

Creating and Enforcing Boundaries

Grounding Techniques

How to Listen to Someone Talk About Their Trauma

How to Talk to a Loved One About Your Trauma

Navigating Sex After Trauma

Navigating Traumaversaries

Tips and Questions for Finding a Therapist

Trauma Around the Holidays

Informative

False Memories

Forgiveness and Healing

Grooming in Adult Relationships

Hypersexuality and Sex Repulsion

Parentification Trauma

Trauma Imposter Syndrome

Triggers

Self-harm

The Validity of Anger in Your Healing Journey

Victim Blaming

Was it Bad Enough?

Why People Stay in Abusive Relationships

Why Survivors May Delay Reporting or Don’t Report At All

PS: I am always looking for more ideas of topics that you’d like to hear about. Don’t hesitate to let me know any suggestions or things you’d like to see discussed more. 

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

a whole bunch of links for a bad day

serotonin

2048

control the weather (flash warning)

spend bill gates’ money

read a book

write without distractions

snickerdoodle mug cakes

recipes for when you’re low on spoons

khan academy

an aggressive reminder

1000 awesome everyday things

make a picrew of a worm on a string

bongo cat

useless websites

emergency compliments

a nice uquiz

more useless websites

sketch comedy

sculpt something

guess google searches

white noise

rain

customizable

coffee shop

thunderstorm + fireplace

rain on a tin roof

rain + traffic

train sounds

a fan

catharsis

scream into the void

cut your screen (trigger warning)

break glass

self-care

inexpensive self-care

small acts of self-care

develop a self-care plan

do nothing for two minutes

cope with:

common sleep problems (+solutions)

nightmares

stress

stress 2

are you stressed or depressed?

homework stress

an eating disorder

things to do instead of harming yourself

trauma

anger

worrying

grief

a breakup

the suicide of a loved one

bullying

is this relationship harmful?

sexual assault

obsessive-compulsive disorder

obsessive-compulsive disorder 2

suicidal thoughts

help

a whole bunch of hotlines

more hotlines

suicide hotlines

talk to someone

active positivity blogs

@positivityreblogs

@positivitie

@recoverystuff

@survivor-positivity

@ocdiscourse

@positivelypastelpink

@positiveautistic

@mental–healthawareness

@slfcare

@traumasurvivors

@softheartedsuggestion

remember:

drink some water

eat something if you haven’t in a while

take a break

sleep if you need to

you’re doing amazing i love you

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

How do you get any studying done 😂

Every time I try to read up on osdd/did, I get sleepy 💀

I'm imagining the system sounding a warning bell and waggling its fingers at me going "you're feeling veeeeery sleepy~ none of this is interesting at allllll~"

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

Reminder that people with CDDs aren't broken. Your mind didn't shatter. It never integrated fully. It wasn't put together.

You're an unassembled piece of IKEA furniture

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

does.... does this happen to anyone else....?

-boo

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

When you're an army brat...

Since your house and life is ripped from you every few years and you have to start anew, they say home is not a place, but your family

But my family gave me complex PTSD and dissociative disorders that split my brain apart

And now I don't know how to built a home...

And then I scrolled and saw a cupcake shaped like a pig's butt and smiled

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

Developing an Inner Safe Space for Parts

Note: This post was written for people with dissociative disorders, but anyone else can use the methods here if they're helpful!

This post is all about inner safe spaces! What is an inner safe space, though? Here's what Coping with Trauma-related Dissociation says:

"Inner safe spaces are images of places where you can be safe, relaxed, and cared for. These images have been shown to be helpful to many people, not just those with dissociative disorders. This type of imaginal activity is well known to produce a feeling of relaxation and well-being in those who use it regularly. If your inner experience feels so jarring, unsafe, and frightening, as it often does in individuals with dissociative disorders, the ability to imagine these spaces becomes especially important and helpful."

Inner safe spaces can be useful for many things. You can use it to relax & alleviate anxiety. It can be a tool for soothing dissociated parts of the self, or aide in your communication with them. You or other parts can enter your inner safe space to protect yourself from feeling overwhelmed or potential triggers. Overall, creating an inner safe space can help make your mind a safer, calmer place.

So, how do you make one? All you have to do is imagine it!

Your inner safe space can be anything you want to imagine. There are no rules and it can always be changed! You can create one imaginary place for all parts of your system to share & add to. Or, each part of your system can create their own inner safe spaces to match their own needs. Some people already experience some sort of inner world, too. This can always be changed in order to make it feel safer and calmer for all parts of the system.

🌟 Ideas for inner safe spaces:

Outdoor areas like a meadow, beach, forest, mountain, etc.

Buildings like a cabin, tree house, castle, library, etc.

Vehicles like a car, pirate ship, submarine, spacecraft, etc.

Something underground, underwater, in the sky, or in space.

An entire planet or world of your own.

A fictional world that brings you comfort.

An inner safe space isn't a safe space if it doesn't make you, including all parts of you, feel safe. A good place to start is by writing down things that make you feel safe. If you don't know what makes you feel safe, try looking at what makes you feel less unsafe. It might also help to ask a loved one or therapist for help!

Invite your system to include their own needs, too. Try not to judge them even if you disagree. It's important for all parts of the system to feel safe.

🌟 Ideas for things that you can add/adjust to make your inner safe space feel more comfortable:

Add games, food, and movies that you like

Create individual rooms for each part of the system

Give yourself an inner appearance that makes you happy

Add your favorite colors, sounds, smells, & sights

Add people, characters, animals & creatures that you like

Give yourself a comfortable bed, with soft blankets & maybe even some plushies

Add pride flags!

Create a protective force field around your safe space

You or other parts may want to have a safe space that no one else can intrude upon and that's okay. It's important to respect each other's privacy. You can also adjust the inner safe space to make communication between parts easier! For example, you could add intercoms, mailboxes, telephones, or even a meeting area for aiding communication.

🌟 Having trouble visualizing, or can't visualize things at all? Try...

Drawing or painting it.

Writing about it.

Building it. You can use a video game like the Sims (get it for free!) or Minecraft.

Basing it off of a real place.

Collecting photos/videos of what you want it to be like. You can find royalty-free images on Unsplash and Pixabay. Or you create a Pinterest account!

Filling a journal, document, blog, or discord server with pictures, writing, and anything you want about your inner safe space!

Trying guided exercises for creating inner safe spaces. (IMO this is best done with a therapist's help.)

Asking your friends, therapist, or loved ones for their suggestions.

Creating a physical safe space instead of an inner one.

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

Gatekeeper things

[Perse]

[many-ghosts-one-meatsuit]

Dissociation

[Perse]