#we do not participate in disordered system spaces

[systematic-breakdown]

It’s almost as if plurality is a very broad spectrum and not all endogenic systems will have the same experiences or fit into the same box. It’s almost as if plurality is merely one symptom of dissociative disorders and it’s actually quite possible to exhibit a single symptom of a disorder without actually having the disorder itself.

Just because someone has an intense interest or passion, would you call them autistic? Of course not, because autism presents with a wide range of symptoms. Just like dissociative disorders. Just like any mental disorder. You need multiple qualifying symptoms in order to be diagnosed. And a lot of plural people (endogenic or otherwise) just don’t have the other symptoms necessary for a dissociative disorder diagnosis.

not that I'm obligated to entertain someone who doesn't have the balls to do this off-anon, but I feel like talking to a brick wall today. lucky you.

I want to let you know off the bat that nothing you or anyone says without linking at least one actual, proper research article (e.g. reliably sourced, no COI, no baseless claims, researchers cite their sources if they aren't directly referencing the study, unbiased, ecological validity, etc) will have any impact. I tell you this now to give you the opportunity to stop here and save yourself the time and effort of developing a counter-argument that won't be responded to productively or (potentially) at all.

I am of the belief that it is of great importance to be critical of everything you read, even if it supports your claim. a lot of y'all tend to just take these papers at face value without actually thinking critically about it or what it says because you're too focused on "this supports the thing I think!" to properly examine and analyze it for flaws.

I understand that non-dissociative plurality is fairly new to the medical field, but that does not negate the fact that classic AND contemporary research supports the idea that being a system is rooted in trauma. that does not negate the fact that most classic and contemporary research papers emphasize the fact that “plurality” is heavily tied to ACEs, lack of support, and the child's inclination towards creativity and use of imagination. your brain, like everyones, does not want to form barriers. it is forced into forming barriers. it wants to be as whole as it can get because that is how we have survived as a species. that's why integration occurs during childhood/before the start of puberty in the first place. the only reason some people have barriers and others don't is because their brain (our brain) recognized that it would be incapable of function and, in that, survival if it had integrated like it is biologically predisposed to do.

obviously older research papers have their own issues, but those are typically resolved after being re-examined and reframed contemporarily. even so, it's important to critique these older pieces in natural and regular settings to prevent a setback in the current understanding of research as a whole (not just in the context of systems). this same process needs to occur with newer pieces on "multiplicity" outside of OSDDID for the exact reason that it is a new field of study greatly impacted by the accessibility of the internet and the inescapable online influence that is present in most participants as a result.

you don't have to convince anyone that your point is the correct one, just as I don't have to convince anyone of that either. I just enjoy expressing my opinions and find it nice that there is direct feedback when posting publicly. it just so happens that my opinions are heavily based in research and medical fact, whereas the extent of "research" for many endogenics (and most people looking into online system communities) won’t go beyond blog posts and the 5-10 articles (all of which have their own issues) that are floating around your spaces. not unlike what you are exhibiting here. it is very easy to find proper articles on OSDDID, trauma, and dissociation, hence why I'm not including any here - you could fact check me all day long and still have things to read (I encourage you to do so). not so much for "plurality" outside of that. where are your sources? where is your evidence? making claims like this without having anything to back it up is a surefire way of spreading misinformation which, as I’m sure I’ve said before, is something I would much rather avoid.

I hate to be the one to break this to you, but “plurality” is not a spectrum. yes, it is possible to exhibit symptoms without having a disorder, but that's just not how it works with trauma-based disorders like OSDDID. comparing the symptoms of a trauma-based disorder to the symptoms of a neurodevelopmental disorder isn't the "gotcha" you think it is. and before you say "well, endos aren't trauma based disorders!" the suffix "-genic" implies a correlation between the two, there isn't a single source I've seen that proves beyond a reasonable scientific doubt that "plurality" the way it's described by endogenics outside of trauma is possible, and there are plenty of endogenics who do claim to have trauma but that their "system" occurred outside of that. given the current understanding of how “plurality” and it's direct correlation to trauma works, that simply isn't possible.

a lot of endogenics do actually qualify for dissociative disorders without realizing it. and the ones who don't just aren't "plural". there are a ton of disorder cocktails that mimic the symptoms of OSDDID (including feeling "plural") almost to a tee. and to address the “non-disordered” claim: it’s okay to have a big imagination and to find comfort in that. that doesn’t make someone a system. or “plural”, if we’re going with that concept.

recently, I saw a post talking about "median systems" and the "midcontinuum". I ended up going down a rabbit hole of sorts and found, unsurprisingly, that the "midcontinuum" was based in very old, very undeveloped research relating to DID (or MPD, as it was referred to more often than not in the MANY first person accounts I read through). I went through about 80-90 different links, most of them being blog/social media posts as there was very little research done into this, and every single one could be linked to some form of OSDD, P-DID, or a mix of trauma, autism, OCD, ADHD, etc. (all connected by their - need I remind you - self reported imaginative abilities and propensity for creative outlets) and that was just from the symptoms that they themselves claimed to have.

you're not required to educate people on something you so strongly believe in, but if that's what you want to do, it's considered good practice if you provide valid sources instead of varying first person accounts. even more so in this new age of internet, where anyone can be anything and theres really no way of knowing the truth.

in all honestly - if you want my opinion - none of these labels matter. in microlabeling every experience, every symptom, every presentation; in giving name to everything pathological outside of our personal experiences with healthcare, I think we’ve all ended up doing a lot more harm than good.

I had something in our drafts already talking about this but I guess I can put it here: everyone seems to have forgotten that the whole point of putting a name to these experiences was for classification and insurance. it's helped create community, of course, but whatever the name it has is unimportant as long as it's dealt with healthily. splitting is not healthy. dissociating is not healthy. forcing alters to form is not healthy. these things aren’t necessarily “bad”, but they aren’t “good” either. the existence of alters is not what is tended to in therapy, the underlying trauma and the "why" of their formation is. that is where the focus needs to be. "why".

sure, it can be fun coming up with new terms, playing with the concept of "plurality", or exploring adverse reactions to trauma - we as people are naturally curious, so of course we want to understand ourselves and our relationship with the world around us - but please do not let this discourse or the community take the attention away from that "why". this is about self exploration, right? then don’t let the ideas and opinions of others inhibit you from delving into yourself. don’t let the pathologising of every experience take you away from yourself. let it be about self-exploration.

[plurapony]

I'm still on break but I thought this was an important message.

Having dedicated spaces is positive and beneficial but to have your main social media for tumblr to only be a specific set of people i.e. diagnosed DID systems, is incredibly harmful. To be human is to co-exist with each other despite differences, if you curate the place where you spend the majority of your time to be only those alike to you it will warp your perspective. Choosing who you interact with isn't how it works in real life, you cannot pick your coworkers or classmates - you are BOUND to find people who are different from you in real life.

If you confine yourself to a single box there is no room to grow. If you have diagnosed DID, have seperate spaces for only those who are also diagnosed by all means but have shared spaces too. You are more than your disorder. I regularly participate in online spaces that have nothing to do with DID such as the my little pony and doll community as it's important for me to enjoy my interests completely separate from my disorder. I also enjoy having endogenics in my spaces as though we are very different they can remind me of things we have in common that I forget. I can easily get consumed by the negative symptoms of DID and endogenics can remind me how nice it feels to be loved by my parts, and how thankful I am that they exist. Endogenics help me to remind myself of all the positives that come from having DID.

There's things in common with different spaces and with different people there's new perspectives and new lessons to learn. There's so much to learn and so much to grow from differences, being different from each other is beautiful.

[identityarchitect]

because im a nosy bitch who has distaste for current plural culture I'd love to hear your thoughts on current plural culture

(for me. the amount of information thats acceptable and expected to be shared will be the DEATH of my sanity)

Oh, jesus, where do I even begin. This got unexpectedly long so I'm going to put it under a cut.

Like you said, the amount of information shared is scary. Both because there are like 13yo recently discovered plurals who get this idea that it's a good or necessary thing to share as much information as possible about ones system, and nobody ever uses the privacy features on PK. It's one thing to keep track of info about headmates and another thing entirely to be posting a whole list of front triggers in a headmate-intros discord channel.

Speaking of headmate intros, I kind of have a love/hate relationship with the complicated description templates. On the one hand, I do like it when stuff is pretty. But on the other hand, there's a lot of kind of casual ableism/sanism in the plural community, as much as we'd want to pride ourselves on being relatively free of it. Fancy description templates, typing quirks, special characters in headmate displaynames, are all inaccessible to people using screenreaders or anyone with issues reading. And I try to be understanding to people with typing quirks because we have a few headmates with interesting ways of communicating and I get it, but like, you've really gotta provide a translation.

There's also just the way people interact with each other? Consistently using tons of tone tags, not asking about you& preferences (which tbf, in an ideal world preferences on you& are part of a generic introduction like preferences on headmates/alters/sysmates/parts and system/plural/etc). Trying to tag for every single possible trigger.

A lot of very large plural spaces (and frankly any large space that tries to account for triggers) end up with this issue where at some point, the trigger list is just too long. People aren't going to remember it, so anyone who is anxious about censoring correctly (which is everyone, because current plural culture has this way of making anxiety significantly worse) is going to be double-checking the list every five seconds, or just decide participating in conversation outside of more lax areas, like tw- channels, isn't worth it.

So they have to make a choice between cutting down the existing list, examining things and deciding if they're a common enough trigger (or bad enough, or if the user is in the server enough, or whatever the metric is) to remain on the list: or, they simply continue expanding the list and try to make it easier for people to censor or reference the list. But if they cut down on the list you inevitably have people who are like "wait, why is fires on there but not birthday parties? there's only one person in the server who's triggered by fires but five who are triggered by birthday parties", or "why did [obscure, situation-specific trigger] get removed? isn't it just as serious?" and etc.

And then there's moderation teams, which are... ok, let me make a venn diagram.

(No shade to teenagers. There are probably good teenage mods out there. I just haven't met them.)

Speaking from personal experience here, a lot of plural discord moderation relies on the current plural culture, which skews itself towards being extremely polite and nice and understanding so as to avoid unintentionally upsetting other people. (This is another one of the ways in which plural culture can and often does end up exacerbating anxiety & anxiety-adjacent behaviours/disorders like OCD.) So you have this discord server that doesn't really need moderation aside from admin stuff like adding channels or bots and pinning messages that regular users don't have the permissions to do. Then some person comes in and they're regularly talking about triggers out of the blue, acting aggressive towards other users, and because everyone wants to be polite and accepting, this user doesn't get dealt with for a very long time, especially because the mods just have no idea how to actually moderate. They don't have the confidence to make verdicts and use the power they have, and kick/ban users when necessary.

In essence, current plural culture wants to treat and trust every stranger like a close friend. You can run a discord server with little to no rules and give everyone admin permissions and whatever the hell: it's just got to be a closed friend discord server full of people that you know well enough to trust. And not only does this make plural spaces vulnerable to bad actors, it also makes them very uncomfortable to be in, as an aplatonic person who really doesn't want randos on the internet acting like we're childhood besties.

In that same vein, is it just me or does everyone and their mother seem to want a partner system? It's been actual years atp since I've been in a plural server that's actually active but there's this weird romantic overtone where any other system could be a potential partner system if you become emotionally close enough to them. Then if you're aro, or romance repulsed, or just not looking to date, or in a relationship already and not poly (which also, I get that dating as a system is a vastly different experience from dating as a singlet, but not everyone is poly), it feels like they just switch to a QPR instead of a romantic relationship? IDK, maybe that's me projecting since I'm QPR-repulsed. But it feels like the primary assumption for 'emotionally close' is 'romance or QPR' in plural spaces, in a way that feels different from regular amatonormativity. IDK it probably is just regular amatonormativity. But you'd think plurals would have deconstructed it even a little bit, right, since dating as a plural is such a vastly different experience. Whatever.

And canonmates. God. Ugh. Ughghhghj,. Look I get the inherent loneliness that comes with being an introject that has strong exomemories, but the resolution to this is not "try and start a relationship with a stranger who you only share one quality with (i.e remembering the same things from source)". Dear god. I have a not very good relationship with canonmates, since an ex of ours would in essence use them against us, but like. Augh.

And spiritual systems. The other day I saw a post on the plural subreddit that was like "Does anyone else live a double life?" and it was this introject describing the disparity between their IRL life and their in-headspace life. But they didn't clarify that it was in headspace and not like, an alternate world or something, so there was a comment being like "Uh, this is a dangerous lack of source separation." FUCKING source separation. I always get so mad at source separation.

I hate to label ourselves but our experiences most closely align with the general idea behind spiritual systems (this is as close as we will get to a concrete label). And it really seems to me that people will bring up spiritual systems as a gotcha against sysmeds and anti-endos, since the DSM technically validates spiritual systems by explicitly excluding them from the diagnostic criteria, and then turn around and act like spiritual systems either don't exist, or are delusional. (This is what I was thinking about earlier when I said the plural community has something of a sanism problem.)

Everyone assumes that in order for an introject to be healthy, they must have a degree of source separation, must be able to go "Yes, I know I am not my source, I recognise I will never be my source, etc". And if an introject can't, it's inherently dangerous and bad for them and the system must (even potentially against the introjects' will) make efforts to separate them from their source.

But even aside from all the sanist implications there, this completely falls apart when you think about spiritual systems. What about gateway systems, who do have headmates come from outside of the body? What about soulbonds, who are that character in their own universe? What about systems who don't want to prove that they're spiritual enough to be exempt from this 'if you think of yourself as your source in any way you are delusional and must be treated' BS?

Our V1 is literally V1 the robot from Ultrakill. This has never caused issues for it, or for us. I don't predict that it's going to.

Like, wasn't the general narrative around introjects "they have differing amounts of separation, differing opinions, and differing connections to their source. above all else, you should treat introjects like people, and ask them if you have questions about how they want to be treated!"? For ages it feels like that was the narrative, and now it's "introjects should be separated from their source, although they're allowed to have whatever opinion on it. in order to treat an introject like a person, you must acknowledge they're not literally a fictional character every fucking pictosecond".

There is definitely a lot more that I probably have to say on the topic but that's all I can think of right now.

Oh wait ok hold on I'm back because I remembered roles and origins and got mad again. Origins my most beloathed.

I could talk about the traumagenic/endogenic binary and how it's complete BS and even when we could be considered traumagenic we still had headmates that weren't traumagenic in origin, and how endogenic systems of all kinds can and often do have trauma that does and doesn't impact their system functioning, and trauma impacts systems in so many more ways than just if Sonic the Hedgehog showed up because you were being abused or just for the sake of being there, and 90% of the apparently well-meaning endo-ok sysmeds that talk about the necessecity of separate traumagenic and endogenic spaces are actually talking about disordered and nondisordered systems and EVEN THEN it's STILL a fake binary, but people more eloquent than me have probably gone over that.

I hate the assumption that every system has origins. We don't, and we're never going to. Even with the general idea being "nobody needs to tell you their origins and if you pressure them you're a dick" there's this expectation of knowing or labelling your origins. If you know your origins, you should be able to label them. If you don't know your origins, there are labels for that. What if someone doesn't give a shit? And again, what about spiritual systems, who don't have origins for other reasons?

Ok, I also just went and found some DMs with a friend so here's me quoting myself:

"it feels to us like the plural community doesnt strictly expect or want noncomplex plurality or a noncomplex relationship to ones plurality, but that these are sort of entry requirements to plural discord servers and other similar spaces"

"it feels like theres a collection of behaviours that you havr to perform like being in plural discord servers has always felt close to masking for us"

AGH AND PROBLEMATIC INTROJECTS. FUCK I HAVE SO MUCH MORE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT.

Roles are kind of similar to origins, imo, where it's this very simplistic and false structure and there's a pressure to box oneself and ones headmates into it. Like even when people acknowledge roleless systems, it feels like that's all they acknowledge, y'know? Like in their head there's systems where every headmate has a specific purpose and performs it to a T, and there's systems where this isn't the case. When it's so much more complex than that. For example: us! We're primarily roleless, and the things each headmate does is more like a volunteer job than a role, y'know. Except for this one headmate who found a role on Pluralpedia and went "that's me" and now it has a role.

It also feels like there's a specific set of roles each system should have, right? Like there's this idea that even if a system doesn't label or have roles, they still have the protective headmate who gets righteously angry on others' behalf, and the stressed and overworked caretaker, and the littles who use uwu-speak, and the serious and scary gatekeeper, and it's the nuclear family isn't it. They've recreated the nuclear family. One father and one mother and two and a half kids and the 'friendly' neighbourhood cop. Jesus. (The host can be the grandparents.)

And more than that there's... okay, right, how do I word this one.

Let's think about layers. Layers are distinct areas in headspace where different groups of headmates tend to reside. Beyond the base assumption that everyone has a consistent, laid-out, easily accessible headspace, there's this weird overtone that a system without layers is like, a system without layers yet, right? Like the two types of system are "systems that have layers" and "systems that don't have layers, but could" and there's no space for "systems that can't have layers". I think that's kind of what I'm getting at with the origins and roles bit, right? People nominally accept systems that don't have origins or roles, but there's this sense that what they're actually accepting is "systems that have origins" and "systems that have origins, just not public ones" or "systems that have roles" and "systems that have roles, and just don't label them".

This ties into the spiritual system bit, I think. It's not "psychological systems" and "spiritual systems" (which is still a false binary), it's "psychological systems" and "systems that believe they're spiritual systems" or "psychological systems whose spiritual beliefs impact their systemhood". Even when mentioning and talking about gateway systems and soulbonders people don't seem to be able to take those people at face value, regardless of their own personal beliefs on the matter. Maybe we're just hanging out in the wrong places.

The true originless roleless headspaceless spiritual system (i.e, US AGAIN) is a nonentity. There is no space for us to exist in the plural community because the predominant plural culture simply cannot comprehend that we exist.

Problematic introjects ... Like, how can you insist introjects must be treated like people, and must feel and consider themselves to be a distinct, separate entity from their source, and then also call them problematic? I hate the word problematic anyway but even moreso when the label is applied to every introject of whichever fucking minecraft youtuber turned out to be an abuser this time. Can't we just leave introjects alone? Fucking hell.

Anyway yeah. It sucks here.

[keyhole-emojis]

hey! were @the-capricorn-system, and this is our blog for drawing emojis!

so, a little bit of info about our rules:

1: we will not do requests of fictional characters. our style doesnt work with that. sorry!

2: we are not going to participate in any kind of discourse on this blog, and we wont make emojis for it either. that means no anti/pro-endo emojis, no radqueer emojis, no shipcourse, etc.

3: we arent going to stop anyone from interacting, though! no dni here. anyone can interact, including anti/pro-endos/willos, radqueers, and other identities that are typically excluded. just because we disagree with you doesnt mean you dont deserve our emojis!

4: when requesting, please be clear on what you want. "an emoji about [whatever]" isnt going to get you much of anything, so be specific, and clear.

5: please specify if you want a specific one of our characters for the emoji!

6: if youre using our emojis in a public space, please credit us, either by tagging one of our blogs (preferably this one!) or putting TCS_ at the beginning!

things we will do:

our characters

romance

wordmojis

basically if its not on our wont do list, well probably do it

things we wont do:

other characters

nsfw

discourse emojis

also, we have a couple characters for this blog! theyll be under the cut! potential trigger warning, one of them is based off of paranoia, and does kinda stare, so if eye contact freaks you out, maybe dont look at them ahahah

so! character number one is bluebell! based off of our experiences with npd, they have major mood swings, and thinks of themself as better than the others.

(click on the images for better quality!)

character number two is phobos, whos based off of our ppd! they get easily freaked out, and pretty well always feel watched.

we will probably make more characters based off of our other disorders, and if anyone else wants to make some, feel free! just please credit us for the idea ahahah :333

and tagging system!

#bluebell emojis: emojis featuring bluebell

#phobos emojis: emojis featuring phobos. will also be tagged #scopophobia tw

any trigger warnings will be tagged #[trigger] tw

#not our emoji: emojis that arent ours but we want to save anyway for whatever reason

#no emoji here: posts where theres no emoji on the post. not sure why wed use this tag, except for maybe mod updates, but well put it down anyway.

[rayssyscourse]

bit of an origins-discourse take + mild rant: I get the wish for separate communities, and sure, to some degree it's possible and healthy to do. however, the idea that endogenic plurality and non-endogenic plurality are totally and completely separate and should never touch, is, practically speaking, both impossible and potentially pretty harmful.

-> the systems who start out thinking they're endogenic, but actually just don't remember their trauma and/or don't think it could have "counted": if endogenic communities aren't connected to CDD spaces, those systems are going to have a hell of a lot harder of a time trying to get appropriate and accurate resources, or even recognize disordered symptoms in the first place. "they should just go to CDD spaces" how?? if they've always ID'd as endogenic, and all CDD spaces all have "endos keep out" plastered over the front doors, why would they ever feel welcome?

-> the systems who are traumagenic, but also genuinely relate to many endogenic system experiences: these people exist. not all traumagenic systems find endogenic experiences relatable, but plenty of them actually do. also, sometimes traumagenic systems participate in practices (spiritual traditions, daemonism, intentional system member creation, etc) that overlap with endogenic plurality. -> endogenic systems with post-system-origins trauma, mixed origin systems, systems who "maybe fit CDD criteria but maybe don't, it's a gray area": even if they aren't experiencing 100% exactly the same thing as a textbook traumagenic CDD system, they still likely have a whole lot in common, and might benefit a ton from CDD resources and recovery-oriented system spaces. it's not like CDD experiences are a single homogeneous thing anyways.

-> advocating for awareness and acceptance of systems and CDDs in society: we're all on the same team on that front, and the more that different parts of the system community are willing to work together, the more leverage we have to actually change things--and the more we can make sure that no one gets thrown under the bus. a society that's okay with systems only in the context of a disorder isn't going to be accepting of functional multiplicity, and invites a ton of gatekeeping as to who 'actually' is disordered enough; a society that's okay with systems only if they're *not* related to a disorder is ableist. Anyways. this isn't saying that every individual system space ever has to be a mixed community! but the idea that all plurality can easily be divided into two completely separate categories is fundamentally flawed, and more systems will be helped by a community that is less focused on labels and more focused on the experiences behind them. hope you have a great day <3

hi anon!! this is a really thorough and thoughtful ask, so thank you for bringing up a lot of good points :)

to be totally honest, I agree with a large majority of what you're saying. i dont think every space should be divided, and there's plenty of systems that don't fit into the weird dichotomy the community has created.

like you say: systems like traumatized endos, mixed origin systems, etc. deserve a place too! that said, I think it's fair for people to want exclusive spaces, and I think we can be understanding and inclusive while recognizing that some experiences require exclusive spaces.

but honestly, I agree with you, and I think you bring up some very good points!! thanks for the ask, have a lovely day :) <3

[greens-spilled-tea]

On the subject of littles, vent about my latest therapy session from last week.

Our current therapist is fairly new at understanding and treating dissociative disorders, DID especially. And while we understand this, it’s still really frustrating when she ends up saying something that’s actually fairly harmful for how our system operates.

Lately, she’s taken to saying “littles should be allowed to be children and should not take on adult responsibilities”. And I understand that she means well when she says this! Littles often do need space to just be kids and do kid things like playing games, coloring, watching their favorite shows, hanging out with their friends, and so on. But to block them off from participating in any of the adult responsibilities, especially for our system which is over 50% littles, would do so much damage to our system and how we function. Our main host is a 10 year old boy and he is far better at things like setting boundaries and remembering our day to day responsibilities than any of the adult parts in this system. We have a little who loves math and as such she is the one who helps our partners do budgeting. Another little/middle part is the best at making those kinds of “adult” phone calls (ie. calling insurance, making appointments, etc).

Trying to remove any of those adult responsibilities from those littles would be so, so harmful for our system. We’d need so much more help in our day to day life if we didn’t have these littles here to help us out. And, I think more importantly than that, our littles like what they do. They have a sense of pride that they’re able to help out the system in the ways they can. They know that they’re the best people for the job and want to participate in our lives more than just being a kid.

And that isn’t to say they can’t be a kid, either. They still have time to play games and read books and watch shows and hang out with the people they love. And, on the flip side, our adult parts also need time to relax and have time to reconnect with their own inner child. We adult parts should not have to be on watch 24/7 and be the adult in the situation at all times. Sometimes, yes, it’s good to have an adult part out to handle things that a little part may not. But sometimes, we also need time to chill so that we don’t burn out.

Child/Adult parts in a DID system are complicated and are not a reflection of how children and adults are and should be treated in the physical world.

[granulesofsand]

CDD Remission: Keeping the Complex Dissociative Structure

🗝️🏷️ RAMCOA programming

Periodic announcement that our plurality is important to us, including our amnesia and innerworld. As we heal, we’ve been shifting from CDD (Complex Dissociative Disorder) to CDS (Complex Dissociative Structure).

We say structure because we don’t find the typical treatment for Complex Dissociative Disorders to be good for us. Others might use Dissociative Identity Stucture (DIS) or a similar label to describe what their presentation looks like in remission — we consider our DID to be in partial remission.

The diagnosis we qualify for best is Dissociative Identity Disorder. We continue to have selves and self-states (which we perceive as plurality), to have unordinary recall of our life history (because not everyone was there, and sometimes we drop self-states we cannot contain), and to have these symptoms without substance use.

We don’t find our multiplicity distressing. We don’t find our memory barriers distressing. But we do experience dysfunction that we would not if we were a singlet.

We consider our plurality cultural, because we consider longstanding online communities to be capable of developing culture (and plural spaces have the markers of distinction that prove that).

We also consider our programming to by sub-cultural. That piece is less solid, and we do still want treatment and change to deprogram — our group of origin also had the markers of distinction from the regional mainstream.

We benefit greatly from therapy; we currently rely on therapy for support and attunement, as the problems we’re dealing with do tend to be ‘too much’ for new relationships (which are mostly the kind we have right now). It fulfills a human need for connection that for deprogramming, and we need to deprogram to be safe.

We also understand CDSs as underlying CDDs, where the disorder is the modifier to indicate need for change. With that thinking, all CDDs have a CDS, but somebody can have a CDS without a CDD. Our bitterness towards our own diagnosis of DID is that we did not choose it. We want it known that we are a dissociative system, we want accommodations to prevent disability, but we dislike that we can only be accounted for by outsiders telling us we exist wrong.

Our CDD is responding to treatment because we have a base of healing. We have achieved a level of deprogramming such that known insiders are brought into safety and connected to resources quickly, facilitating the more arduous journey from old ideologies and behaviors. The programming still active is rooted in those undiscovered insiders, who we actively seek out and add to the network.

We maintain control over integration. We chip away at walls that we did not choose, replacing leeching traumatic dissociation with heartier growth based on agreement and understanding. What was an impenetrable fortress, thick concrete and pointed metal, is disassembled. In its stead, we weave vines and plant bushes. We prune these flora ourselves, and we remain in contact while separate.

This is integration in that we’re aware of each other. This is dissociation in the we strengthen our own barriers. A word for this is inclusion; everyone can participate in internal and external life, and it’s not phobia preventing them from interaction.

We visualize memory as orbs, some glassy and glowing, others putty-like and in motion. These are information, and a collection of them in a certain order builds a self-state. We can recognize what each orb holds, so can elaborate it with experiences we know will yield a particular state. Sometimes we fuse orbs, sometimes we create new ones. Everyone knows how to separate an orb from themselves and duplicate or give away the content.

This is integration in that we share memories. This is dissociation in that we retain the ‘amnesia’ (not remembering what we weren’t there for). The orbs of the surface realm belong to a kind of reservoir in a structure some systems describe as atrial.

We’re doing well with dissociation. We have a number of us who are proficient enough to teach newcomers how to perform these actions. Deprogramming remains our biggest issue, and we’ve been healing exponentially the further we go.

We’ll keep talking about the hard stuff, and we’ll keep celebrating the progress we’ve made. We’re at a stage where we can see our effort realized — it really did get better, and it’ll get better yet.

[celestialsyndicate]

I think a big miscommunication in the system community is happening in some regard on alter personhood. With our system preferring to be seen as individuals I feel like we can talk on this some. I know this is long but please try and read through.

It is okay, to want to feel individuality as it was taken from you in your childhood. It is okay, to exist in the form of many as the body and mind were not able to safely explore avenues of self during childhood. It is okay, and part of the disorder, to need to be a system in order to cope and heal from the trauma that was endured. It's not wrong to give space to individuality for members within your system and their beliefs and wants as long as it isn't destructive to the life or others around you. The issue comes, when you don't acknowledge the body, the life, and ignore your trauma, as a means to not heal. Our system has always been aware of our systemhood. We celebrate ourselves as distinct and different within our system, and we don't like parts language because we have been distinct for so long that it often makes us wildly uncomfortable due to that. Do we judge others for it? No. In order for healing to be done, all individuals within a system still need to acknowledge what their purpose and struggles are within the system. System communication, still needs to be worked on. Fusion does not need to be forced if you're not ready or comfortable with it; but in that comes the importance of communication. If a fusion is forced and one or multiple parties aren't ready it's usually unstable anyways. Because a duty isn't being fulfilled within the system. Fusion though, in the same vein can come as a relief and celebration for some. We've experienced fusion even as a system who wants to be seen individually, and found comfort within that as well. As a very spiritual system with complex roots also, we understand the need for recognizing power of the self. Whether or not you recognize it, all members of a system inhabit the one body, and are responsible for creating a fulfilling, empowering life. THAT is the important part. Are you ignoring emotions within your system? Are you disillusioning yourself from the life and body you inhabit? If you need to at times, can you do it safely? Is it done with understanding of why? Don't enforce protective measures that are no longer necessary. The disorder is meant to keep you safe as best it can, how are you trying to evolve and utilize it in healing? Do you recognize the life experiences? The people within this life? Are you inhabiting this life? Or are you escaping? Escaping is essentially part of the disorder, the mind cannot fathom what has happened so it finds it's means to protect itself. Sometimes it's necessary, but it's also important to recognize your needs, emotions, and experiences where safe to. You being who you are in a system that has experienced XYZ does not lessen who you are. It means, you are here, for a purpose. You get to choose what that is moving forward. As a spiritual system, we believe all energy originates from the same cosmos, expanding and collapsing, infinitely. You are not less of a being for incarnating within the life that you have. You are not less powerful or less of anything for assisting and participating in this life. Your energy has always existed and will always exist, in different states of being. Whether you feel more comfortable seen as individuated or parts of a whole, you are here to build this life.

Everyone's comfort comes in different forms. It doesn't mean one is less than the other due to personal comfort. The importance is to recognize the life of your system and personal experiences. To not ignore healing, when safe, in favor of dissociation from a life that is waiting for you, and could be yours. The disorder is born from children who felt they had no power. The healing is where you recognize this life, and take back that power.

There is a lot of arguing within context of words. Things said in ways on either side that make people feel the need to defend. What is important is healing. Things can be done wrong from any perspective and that's why it's important to keep yourself in check, no matter who you are.

Wanting the expression and individuality you weren't able to receive in childhood on, is not wrong.

Wanting the wholeness and feelings of unity you didn't receieve in childhood on, is not wrong.

What is important is your system's needs and giving space to that, as well as making space for what works for others. Not everyone heals the same or has the same needs, and that's okay. As long as it is genuinely healing. Not fighting for the sake of argument, and defending disillusionment. Like we said above we prefer being seen as individuals but we also have had fusions. We've had members that feel like parts of other members, or indistinguishable emotional/memory fragments. We do our best to recognize and give space to all of this within our system. It does not make any member less or more. We are united to the common goal of a beneficial life within this body.

We understand how spirituality can be impacted by systemhood. The importance is that you remember you all are here to benefit this life, to make it in to something. You all have a voice and part to play. Don't shy away from new avenues healing could bring if you know it's for your own good. But it's also okay to evaluate your own perspective/s.

There are many of us who do not identify with the memories of this life but we hold them. There are many of us who don't feel from this life but have fronted to bare the burdens. We can have this perspective while acknowledging we are a functioning member of the system that inhabits this body. The memories are no less our pain to process and know regardless of our identity. The burden was no less ours to bare similarly. Whether or not you identify with the body's life, you affect change within it. You are here for a purpose. This does not change your spiritual power. This does not make you less than. It is just one of many instances of creation observing and participating within itself. Energy is not created nor destroyed. You are no less or more being in a system. The importance is your perspective, your ability to create, your ability to impact, your ability to inspire change that matters to you. What matters is healing. Whatever that genuine healing is for you.

But you have to acknowledge this life. Escapism is not healing. Forcing change is not healing. You have to practice listening to your own heart, spirit, and mind. You share this life. You share this body. You get to decide what to do with it. You get to decide your purpose. You get to define your power. Don't ignore the importance this life brings or what your impact upon this world is. This life, is important and impactful. You, are important and impactful. You deserve to experience the beauty of Earth.

[duskandcloudy]

☁ about ☁

✦ Dusky | bodily early 20s, filipino | they/it ✦ collectively AuDHD nonbinary, loveless aro, ace, and apl-spec <2

this blog is mainly managed by Ascel (it/xey/ve) !

o/ ! hi hello, welcome howdy !!

We're a pdid system going by Dusk&Cloudy (⚫☁ ) - although we're also cool with being referred to as just Dusky ! :)

mainly making this blog to get more comfortable with and casually explore our own experiences as a pdid system- and maybe find more folks to relate to !

will be switching loosely and inconsistently between we/I pronouns, and most posts written will likely include Ascel or [o]- who are frequent co-hosts.

those who choose to use sign-offs will be marked with either an emote or by name, and will be tagged/added to this post when necessary o7

all posts made- including asks, will be tagged with #⚫☁ post !

[ Blog Notifications Dashboard ]

!! check out our cool system mutuals ! -> @/the-council-system-did <2

~ ☁ ~

PDID Resources / Cool Blogs

@/pdid-culture-is

@/pdid-positivity

@/pdid-safe-space

Partial DID Carrd

Fact Sheet IV: What are the Dissociative Disorders?

Partial DID Infographic

TraumaDissociation

ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics

Differences between Partial DID and OSDD

all systems, plurals, multiples etc are welcome here- especially those who do not participate in active harassment towards others or spread misinformation :)

we wish for this blog to be a safe space for interaction, and hope to help promote recovery resources alongside researched education.

[squiddleknitted]

Based on my experiences in fictive spaces on Tumblr and Discord, combined with what I've witnessed of fictionkin spaces on those same platforms, I don't particularly relate to or understand the strong negative attitudes towards fictionkins from fictives.

There is definitely value in establishing that being a fictive and being fictionkin are different things, with different experiences, but I have found that in general there are more similarities between the two identities than most fictives like to admit. The communities often seem to function very similarly, and the experiences have enough overlap that people frequently misidentify as one or the other. I know the tendency to emphasise the differences is a response to very dangerous and ableist misinformation, but there are ways to correct that misinformation without throwing fictionkins under the bus as less worthy of respect than fictives are.

To be rather blunt about it, I've noticed that a lot of the negativity towards fictionkins reads as plain unkindness, or even something rooted in ableism. There's this idea that fictionkin experiences aren't to be taken seriously or respected, in some cases because they're not tied to a specific diagnosis, and in other cases because they're potentially an indicator of an untreated and undiagnosed disorder.

I've spoken to systems who feel negatively about the fictionkin community based on the assumption that many of them are undiagnosed systems themselves, or perhaps people experiencing psychosis, and that participation in this community impedes the discovery and diagnostic process. I've not found this to be particularly true. The fictionkin community was (and still is) important to our host in figuring out who ne was, feeling comfortable with nis identity, and finding healthy ways to engage with that identity and the source. It was not the right time for nym to become aware of and come to terms with being a system, but the fictionkin community was able to meet nym where ne was at in terms of self discovery, and offer nym support ne otherwise would not have received. And, while fictionkin spaces are not exactly the best resource on system experiences and do not always handle the topics of fictives gracefully, mixed fictionkin/fictive spaces were useful in bridging the gap between the two identities, exposing our host to the concept of systems and plurality so that ne would have resources and supports when ne would make further discoveries about nymself. I believe that the fictionkin community had a positive impact on our healing and self-discovery, rather than impeding it.

I also don't believe that every experience of identifying as or with a fictional character is a symptom of a disorder, nor do I believe that it needs to be one to be respected. I've found that it is safer and kinder to assume someone is telling me the truth when they tell me about themselves, and provided they are not spreading misinformation, I let that be their own business.

I do think there are issues in fictionkin communities with ableism, misinformation, and abusive behaviour. Some amount of wariness is reasonable, but we cannot let negativity be our primary attitude towards these communities. It's dangerous to pretend that our own communities and spaces are not also vulnerable to many of the same issues, and we risk alienating a group of people (and potential allies) with similar experiences who may benefit from the same resources as us. Surely it would be more rewarding to try to remedy these issues than to dismiss all fictionkin spaces as a lost cause?

[multiplicity-positivity]

hey so we get pretty stressed out by hearin/talking about syscourse do to past trauma conected to it do you have any tips on how we can work on being less scared/stressed by it (like we have multiple alters that are just staight up scared and end up crying when reading and us getting syscourse ask do to the trauma) - night it/xe/star

our response is going under a cut due to the potentially triggering topic.

hey, night… we’re really sorry that seeing syscourse can be so triggering and painful for your system. rest assured you’re not alone in this. what should be a space for civil, respectful discussion with a diverse group of people is more often than not filled with folks hating and lashing out at each other for holding differing beliefs.

honestly, we believe that no one should feel obligated to take part in syscourse if they don’t want to. if viewing and participating in syscourse is a trigger for your system, it may be best to limit your exposure to it. we’d suggest using tumblr’s filtering system to block both the tag “#syscourse” and the word “syscourse” - you can also do this with “#anti endo” and “anti endo” as well, depending on your system’s views.

on the off-chance that you do happen to see some syscourse, here are some things you can do:

if you get a syscourse-related ask, block the user (which you can do by hitting the three dots at the top of the ask, then “block user.” this will work even if they send an ask anonymously) and then delete the ask.

if some syscourse is reblogged onto your dash, unfollow the person who put it there, ask them to tag the post properly so it can be filtered, or go to the original poster and block them.

if you’ve been put in a difficult emotional state due to seeing syscourse, try to step away from the situation and calm down a bit. we love the r.e.s.t. acronym for this, which is a dbt skill. we’ll include a post we’ve written in the past where we explained this strategy:

and here’s a few other things which might help y’all feel a bit less stressed about syscourse overall:

- other people’s opinions of you do not matter. regardless of your origins, someone ranting angrily about how certain systems are invalid for whatever reason is ultimately their problem, not yours. try to work on internal validation and self confidence, and understand that other people do not know you or your system better than y’all know yourselves.

- understand that everyone who participates in syscourse is a human being. many participants are traumatized, hurt, frustrated, and confused. sometimes when people are making heated statements, their words are coming from a place of heightened emotions and not rational thinking. so it’s never beneficial to take another syscourser’s remarks too personally.

- educate yourself about dissociative disorders, endogenic plurality, or other subjects that often become topics in syscourse. if you can build up your own solid foundation of knowledge, it may help you feel less helpless or attacked by seeing others have these discussions online.

we really hope that something here will be useful for you. we genuinely do believe that no one should have to engage in syscourse if they don’t want to, and especially if they have trauma relating to syscourse, it may be best to stay away from it. but we know everyone’s different and some folks really want to continue participating despite it having negative effects on their system. so hopefully, whether or not y’all choose to engage with it in the future, something here can at least help you feel a bit more equipped to make the right decisions for your system.

good luck with everything, night. we’re wishing your system rest and healing in the future :)

[thetempestechoes]

An introduction.

Please note: Tumblr frequently defaults to a simplified hanzi typeface in the dashboard font regardless of what we input/select when typing certain characters. If you know if it can be made to show the intended output rather than constantly defaulting, please send us an ask.

Hello, and welcome to our blog.

While this blog hasn't been around for very long, we've been on Tumblr for the better part of a decade at this point. We are a queer and disabled artist and writer. We are a white system based in England. Any nickname derived from our username (eg, Tempest) is fine to refer to us by. We are fluent in English and can read a decent bit of French.

While we cannot stop anyone from interacting with us, we do not want any of the following to interact with us:

Bigots of any form - including but not limited to exclusionists, those who villainise personality disorders, and TERFs. Any supporters of franchises like HP and/or of members/former members of DSMP are also not welcome.

Abusers, and those who excuse, support, glorify, or otherwise defend or attempt to justify their behaviour.

Any scams - including but not limited to NFTs, cryptocurrency and phishing.

Anti-recovery blogs - this does not automatically include blogs that are critical of issues within psychiatry and psychology.

If a blog breaks these rules, we will block and/or report as necessary.

We are not interested in syscourse - we believe in inclusive plurality and people arguing with us in notes or in our inbox will never change that.

Please note: in some discussions, our policy is that we may block certain participants overnight to give ourselves space from the situation and then unblock in the morning if necessary.

I do not reblog donation posts.

Ask games are always open unless stated otherwise. Check the ask games tag to find the questions.

Spam like/rb is fine.

Sideblogs: -> @dialoguewritingprompts: Writing prompts sideblog -> @tropicalandaquaticanimals: Planet Zoo sideblog

[pdid-positivity]

[Feeling really (generally) anxious right now so I especially feel the need to ask because I didn’t think to earlier] We aren’t sure if we’re a p-did system or what disorder we have at all and we impulsively reblogged your p-did ask game and we just really need to make sure if it’s okay that we did that [if its not just let us know and we can definitely remove the reblog] we don’t wanna make anyone uncomfy or intrude on spaces that aren’t for us but our thinky thoughts weren’t thinky thinking earlier and we didn’t think to ask /gen

— @gaysagainstfireworks

hey, don't worry about it at all, it is okay for you to participate in the ask game

in your case, it is especially fine! systems who are questioning what disorder they have are more than okay to do the ask game

any systems who would benefit from my blog are more than welcome to be here or to engage with any posts i make. whether if they have p-did or not.

[dreamyinart]

Aesthetic Pressure on Social Media: When Beauty Becomes a Duty

🎭 Aesthetic Labor - Unpaid Work on the Web

In the past, only celebrities or service industry workers needed to care about aesthetic labor, but now, anyone who uses social media is unwittingly participating in it. To have a "standard" photo, we not only have to edit it but also pose, choose clothes, and even invest in our appearance to be prioritized by the algorithm.

But not everyone has the same opportunities. Research by Duffy & Meisner (2022) shows that algorithms tend to prioritize content that fits popular beauty standards, while "algorithmically invisible" those who do not meet the standards. This causes many people to edit photos or even change their bodies to "fit in", creating a cycle of aesthetic pressure.

🧠 When Beauty Becomes a Psychological Burden

It doesn't stop at appearance. Constantly comparing yourself to edited images can lead to Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), an obsession with an 'imagined' defect in appearance that causes severe distress and affects life (Veale et al., 1996)

Research by Rajanala et al. (2018) shows that the overuse of filtered selfies can exacerbate BDD and increase self-esteem in adolescents, especially those who already have signs of body dysmorphia. This creates a vicious cycle: users edit their photos to feel more confident, but the more they do so, the less they accept their true appearance.

It is not just ordinary users, even influencers are affected. According to Carah & Dobson (2016), many young women are not only monitored for their appearance, but also self-monitored. They edit photos and change the way they pose and present themselves to achieve the "hotness standard" set by the algorithm. This turns beauty from a personal choice into a digital obligation.

Not only is the algorithm involved, Instagram also promotes the commercialization of appearance through cosmetic surgery. A study by Dorfman et al. (2017) found that 67.1% of posts related to cosmetic surgery on Instagram were self-promotional rather than educational. This has led many to view cosmetic surgery as a trend, a way to “upgrade yourself” rather than a serious health decision.

🔄 Breaking the Aesthetic Standards Loop

So what can we do?

📌 Be aware of the algorithm: What you see on your feed is not an objective reflection of reality but a product of an interactive optimization system.

📢 Support diverse body and beauty content: Like and share posts that bring new perspectives so that algorithms can recognize their value.

🌍 Create a healthier online space: Platforms should be more transparent about how content is displayed and have policies to support vulnerable groups to avoid algorithmic invisibility.

Social media is not at fault, but if we let it determine our value, then perhaps it’s time to ask: Am I beautifying myself, or just following an algorithm?

References

Carah, N., & Dobson, A. (2016). Algorithmic hotness: Young women’s “promotion” and “reconnaissance” work via social media body images. Social Media + Society, 2(4), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305116672885

Dorfman, R. G., Vaca, E. E., Mahmood, E., Fine, N. A., & Schierle, C. F. (2017). Plastic Surgery-Related Hashtag Utilization on Instagram: Implications for Education and Marketing. Aesthetic Surgery Journal, 38(3), 332–338. https://doi.org/10.1093/asj/sjx120

Duffy, B. E., & Meisner, C. (2022). Platform Governance at the margins: Social Media Creators’ Experiences with Algorithmic (in)visibility. Media, Culture & Society, 45(2), 016344372211119. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437221111923

Rajanala, S., Maymone, M. B. C., & Vashi, N. A. (2018). Selfies—Living in the Era of Filtered Photographs. JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, 20(6), 443. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamafacial.2018.0486

Veale, D., Boocock, A., Gournay, K., Dryden, W., Shah, F., Willson, R., & Walburn, J. (1996). Body Dysmorphic Disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry, 169(2), 196–201. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.169.2.196

[nithica]

(random ramble, i can be an adult i guess 😔)

a while ago my friends and i answered a bot asking if they’d rather have a high paying job they hate or a low paying job they love, and i was one of the few who answered the latter (maybe it’s cos im old and the only one with years of experience? idk. also just different prios i guess)

anyways i just remembered that because i had my evaluation yesterday with my boss and this is exactly why i’m staying here despite being underpaid (which is not my office’s fault btw. I’m external so they just pay a fixed rate and my employer on paper decides what % i get) and not being a finance girlie

i’ve had many many jobs over the years and most of them sucked, though they paid better than now. and i may have been better off financially then, but i ran myself into the ground with those, dreading to go to work every single day (the strain that puts on you physically is also so underestimated).

but i’d rather have a job like this. sure; financially i struggle often (though… not only due to the pay, it should be resolved soon) however despite it being a big office, i am seen and treated as a person. we did my evaluation during an outdoor walk because my boss recognised that i was struggling to focus indoors (adhd) and rather than starting off about my performance, she always makes sure to ask me about my wellbeing first—and genuinely too.

it’s not a secret to anyone who’s been here for a few weeks that i’ve been struggling a lot recently. it always goes like this, i do better for a while and then crash and burn myself lol. after my previous job (where i had to work through it basically, bc every employee was just a number in the system) so twisted that i was unable to work for ~3 years and couldn’t participate in society either (became a recluse basically).

my employer doesn’t know about my personality disorder or most of my diagnosis, she knows about my struggles with depression and burnout, she knows about my AuDHD, but of course i’m reluctant to lay it all out on the table and tbh, i don’t need to.

it’s hard to keep participating in society when you are so unstable and constantly alternate between feeling godly and trying to off yourself impulsively. it’s hard to function, let alone be at my best at work all the time.

but the first thing she asked me was how i was doing now, and that she noticed i’ve been looking better since my doctors visit. she recognised that i wasn’t doing well in recent ~2 months mentally, and im sure it showed in my performance, but she had no complaints at all and instead always encouraged me to take some time for myself.

all she said was just that she was glad to see me start to liven up again and to not worry about it too much, because “no one is always able to give 100%” and “the team will not go up in flames if i take some time for me sometimes” (bc im always overthinking my responsibility lol). at the end of the day, i work to live and shouldn’t live to work.

my evaluation was stellar and she had no complaints at all. she just gave me props for doing what i can and shared some future plans for me (expanding my work lol) and reminded me how happy they are with me and that i’ve been the foundation of a stable team (i cried internally). she’s never had any complaints about me in the year and a half that i’ve been here and she’s always appreciative.

so thinking about this made me think of that question again. i would take this and a little less financial comfort over going to work unhappy every day. idk if i would have flourished the way i did had they not recognised me as a person first and foremost, who’s not flawless and yet can still be valuable.

i’m not naive, at the end of the day it’s still a corporation in a capitalist society. i doubt i’ll be here forever, and every company would also have limits, so i’m just grateful for the space i can get and know better than to take advantage of that and start slacking.

i was skeptical at first because i know very well some employers act understanding in a predatory manner. but i don’t think it really matters to them anyway, as long as i stay transparent about my needs and state and dont take advantage of their trust. she finds it more important that i take care of myself and avoid getting in a burnout again. they also lose if i were to run myself amok to the point of being unable to work.

but regardless, after so many negative experiences, i’m really glad this is where i started my reintegration. it raised my standards tbh and next time, i know i won’t allow myself to let a mere job ruin me. i’ll find something better if it’s detrimental to my wellbeing. no employer deserves that of me bye

[brooksidecounseling1]

Exploring the Effectiveness of Inpatient vs. Outpatient Substance Abuse Programs in Springville

Substance abuse is a complex issue that can have a profound impact on an individual’s health, relationships, and overall quality of life. Fortunately, numerous treatment options exist to help those struggling with addiction. Two of the most common forms of treatment are inpatient and outpatient substance abuse programs. Both have unique advantages and are designed to address the varying needs of individuals in recovery. In this article, we will explore the differences between inpatient and outpatient substance abuse programs, examine their effectiveness, and help individuals make informed decisions about the best treatment option for their needs.

Understanding Inpatient and Outpatient Programs

Before delving into their effectiveness, it is important to understand what inpatient and outpatient Substance Abuse Programs in Springville are and how they differ in terms of structure, intensity, and treatment.

Inpatient Programs: Inpatient substance abuse treatment programs, also known as residential treatment programs, require individuals to stay at a treatment facility for the duration of their program. These programs typically last anywhere from 30 days to 90 days, though some may extend for longer periods depending on the severity of the addiction. In inpatient programs, individuals live at the treatment center, receive around-the-clock care, and participate in various therapeutic activities, including individual counseling, group therapy, medical detoxification (if necessary), and other therapeutic interventions. Inpatient programs are often recommended for individuals with severe addiction or those who require intensive care and support. These programs offer a highly structured environment that removes individuals from the daily stressors and triggers that may have contributed to their substance abuse, providing a safe and controlled space for recovery.

Outpatient Programs: Outpatient substance abuse treatment programs, on the other hand, allow individuals to live at home or in a supportive living environment while attending treatment sessions at a treatment facility during the day or evening. Outpatient programs typically offer flexible schedules, with individuals attending therapy and counseling sessions several times a week. While outpatient programs may provide some of the same therapeutic interventions as inpatient programs, they do not provide 24/7 care, allowing individuals to return to their everyday life while receiving treatment. Outpatient programs are generally recommended for individuals with mild to moderate addiction or those who have completed inpatient treatment and are looking for ongoing support. These programs allow individuals to maintain their daily responsibilities, such as work, school, or family commitments, while still receiving the necessary care for recovery.

Comparing the Effectiveness of Inpatient and Outpatient Programs

The effectiveness of inpatient versus outpatient programs depends on several factors, including the individual’s level of addiction, personal circumstances, and support system. Below, we will examine the benefits and challenges of each treatment approach to help individuals make an informed decision about which program may be the most effective for their specific needs.

Intensity of Care and SupportInpatient programs provide a higher level of care and support compared to outpatient programs. In a residential setting, individuals receive constant supervision from medical and therapeutic staff, which is particularly important for those with severe substance use disorders or co-occurring mental health conditions. These programs offer a structured and controlled environment where individuals can focus entirely on their recovery, without distractions from daily life or exposure to triggering situations. Outpatient programs, while still offering comprehensive care, do not provide the same level of supervision and structure. Individuals in outpatient treatment have more freedom, but they may also be exposed to external stressors or temptations that could impede their recovery. For individuals with less severe addiction, outpatient programs can be highly effective, but for those who require more intensive support, inpatient treatment may be a better choice.

Support for Co-Occurring DisordersMany individuals who struggle with substance abuse also have co-occurring mental health disorders, such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD. Inpatient programs are often better equipped to address these dual diagnoses, as they provide access to both addiction specialists and mental health professionals who can address both conditions simultaneously. The 24/7 nature of inpatient programs ensures that individuals receive continuous care, which can be particularly important when managing mental health crises or withdrawal symptoms. While outpatient programs also offer therapy and counseling for mental health issues, the lack of around-the-clock supervision may make it harder for individuals to receive the support they need in times of crisis. However, outpatient programs may still be effective for individuals with less severe mental health conditions or those who are able to manage their mental health independently.

Flexibility and Daily Life IntegrationOutpatient programs offer more flexibility compared to inpatient programs. Since individuals do not reside at a treatment facility, they can continue to work, attend school, or maintain family responsibilities while undergoing treatment. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals who have important commitments or who may not be able to take extended time off from their daily life. On the other hand, inpatient programs require individuals to commit to full-time treatment, which may be challenging for those who have significant work or family obligations. The time commitment can be a barrier for some people, especially if they are unable to take leave from work or other responsibilities. However, for individuals with severe addiction or those who need a focused and immersive treatment experience, inpatient care may provide the necessary environment for recovery.

Cost ConsiderationsInpatient treatment programs tend to be more expensive than outpatient programs due to the 24/7 care, housing, and medical supervision that inpatient care requires. The cost of inpatient programs can vary depending on the facility, the length of the program, and the level of care provided. For individuals with severe addiction, the cost may be a necessary investment in their long-term health and sobriety. Outpatient programs are generally more affordable than inpatient programs because they do not involve room and board or constant supervision. For individuals with mild to moderate addiction, outpatient treatment can provide the necessary care at a more manageable cost. Additionally, outpatient programs often offer flexible payment plans or accept insurance, making them more accessible to a wider range of individuals.

Duration of Treatment and Long-Term OutcomesThe duration of treatment in both inpatient and outpatient programs can vary based on individual needs. Inpatient programs typically last 30 to 90 days, though some programs may extend longer if necessary. The intensive nature of inpatient treatment allows individuals to focus on their recovery without distractions, which may lead to more significant short-term progress. Outpatient programs, by comparison, may last longer in terms of total treatment duration, as individuals typically attend therapy over an extended period. While outpatient programs can provide effective long-term care, they may not offer the same intensive, immersive treatment experience as inpatient programs. For individuals who have successfully completed inpatient treatment, outpatient programs serve as an important continuation of care, helping individuals stay on track with their recovery goals.

When to Choose Inpatient vs. Outpatient Programs

The decision between inpatient and outpatient Substance Abuse Programs in Springville depends on a variety of factors, including the severity of the addiction, the individual’s personal and professional commitments, their mental health needs, and their financial situation. Here are some general guidelines to help individuals decide which option may be most effective for them:

Inpatient Programs may be the best option for individuals who:

Struggle with severe addiction or have a long history of substance abuse.

Need 24/7 medical or psychological support.

Have co-occurring mental health disorders that require intensive care.

Lack a stable or supportive living environment.

Need a highly structured and immersive treatment experience to kickstart their recovery.

Outpatient Programs may be the best option for individuals who:

Have a mild to moderate addiction.

Are able to manage their addiction outside of a residential setting.

Have strong support systems at home and work.

Need flexibility to maintain their daily responsibilities.

Have successfully completed inpatient treatment and are transitioning into aftercare.

Conclusion

Both inpatient and outpatient substance abuse programs offer valuable resources and support for individuals in recovery. While inpatient programs provide a more intensive, immersive treatment experience with 24/7 care, outpatient programs offer greater flexibility and are often better suited for individuals with less severe addiction or those who need ongoing support. The effectiveness of each program ultimately depends on the individual’s specific needs, the severity of their addiction, and the resources available to them. By understanding the differences between inpatient and outpatient programs, individuals can make informed decisions and choose the treatment option that best supports their recovery journey.