#mrcollins🎣.txt

[the-habitat-sysblog]

"none of my alters have fronted recently, does that mean i'm faking?"

hey. you're an alter too, remember? you are as much a part in this team as any other part. you're important. just because other alters haven't fronted recently doesn't automatically mean you were wrong, or "faking". parts get front stuck; it happens! switching slows down; it happens! the rest of the system quiets down for a while; it happens! especially if you are newly-discovered.

be patient. be kind to yourself. you are the only alter that needs to front right now in order to be "valid". you know what you've experienced, you know you aren't trying to fake this, so know that fronting alone for a while will not take these experiences away from you.

good luck & take care. 🤍

[sys-polls]

- Mr Collins.

[the-habitat-sysblog]

the state of syscord is almost ridiculous at this point. i honestly just want a space to make friends, talk about recovery, & be open about myself, but most of these servers seem more preoccupied with what experiences are ALLOWED or what your alters are SUPPOSED to look like/think like/be named. don't get me wrong, many of these topics are important, but it feels very judgemental & strict as a system that sometimes falls outside of the bounds of what is considered the """normal""" CDD experience online.

[the-habitat-sysblog]

DID ALTER EXPLAINS: DISSOCIATION

what is dissociation? dissociation is a symptom experienced by many. it is especially common in those with C-PTSD, major depressive disorder + related mood disorders, borderline personality disorder, dissociative disorders, & complex dissociative disorders. today, we will break down what dissociation is & isn't, as well as techniques for coping with dissociative symptoms.

DISSOCIATION EXPLAINED

dissociation is described as the mental process wherein a person disconnects from their own thoughts, feelings, memories, sense of identity &/or the world around them¹.

this symptom is most often formed as a maladaptive coping mechanism to protect the brain from traumas.

patients may report feeling unreal, "floaty" or otherwise lacking the ability to ground themself & be present in the moment. there are multiple aspects to dissociation:

DEPERSONALISATION - feelings that one is seeing one's thoughts, feelings, or body or parts of one's body from a distance². you may feel that you are unreal.

DEREALISATION - feelings that the external world is alien, distant, distorted or falsified³. you may feel that the world is unreal.

IDENTITY CONFUSION - one may lose one's sense of identity, resulting in feeling as if one exists on "autopilot", with no personality or consciousness of one's own.

AMNESIA - partial or complete memory loss may accompany episodes of more severe dissociation.

DISSOCIATION - THE MYTHS

dissociation is NOT a conscious choice. yes, a patient may refuse to use grounding techniques, resulting in worse dissociative symptoms; however dissociation as a trauma response is often a subconscious action⁴.

dissociation =/= daydreaming.

dissociation & dissociative disorders are not that rare⁵. their prevalence rate differs throughout the world, but the rate of diagnosis for dissociative disorders in the US ranges from 13-20%.

medication will not cure dissociation⁵. dissociation can only be treated through therapy, i.e. CBT, DBT & psychodynamic psychotherapy.

everyone will experience dissociation slightly differently!

GROUNDING TECHNIQUES FOR DISSOCIATIVE EPISODES

below are a handful of websites & resources with tips to cope with severe dissociation. different techniques will work for different patients, however the most common method for grounding yourself often aims to distract, centre & calm the dissociated person. as dissociation is often a response to trauma or other stressors, these coping strategies place a focus on bringing the patient down from that fight-or-flight mode.

this has been a quick summary of the complex experience that is dissociation!

i hope that these resources may help those who are struggling with severe dissociation to decrease the distress these symptoms are causing them. understanding what dissociation is from a logical standpoint can help one pinpoint, diagnose & treat the symptoms, which may lead to a better quality of life.

POST AUTHOR: finn🍄 (he/it) | mr collins🎣 (they/he)

SOURCES: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

DISCLAIMER: this post - alongside any other posts from @the-habitat-sysblog - is not a substitute for professional medical help. the DID ALTER EXPLAINS series is written with reference to the medical research of others, CDD community input & the author's personal experience.

[sys-polls]

- Mr Collins.

I had no idea what to call parts that are not introjects! I hope my meaning came across.

[the-habitat-sysblog]

i love seeing other alters obsess over my source like haha yeah<3 i did that (was not involved at all)

[the-habitat-sysblog]

It becomes impossibly lonely being an anxiety holder part. I want to love, and I want to be loved, but I am always afraid. I was created to be afraid.

[the-habitat-sysblog]

Hey just double checking but does 'changes in thinking' refer to opinions and perception of the world?

Such as alter 1 likes this thing and dislikes this thing, but alter 2 has different opinions of it

I assume that you are referring to our TYPES OF CDDs post.

Yes, changes in thinking encompasses personality, responses to input/trauma/stimuli, changes in preferences (as you explained in your ask), changes in cognitive ability, and more.

I hope this helped!

[the-habitat-sysblog]

For the ask game!!

🌾and☀️

Thank you for the questions, Bugz! Here is the original Ask Game.

🌾 - Any songs you relate to DID / OSDD?

Based on lyrics, definitely Switch by The Cure. However, the song Dog Nightmare by Jack Stauber perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being incredibly dissociated, to me. Best enjoyed with headphones, in my opinion. It just makes the world feel impossibly slow and unfamiliar.

☀️ - How do you all prefer to communicate?

Recently, we have been trying to communicate internally, as we used to be completely unable to do this at all. It is going alright! We're still a way away from communicating reliably, so we use texting and proxies to sort out our thoughts in moments where we cannot hear more than internal noise.

Thank you, again! I love seeing your posts on my Dashboard, and I hope that you enjoyed the questions from us. ^^" - Mr Foster Collins.

[the-habitat-sysblog]

🪐🍐 and or🪫?

hi, ask game maker! <3

🪐 - what is headspace like for you?

🧫: for me, specifically, i am part of a disconnected subsystem! i am able to exist in whatever innerworld i like. :) this excludes the inw of the dormant cluster, though. i live in a void-like structure that is constantly shifting and changing according to the desires of my fellow subsystem-members!

🍐 - Are there any non-human alters?

🎣: I would wager to say the majority of the system is at least partly non-human! Hearse, who answered the previous question, is some sort of creature similar to a Selkie. Here is a Picrew image for reference:

🎣: However, there still are humans, such as myself. Although.. our host keeps threatening to "turn me". I believe that is a vampire term. We shall have to see.

🪫 - What do you all do to recharge?

🧫: listening to music is probably the healthiest of our coping/recharging skills. we also have cfs so we sleep a shit ton, and sometimes that recharges us? sometimes. ^^"

Thank you for the fun questions and game, Kuiper!

[the-habitat-sysblog]

NAME: Mr Foster Collins. PRONOUNS: He/they. SPECIES: Human! For now, I suppose.

Hello, all. I am a caretaker and anxiety holder part in the main cluster. Unfortunately, I often end up ghost-writing posts, and not signing my name. ^^" I am a fictroject, but try your best to ignore that when speaking with me. It is of no importance. I enjoy learning about the ocean (from a far distance), cooking, and music. I am quite sensitive, so please interact gently, if at all.

I sign off my posts with "MrCollins🎣.txt"!

[the-habitat-sysblog]

I know we sort of started it by ranting about syscord, but I don't love genuine vents in my askbox. If you want to discuss your experience relating to something we brought up, feel free to! Just please steer clear from treating us as someone you can vent at anytime if we do not know you. We have triggers and feelings; we are not professionals.

@system-vent may be a helpful alternative.

[the-habitat-sysblog]

I hope you feel better soon!

For the ask game: 👾🎵🔦

(In reference to this Ask Game.)

👾 - Funniest out of context system quote?

🎣: It is quite the toss-up! We are constantly blabbering on about absolute nonsense. However, my personal favourite is a quote from a part named Lola. She said, "Sit your ass the fuck down you sodomite, we're watching a movie." This was said to my boyfriend.

🎵 - What songs remind you of your alters?

🎣: I Wear Your Ring by Cocteau Twins reminds me of my boyfriend; This Charming Man by The Smiths reminds me of our host; Dressing Up by The Cure reminds me of a little I often care for.

🔦 - How did you discover your system?

☀️: It is quite a long and bizarre story, but - in short - we first found out about the existence of others when parts would send messages to our friends asking to be called by names we'd never heard of! That kicked off our suspicion, I suppose.

Thank you for the ask, Anon!

[the-habitat-sysblog]

🌍 and 🐛? :)

Good evening! Here is the Ask Game in question, if anyone else would like to submit asks.

🌍 - Can you change your innerworld and access it freely?

Yes! Our innerworld works in the way that, in order for something to exist, an alter must wilfully create it. Err, for the most part. Sometimes things just happen! Alters only have unlimited access to (my cluster's) innerworld once they have claimed a "spot" for themselves in it.

🐛 - Which part made a lot of progress?

A lovely question! I would likely have to say a part named Eloise. Although she still strongly identifies as a persecutor, she has made immeasurable progress toward working with the system. I am very proud of her, but if I said that to her face she would likely still punch me.

Thank you very much, Kuiper! I should also like to say that your blog layout is absolutely beautiful. Take care! - Mr Foster Collins.

[the-habitat-sysblog]

For the askgame: 🌙🌺🌈

(in reference to this ask game - feel free to send more!)

🌙 - share a special relationship between parts.

🍄: i think i have a very special relationship with a part named ms lucy. :-) she's like a mum to me. she cooks for me, helps me calm down from episodes, & is just there to comfort me when it feels like no one else is. no, i don't have mommy issues, why? /silly

🌺 - describe one part of your inner world.

💍: we do not currently have one, but hope to create one in the future!

🌈 - are there any parts who view themselves as something other than human? or who have supernatural powers?

🍄: there are more humanoid or non-human parts than human parts! vampires, corpses, ghosts, elves, angels, demons, animals, fairies - you want it? it's yours, my friend. as long as you have enough rupees. /ref 🎣: ..However, there are very few parts with supernatural powers as far as we are aware! Mister (🎱) can phase through people/objects, and Nyctosia (🪱) can shape-shift. I cannot currently think of anything else! ^^"

thanks for the ask :-)