#osdd 1a can also still experience amnesia

[solacebean]

I’m just saying there IS a difference and it’s kinda important

[sysmedsaresexist]

I've heard one of my posts is causing waves

Here's some more things that are normal in DID/OSDD systems, and some weird myths, in no particular order

- Not realizing you're a system until later is normal (average age of system discovery is 18-21)

- It's rare for children to display distinct alters (not impossible, just a rare occurrence in a rare disorder (based on numbers, it's considered rare, yes), alters tend to form in mid-teens)

- Feeling as though you "created" an alter is normal (related to unconscious feelings of control over an uncontrollable situation, and/or tricking yourself into an explanation, also, if you have a need to be filled, the brain WILL provide)

- "mixed origin systems" are totally normal for DID/OSDD. I have a couple alters that could be considered "endogenic", but I'm really just... DID, with normal alters forming in normal ways

- Alters forming at any age/time is normal (you can form a brand new alter at fifty, after having undergone complete fusion, once the ability is there, it's always possible to split)

- Alters don't always appear immediately after a traumatic event (alters can take YEARS to come to front after forming, making it impossible to tie them to specific events unless THEY'RE aware of the connection)

- Alters can form from stress, not just trauma (and the brain is notoriously good at hiding how stressed you are from yourself)

- Comfort splits ARE normal in DID/OSDD

- The amnesia criteria in DID doesn't mean you need to experience amnesia day-to-day, you still have DID if you can't remember childhood events but have good communication now

- The dysfunction criteria is redundant and circular, where the symptoms themselves fulfill the criteria, and as per the DSM, doesn't imply any inherent need for treatment or distress-- so being happy, loving your system, feeling like your system helps you more than it hinders you, all normal (and good!) but still DID/OSDD

- OSDD 1a does not involve alters as they're known, but states or modes that influence you, and amnesia occurs during these periods of influence; OSDD 1b involves "emotional amnesia" only (which is just a stupid, fancy word for dissociation (an emotional disconnect from a memory) that doesn't actually exist in the medical world)

- You can have as many EPs and ANPs as you'd like. The majority of systems with OSDD feel as though the one ANP theory doesn't fit them, and there have recently been updates to theories to acknowledge this

- Integration is the lowering of dissociative barriers to allow for better communication between system members, and is absolutely necessary for functional multiplicity (fusion is the joining of two or more alters). These definitions come from the ISSTD, and it IS recognized by the ISSTD that integration and functional multiplicity are viable and attainable treatment goals. Keep this in mind when conversations about these topics come up-- if you can communicate clearly with alters, you're already well integrated. It's not scary, it's not bad, and no one can or will make you fuse.

- CPTSD, the basis of dissociative disorders and DID, presents very differently from PTSD -- mostly presenting as a negative view of the self and vigilance rather than the flashbacks and nightmares you'd see in PTSD (it's quite similar to BPD, but the view of the self is negative rather than unstable). If you resonate with some aspects of BPD and have a system, and you don't experience the "typical" presentation of PTSD, that's normal. That's CPTSD (complex PTSD, not chronic PTSD), maybe read up on it.

- You don't need to know your trauma to acknowledge that you have DID/OSDD, and no one should be pushing that you search for trauma. Who cares, move at your own pace, maybe you'll never figure it out, and that's perfectly fine. People who push others about their trauma will face my wrath.

- Trauma isn't an action, but a REACTION to an event. What traumatizes one person, may not have any effect on another person, and vice versa. This isn't about what might have happened to you, but how you felt about it. There is no Trauma Olympics, and people who play that way are ridiculous. Trauma reactions are personal and unique, and come from anything-- bullying, isolation and loneliness, abuse. And yes, other disorders can make you more susceptible to trauma reactions. Having autism or ADHD or BPD, EDs, psychosis, schizophrenia-- all of these create more opportunities for trauma reactions, and make someone more susceptible. That doesn't mean you're not trauma based. It doesn't mean those things caused your system. It means those things made it harder for you to navigate life and left you more susceptible to trauma. That's it.

- MADD is typically trauma based

There's so, so many more. Other DID/OSDD systems, feel free to add on, endogenic systems, ask if something is normal.

[coexistentialism]

Every time I go out of my bubble to look at other systems online, I just get more and more concerned, but also frustrated.

People can use whatever labels they want to use to describe their experiences, but I'm tired of people still telling people to look into "osdd-1a or -1b" just because that person doesn't have obvious amnesia or because that person doesn't think they switch.

Throughout my time trying to research DID and OSDD and being in spaces, from Discord servers to just trying to meet other systems, the way people have no idea what DID is and how it works and how it can Look and Feel for many different people is. Frustrating to me.

If you feel like you are "always conscious", that's normal for DID, that's just how it works. I never feel as if I am Not conscious. I am always just Awake and taking in the outside word. To many people online, you'd call me "monoconscious", but that's just how DID is for most people. If you vibe with that term, cool, but it's not some special, different form of DID.

Likewise, if you DO have the exact opposite experience that I have, you also don't have some special, different form of DID.

I was told many times by many different people online that they didn't think I had DID, or they thought I must have OSDD instead, all because of things that Literally just further stigmatize Both disorders and are simply nothing more than myths.

No, you don't have OSDD just because you feel "monoconscious." No, you don't have OSDD just because you feel as if you never switch and are never different.

I am saying this as someone who is diagnosed with DID and has done Years worth of research from research papers, articles and more.

I have never felt like I switch. I have never felt like a "different person." I have never felt that I experience bad memory problems. I was completely unaware of all of these things my entire life. I had no idea.

And nowadays, since I have become much more aware and confident in my experiences, that's changing. I can say I've switched when I find myself feeling extremely positive when just seconds ago I was depressed and wanting to die. That's a switch. Just because I am "still conscious" and don't just find myself somewhere I have no memory of getting there, doesn't mean I have some special, unique version of DID called "monoconscious DID" or something.

I'm not trying to be rude about that term or anything, I understand people like the term for themselves and they can use it, that's fine, but I wish people wouldn't treat it like it's this unique, special version of DID to a point people are telling others to look into "monoconscious DID" as if it's this unique medical term separate from just DID.

I want people to learn the difference between different PRESENTATIONS of these disorders, not even just DID or OSDD, and not treat these different presentations as if they are unique, separate disorders.

Whether you switch 24/7 or switch one time every few weeks; whether you have the obvious amnesia where you find yourself somewhere with no idea how you got there; whether you feel you are "always conscious"; whether you feel like your amnesia is barely a problem; we all have different presentations of the same disorder. These different presentations are not unique, separate disorders.

And "monoconscious" is just what a vast majority of people with DID experience.

And by the way, I want to make it extremely clear that if you asked me just a year or two ago what symptoms of DID I experience, I would frequently say that I don't relate to most of the symptoms. I would tell you that my memory is fine and that I never feel like a different person. I would tell you that I don't switch, I'm always the same person, I am never "not fronting."

And now, after much research and a diagnosis and confidence in my disorder and my knowledge on the disorder, I would tell you something very different. Because it is only AFTER a LOT of work trying to become more aware of my experiences, symptoms, and more that I am even able to recognize that I DO and HAVE had the symptoms of DID all along.

But because of how unaware I was of my symptoms and experiences, I was frequently told I didn't have DID or that I might have OSDD instead, because of how unaware I was, and because of these myths people keep perpetuating and I'm getting real tired of it.

[justanothersyscourse]

OSDD is trauma based, and all research on DID automatically applies to it

Back when DDNOS was still a possible diagnosis, the criteria and perceived presentation of DID was significantly stricter. This meant that DDNOS, type 1, was diagnosed far more often than DID (and, in fact, was the most often diagnosed of all DDNOS types), and contained a much wider variety of presentations and experiences. As such, research on DDNOS is far more plentiful than research on OSDD, even today.

By the time DDNOS was changed to OSDD, and DID received a much needed overhaul, most presentations of DDNOS automatically became DID. For example, DDNOS, type 1a was used for cases where a clinician hadn't yet witnessed a switch to another alter. At the time, if the clinician didn't personally witness a switch, DID was not to be diagnosed. In the DSM 5, the clinician no longer needs to witness it to make the diagnosis. It also previously stated that amnesia had to be severe between alters. This also changed by the time of the DSM 5, and there were several other changes, as well. [x]

That's why you won't find much research on OSDD -- it's become surprisingly redundant with the possible presentations of DID. In my own case, OSDD was diagnosed as a placeholder while more tests were done for DID. It was never meant to be a final diagnosis for me, but it put something appropriately vague enough on my record for insurance purposes. OSDD "mixed dissociative symptoms".

With that said, OSDD, like DID, is obviously trauma based. Research into DID is research into OSDD by basis of type 1 being the same thing. In DDs, alters are formed by dissociative barriers. The strength of those barriers will decide which diagnosis you get.

OSDD: Either the memory barriers aren't very high, so there's no amnesia, or the barriers between parts aren't very high, so you have indistinct states.

DID: barriers between both parts and memories are high

BPD/DPDR: barriers between both parts and memories are low

The barriers, or levels of dissociation, as per research, are influenced by age, attachment styles and interaction with supporting figures, trauma, and predisposition to dissociation (biopsychosocial model). In all cases, trauma and attachment styles are the most common indicator of DID and OSDD, followed by age at the time of experiences. [x] [x] [x] [x I’m really trying to find this full article, it’s so good] [x] [x] [x] [x]

Other things that I want to just... randomly throw in here, in a completely untargeted way:

1. No, studies cannot prove with 10000000% accuracy that DID is caused by trauma, but given the fact that everyone and their brother has tried (and failed) to prove it isn't caused by trauma, I'm willing to put my money on the theory that it's solely trauma based. 

At this point, the APA or ISSTD saying it’s not caused by trauma would be like every astronomer and geologist going, "So we just found out that the earth is flat. Like, nobody knew at all. We just found out yesterday."

Flat earthers still exist, and they're still spouting that the earth is flat. That doesn't make the earth flat or the possibility that it's gonna be discovered to be flat any more likely.

Or, you know, there’s still a small chance the megalodon might exist? Like, a 0.1% chance. Does that mean we need to accept that it does exist? No, common sense, and repeated testing has proven otherwise.

2. Nobody is saying you have to acknowledge your trauma to identify with DID. Therapists specifically don’t ask about trauma, and they don’t want you looking for it outside of therapy before you’re ready. Funny enough, people with DID can heavily relate to not remembering trauma. The thing anti endos ACTUALLY get upset about is when you start insisting that you can have DID/OSDD without trauma, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

3. Please stop wording it as “Identifying As Having A Disorder,” that’s disrespectful and not how it works.

4. OSDD is not an afterthought-- it’s a purposefully broad and vague disorder to cover many different things (not just DID-like presentations), and it’s STILL the most commonly diagnosed DD. Unlike DDNOS, which used its subtypes quite frequently in research, OSDD doesn’t, so how do you expect to find pointed research about it when it covers every presentation not covered in the other DDs?

 5. "It’s a catch-all for people who don’t fit neatly into the primary diagnostic boxes and are deemed undeserving of research and support in the same way DID systems are." How about I hit on you the head with a hammer, stop talking about crap you don’t understand.

 6. "Koomer and Oguigi"  🔥 burn

[ghost-of-a-system]

hllo i am here to bother you (for help if ur not busy(

i used to think i had osdd, went on reddit, convinced myself i was faking, came here to tell people that sometimes u r wronf ab ur diagnosis then i listed all the "fake" symptoms i had and everyone was doggin on me n told me 2 do research. i DID but am still confused so i thought i would come to someone who looks like they kno what theyre talking about. cus i dont 'feel' like a diff person really in the moment evr i jus look back n go 'yeah that was not me'. but my opinions n sexuality never change anyways help.

hello! for starters, the only way someone is faking anything is if they are purposefully and consciously telling themselves or others that they are experiencing xyz without actually being truthful. but mistakes do happen and you are correct in saying that there is always the possibility people are wrong about their suspicions/self-diagnoses, obviously.

of course, we are no medical professionals or experts; we're just a couple of gals and pals yapping about our experiences! i will still offer the advice i can, but take it with a grain of salt compared to any actual medical professionals.

a while ago we made this response to being asked for pointers on identifying if one is a system. i think you might find it helpful if seeking advice like this from us. i will be referencing content from this post here!

OSDD1 is a little tricky due to its frequently used sub-categories, OSDD-1a and OSDD-1b. from what we know and have researched, it is not required that you fall under one or the other, and that those are just the two most commonly seen "types". on the surface of what you have described, i think that you would benefit from researching into OSDD-1a. individuals with OSDD-1a generally meet DID criteria however lack the presence of distinct alters. i find this page incredibly helpful when it comes to understanding OSDD-1a (third paragraph), although we do not have it and cannot entirely verify its accuracy. i have seen it mostly implied that individuals with OSDD-1a do experience amnesia and memory blackouts, which you did not mention experiencing in your ask. however, again, this is just a sub-category of OSDD1 and i believe it is not required to perfectly fit it. i just think that researching into OSDD-1a may find you the best results for some of the things you describe! of course, this is NOT me telling you that you for sure have it.

we say this in our original post we linked about questioning being a system, but it is very very so very important to also research into other disorders that have overlapping symptoms with OSDD1. a few of these are listed in the link i shared about OSDD-1a, in the fourth paragraph, but i suggest you also do separate research into what has overlapping symptoms, and then individually look into those results.

these are just our thoughts. if you would like to reach out further with any more context or questions, feel free to shoot us another ask or message. /nf

[thestarseersystem]

What is a CDD?

Apparently, since this discourse is from months ago, but I still see a misinformed post getting passed around, I want to give my own thoughts and feelings and information on the subject, and hopefully spread more factual information, rather than to leave people confused.

CDD is sort of a community made term (sort of being that it is a medical term, but the definition is more community based). It was supposed to encompass all dissociative disorders that cause systems as an overall term for them. Not that other dissociative disorders are not complex, but that system disorders are more complex on the rung of the theory of structural dissociation. If your disorder doesn't cause you to have alters, then you're not included in that. People wanted a term to specifically separate dissociative disorders and the dissociative disorders that cause systems, so we could have our own category, and we don't have to clog up tags and otherwise for general dissociative disorders.

So what does fall under CDD? What are the disorders that can cause systemhood? Before I get into this, as an aside, you do not have to have many or any alters to fall under this category. I saw this as a point of contention in the post. Those who have reached final fusion and no longer experience identity alteration, still have the disorder that caused that previous identity alteration, as there is a possibility that they could still split. There is no cure for DID and disorders alike. I just wanted to point that out there.

The disorders that fall under the community term, "CDD", are DID, C-DID/PF-DID, P-DID, OSDD-1 and UDD. I'll get into the definitions down below.

DID, also known as dissociative identity disorder, is a disorder characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality identities. The individual also has to experience dissociative amnesia, although it does not specify what type of dissociative amnesia, seen as any gaps or skips in memory of everyday life, personal information or of past/current traumatic events. Since it is a disorder, it also must distressing or it must disturb the individual's life, causing dysfunction. And these symptoms must exist on their own and without influence from specific cultures or substances.

C-DID/PF-DID is what's known as complex or polyfragmented dissociative identity disorder. I'm unaware of whether or not you can get diagnosed with this, but it is medically recognized. This disorder has many definitions from different sources, but the main consensus is, that this disorder is characterized by complex organization and complex splitting. This can include subsystems, for certain types of trauma, side-systems, complex alters and fragments. Due to the number of fragments, a pf DID system can appear or be large, as fragments are not fully formed alters and can split and fuse easily. If you'd like to know more, I have plenty of posts on my blog discussing polyfragmentation, as well as there being a full tag right here on tumblr. There is not a specific minimum of how many alters you can have in a polyfragmented system, that is a myth.

P-DID, also known as partial DID, is something that can be diagnosed in the ICD, and is characterized by a single dominant personality identity (alter) and several alters off to the side, impacting the ANP's (apparently normal part, also known as the host) daily life. The non-dominant alters usually do not front or take control of the consciousness, but exist as intrusive feelings and emotions. These alters can be less defined, such as being like a child, disoriented in the present, or stuck replaying a traumatic event. These personality states chronically discontinue identity and self agency.

OSDD (or DDNOS in the ICD) is known as other specified dissociative disorder. OSDD-1 specifically matches the definition for DID, except for a few missing criteria. By community definition, you may have heard of OSDD-1a and OSDD-1b. 1a is similar to P-DID, having less defined and elaborated alters, but still having dissociative amnesia. 1b is having no dissociative amnesia but having well defined and elaborated alters. These definitions are only community, so if you don't fit specifically don't worry about it. And it's only OSDD-1, as it causes a system, OSDD-2 through 4 do not, so it doesn't matter to talk about them in this case.

UDD, also known as unspecified dissociative disorder,  is characterized by symptoms clinically consistent with dissociative disorder but not meeting full criteria for any of the disorders in the dissociative disorder class. It is partial replacement for the previous diagnosis of OSDD. Like all disorders, it causes impairment and dysfunction in the individual's life. It is when no other dissociative disorders quite match the symptoms of the individual in question. I include this because it can include system disorders, as well as non-system dissociative disorders.

All of these fall under the group acronym of CDD, Complex Dissociative Disorders. No one is writing other disorders out of existence, nor is it meant to intentionally confuse people. It is in fact, the opposite, and to broaden and include all disorders that cause systems. Because I know most of us are sick of hearing a mouthful of acronyms, every time we would like to discuss our own community.

[granulesofsand]

Hiya! I've been really struggling to identify whether or not we are a HC-DID system or not, and my own role as an alter may hint towards it? (This may be long, I'm sorry!)

I act as a sort of shell or proxying alter for other alters. I can't leave the front seat at all nor can I see the innerworld vividly, I am made aphantasiac by it. Other alters work in the outerworld through me, I am always aware of what the body is doing and I can hear their thoughts and sometimes snippets of their subsystems voices as they do.

We are capable of doing what we call 'shelling' (since we know of no better wording for it) in which I'm made completely amnesiac to the other alters workings. I'm still in the body and aware of all of our senses, I can still see everything they do, feel their touch and emotions, etc. but I can't remember over 90% of what they do in the body. I also don't have the ability to feel emotions or think in such a state, all of my emotions and thoughts are purely of those fronting through me and I don't remember them afterwards unless granted memory by our archivist or primary gatekeeper, and even then the memories are foggy but don't feel entirely separate of me because I was there during them.

Our supposed previous hosts and I have always felt empty in personality, like we only exist as a conglomerate of other alters influences and illnesses, not a person. Our previous host described existing as meaningless and empty because they didn't feel like a person nor a human, and found themselves trying to justify their existence and why such a person would exist. This is all pre-discovery so they had no idea DID existed nor complex terms such as shell alters, but they experienced exactly what I do but much more covertly. I supposedly split off of them into the front seat and stuck, whilst they were freed from it and now are innerbound and more developed. This also means I don't have an innerworld body, I am just a plain white manniquin in the front seat that other alters can mess with but not move (attempts by our best have been made).

We know we are polyfragmented. We have a vast innerword, multiple subsystems and layers, and terrible dissociative amnesia that doesn't allow the main system to remember anything that happened to us below the age of ten, so I'm certain we don't have OSDD-1B nor P-DID.

Do my experiences line up with that of a HC-DID shell? Is it possible for them to develop into awareness of themselves and others as I have? Thank you so much!

I have several things to say about this. There will be mentions of RAMCOA throughout, but it’ll be marked when it gets specific

Shell Alters

I don’t know if the term ‘shell’ was originally meant for programmed systems. We first saw it in a book for RAMCOA survivors (Becoming Yourself by Allison Miller), where the author described some of her clients’ front people.

The clients had either

A) very strong, front-locked presentation alters who were notably elaborate that the rest of system worked through

or

B) almost clear front-locked presentation alters who were not at all elaborate and served mostly as a buffer to the system’s overt appearance.

Non HC-DID

Both of those are common in OSDD (-1a) and P-DID systems. Amnesia is only definitely absent in OSDD-1b systems, so if that’s your reason for leaving out the others it may be worthwhile to look again.

It is very possible to have this kind of ‘shell’ without any programming. What makes a system Highly Complex is the programming.

I have heard that ‘shell’ refers specifically to the phenomenon as applied to HC-DID systems, and there are synonyms others have come up with to describe their experience without intruding on others’ (prism is the one that comes to mind).

HC-DID

Having this type of alter isn’t an indicator for or against RAMCOA programming. It can be further proof if there are other symptoms of HC-DID, or it could be that your brain just decided that would be good for survival.

Some programmed systems are diagnosed with a non-DID CDD, similar to many polyfrag systems. The polyfragmentation itself is what indicates the higher level of dissociation, so the community refers to all variations as C-DID.

I would say that HC-DID tends to have more dissociation than C-DID, but the specifier is still to signify the external control placed over a system. The complexity follows because an outside adult can create more structures than a child typically would.

RAMCOA

Looking into RAMCOA sucks all around, survivor or no, because it will be overwhelming and shoot right over most folks’ distress tolerance. For survivors, there are added risks of programs set to prevent information seeking and disclosure.

Read: if you weren’t in danger of suicide or returning to abusers before, you might be after. That said, I’m going to give some overview of RAMCOA.

This site gives broad indicators of RAMCOA, many of which are particular to programming. The only required feature is programs themselves, which are the manifestations of Mind Control (the MC) on survivors with DID.

Programming

Programs can be

A) intentional splitting of alters with abuser-desired qualities

B) cued sequences of behavior in said alters, where the cue is a trigger weaponized by abusers to set off chains imbedded during torture or drugging

C) organization of alters by abusers in structures, hierarchies, roles, or whatever else the abuser chooses

D) mindsets forced onto victims by abusers via torture or drugging

E) pretty much any mind control tactic, in this case specifically on a system with extra measures to manipulate dissociation

Our Shell

We had a programmed shell alter who elaborated and now functions as a gatekeeper to our fronting layer. It was programmed because our cult used torture to split it, then continued using trauma and substances to force it into a fixed worldview and set of tasks that were regularly reinforced.

That alter was amnesiac to the programs they held and could only be removed from front by alters programmed with that capability. They knew very little of our history and had an aura of glowing orbs to hold skills and memories.

When they became aware, they could only leave front by knocking the body unconscious. Now they can come further in than before, and they have a separate realm with all of their parts. We call that layer ‘headspace’, and it’s the only way alters from different inmerworld areas can meet.

Moving Forward

I’ve seen organic systems with similar alters achieve similar results. Some are able to leave that role completely and become more like the rest of their system. Programming comes with different aspects to undo, but both are possible with time and effort.

I hope you find a path that feels right for you, no matter if your system is programmed or not. Rushing rarely leads to desirable outcomes, so please take the time to care for yourselves as you go.

My brain is now empty, so please do reach out if anything was unclear or didn’t answer the question. Good day and good luck.

[the80srewinders]

A Resource on DID/OSDD and Glossary of Terms, with Neither a Pro or Anti Endo Stance

Since we as a DID system saw a lot of carrds that were made by anti endos, and clouded by syscourse, we decided we'd make our own DID/OSDD resource for singlets to learn about DID/OSDD or newly discovered DID/OSDD systems to learn more about how they work and find terms that describe them and their alters. This resource also goes into self diagnosis and tips for living with DID/OSDD. All with a neutral view on endogenic systems and syscourse. Helpful for those who are just learning about DID/OSDD and want to get to the point or those who are sensitive to syscourse.

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ DID/OSDD Resource ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

by the 80s Rewinders System

Hello, and welcome to the DID/OSDD Resource! This has everything a singlet who is just starting to learn about DID/OSDD or a newly discovered system needs to know.

So first, a system, although its sometimes called a collective, is a collective term for a person with DID or Other Specified Dissociative Disorder 1b (also known as OSDD 1b.) Other specified dissociative disorder 1a can be considered a system, but theyre usually called medians. Now for a glossary of terms on DID/OSDD.

Glossary:

DID- dissociative identity disorder. This develops when a child under 6-8 is frequently exposed to traumatic events and it feels inescapable, so they dissociate. This stops the ego states everyone is born with from integrating into one whole identity, memory and consciousness. The ability to dissociate easily is needed along with trauma to develop any dissociative disorder.

OSDD- other specified dissociative disorder. there are a few subtypes but the subtypes that cause a system to develop are OSDD 1a and OSDD 1b. OSDD 1 is diagnosed when a person fits most of the criteria for DID except one of these: distinct alters or amnesia.

OSDD 1a- the identity is more faceted and the facets don't have their own identity; they are not differentiated. There is amnesia between them but they feel more like different sides of the same person than different people inside the person's head. Amnesia without distinct alters is cited as the reason for an OSDD 1a diagnosis.

OSDD 1b- there are distinct alters, but little to no amnesia between them. Amnesia of trauma and emotional amnesia still occur. Distinct alters without amnesia is cited as the reason for an OSDD 1b diagnosis.

Dissociation- a disconnection from identity, memory, thoughts, the body and surroundings. The forms of dissociation are depersonalization, derealization, dissociative amnesia, identity confusion and identity alteration. People with DID experience all forms of dissociation to some extent, and people with OSDD experience most of them to some extent.

Depersonalization- feeling like you're watching yourself inside or outside your body, losing control over your body as if you were being controlled and are mechanical, detached from your surroundings or like you're going through the motions of life with little conscious effort.

Derealization- the feeling people, objects, and/or the world might not be real, feeling dreamlike, or like you might not be real.

Dissociative amnesia- forgetting trauma, seconds, hours, minutes, weeks, months to even years of good or neutral memories, forgetting what you thought recently, forgetting your recent actions, or partially remembering things you should remember fully.

Identity confusion- not knowing who you really are, what you really like, having wildly different opinions on the same thing, things that are usually static in people changing quickly back and forth in you like your values and beliefs. Basically what it sounds like; you don't know who are supposed to be or what you truly like because of unstable sense of identity.

Identity alteration- the alters in DID/OSDD. Identity alteration can range from facets in OSDD 1a to distinct alters with their own autobiographical memory and amnesia in DID.

Zoning out- a common form of dissociation everyone experiences at least rarely. For people with dissociative disorders, zoning out is a moderate to almost daily occurrence. Zoning out is usually not considered pathological dissociation.

Median- feeling in between being a system and being a singlet. The alters are usually facets and not distinct from each other.

Singlet- a person without DID/OSDD. The ego states integrated into one identity, memory and consciousness in a singlet. This doesn't mean they can't be traumatized even in childhood. Not everyone who is traumatized as a child, even repetitive, develops DID/OSDD. Singlets can and often do have childhood trauma; it just didn't make them a system.

Now that we've got the general terms out of the way, its time for alter roles.

Host- in DID, the alter that fronts the most often. Host does not mean original or core; the theory of structural dissociation disproves the original/core theory. Alters are parts of one whole who developed independently, not split from a whole. The host can have trauma they remember contrary to popular belief. In most systems, the host changes a few times throughout the years but doesn't have to change more than once. Some hosts were always host since the system developed.

Protector- there are different types of protector alters. Physical, sexual, emotional, and internal, but mixed or all purpose protectors exist. They protect the body and/or the host during abuse or situations its seen as necessary.

Persecutor- an alter that harms the body, other alters, makes contact with abusers and usually does all of this to protect the system in a misguided way.

Comforter/Soother- an alter who comforts other alters. Usually during times of abuse, stress or flashbacks.

Caretaker- an alter that looks out after littles or other alters internally and/or helps take care of the body.

Gatekeeper- an alter that is like a manager; they can create or lower dissociative barriers, control which alters communicate and are aware of each other to some extent, put alters into dormancy and most famously bring different alters to front.

The following aren't alter roles, just types:

Little- an alter under 13.

Middle- alters aged 13-18.

Big- Alters aged 18 and over.

Ageless- alters who don't feel like they have an age.

Age Slider- an alter who changes between different ages.

Brainmade- an alter created entirely by the brain; it is not influenced by outside sources like friends or book characters.

Introject- an alter from another source outside of the body. This alter is not their source and is the brain's representation and idea of what that source is like. Introjects include fictives and factives.

Fictives- an introject alter from a fictional source.

Factives- an introject alter of another person. The stereotype is most factives are of abusers; this is absolutely not true. Factives can be of positive people like friends, family, or celebrities. They can also be of abusers but not all the time at all.

Tips for Newly Discovered Systems:

Call out for your alters in your head by asking "Is there anyone in here? " and waiting for an answer. When they tell you their names and information about themselves, write it or use Simply Plural or PluralKit to log it, log switches, and communicate.

Don't ask your alters about the trauma. If you know some of it, don't tell an alter that doesn't know it.

Don't share your diagnosis or system with anyone you don't trust and if you share it online, keep your legal identity and face offline. Be anonymous of sorts.

Tips for Singlets:

Don't use terms like multiple personality disorder, multiple personalities, split personality, or crazy to describe DID/OSDD or anyone who has it.

Don't watch media on DID/OSDD because none of it is correct and its all made by singlets glorifying or dramatizing the disorder for views and money. Namely Split, Sybil, and The Three Faces of Eve.

Don't get your information from media, including books, movies, TikTok or Reddit. Only trust scientific studies on DID/OSDD, medical journals and peoples documented lived experiences with DID/OSDD.

We hope this resource helps! Feel free to share it and bookmark it.

[v3il]

hi! so i've known about plurality for a while but not known much until more recently after some reading. through my therapy journey i've come to understand there are several "me"s of varying ages (mostly ages certain events happened at) within me, and a huge part of my healing has been acknowledging and caring for them properly, such as building a safe headspace for them. We're all definitely the same person, just different ages, and there have been times it really seems one "fronts" enough for me to have a hard time keeping myself in check (or sometimes impossible) but never so much that I lose memory or am unaware of what's going on, etc. Before therapy I needed external help calming down, but now it happens less often and I can usually calm myself down, though depending on which age it is how I do that will vary. I've explored age regression as a possible explanation but it honestly always feels like I'm someone else, who just happens to also be me, but also not me??? Rather than simply being me but younger. I'm also autistic (formally dx'd) so Feelings have always been Weird and Difficult to Discern/Describe. I'm just wondering if this is plurality? Logically I think it would be but sometimes you just need to ask someone, you know? Thank you so much for your time whether or not you answer, I know this is A Lot out of nowhere.

ACK sorry for the late response ive had this in my askbox for a While now qwq

just a disclaimer, i dont know everything about DID/OSDD and im still figuring things out myself as well- im just a teenager on the internet and this is just an attempt to help find a good direction at the moment !!

but anyway, this sorta sounds like something in the OSDD spectrum- i was gonna suggest OSDD-1a because that involves the presence of alters that are fragments/without a distinct personality- and sometimes having parts that are like a 'time capsule' (parts that are like you but different ages/phases)- but 1a also involves full amnesia barriers between these parts. ive definitely heard of OSDD experiences that dont fit into 1a or 1b (i'm pretty sure i relate a bit), so you're not alone!

another thing- i havent personally gone to a doctor myself, but i've heard when diagnosing OSDD, if they know you experience little to no amnesia, they dont really diagnose you with 1a or 1b, but just the OSDD label itself (correct me if im wrong ofc!)

(from https://osdd.one/overview/)

another thing i think might be helpful (from the same website):

i hope this made sense n helped a lil bit, im obv not a professional so if you're able to, open up to ur therapist about it or ask them for recommendations for dissociative disorder specialists if u can ! good luck, anon :] /g

[c0rpseductor]

Trying to figure out what's wrong with myself is the worst. Sorry but I was scrolling through your blog for a while and reading some stuff on this one + your other one about DID and how it effects you. I know I don't have DID, because I don't fit the criteria for it, and because my "alters" per se aren't alter versions of myself or even extensions of myself. I have roommates or other people living in my head. I have no clue what this issue or whatever but in your research have you heard of anything like this? I don't want to claim DID or being a "system", because I'm not, but there's something wrong with me. No clue what, though.

I STARTED TYPING THIS REALLY LONG RESPONSE AND TUMBLR CRASHED AND DELETED IT FML. i’m so sorry anon this might not be as smart as the first thing I typed.

anyway, obvious disclaimer that I’m not A. a doctor B. diagnosed. i know a lot of people tend to be okay with thoughtful, critical self-DX, but it’s worth pointing out because i don’t want to potentially fuck up and misinform you based on “well MY experience is this.” the best course of action would be to go see a real doctor rather than Dr. Lestat, PhD (Penis huge Dick).

that being said, without knowing what criteria you do or don’t meet, that still could be a dissociative condition. in fact, feeling like your alters ARE just kind of these strangers or roommates you have to deal with is not out of the question clinically. i’ve seen diagnosed people describe that feeling before, and it’s important to note that it can vary depending on how far you are into recovery and which parts you’re talking about. i have an alter like this; it feels weird even calling him an alter because i perceive him as a completely separate total other person.

OSDD1 (or the ICD diagnosis P-DID, depending on where you live) might be something to look at, as it’s still possible to have the kind of parts-based dissociative response characteristic of DID while not meeting the criteria for DID. don’t worry about whether you’re “1A” or “1B,” that’s not official terminology any longer.

it’s also worth noting that you could meet some criteria you don’t think you do. amnesia for amnesia is characteristic of DID; i didn’t realize my level of forgetfulness was unusual for most of my life, and i have it on authority from people who were there that i completely forgot like....pretty fucking significant life events. it’s worth asking yourself, at the very least, like, “do I have times during the day where I suddenly feel like I’m coming out of a fog and can’t really place what I’ve been doing for the past few hours, or know but don’t really remember it too well?” because i’m told that apparently that’s not normal. this goes double if you have, like, PTSD symptoms you have difficulty explaining or rationalizing, or even just PTSD in general. BIG red flag there.

definitely see a clinician if you can. I realize that’s very “do as I say, not as i do” given how much I’ve struggled to get into therapy and my conspicuous doctor allergy, but i personally wouldn’t rule out DID or OSDD just hearing this given how many people think they couldn’t possibly meet the criteria until discovering “oh my god i forget everything all the time and had no idea that was unusual.” it really depends on a lot of factors, but even if you DON’T have a dissociative disorder the symptoms you’re describing are like...there’s SOMETHING going on.

if you have Further Questions i’m more than happy to answer those too! sorry for writing you a novel.

[solarisgod]

dumb but does it mean like an umbrella term? or does it mean that a person has both? sorry for dumb questions xo ty for the info 💖

You're more than okay, Anonstar! There are never such thing of dumb questions. We're always more than happy to take in any questions about OSDDID and ( our ) systemhood. 💖✨ We'll still answer this in case you and others may like to know more information, as we can understand why some may think the use of OSDDID means someone would have both conditions of OSDD and DID rather than either:

There are four types of Other Specified Dissociative Disorder. We have OSDD-1, which is a partial form of Dissociative Identity Disorder. OSDD-2 involves dissociative identity disturbance as they experience distressing changes to and / or questioning of their identity. OSDD-3 is what one experiences acute dissociative reactions to stressful events that can last from a few hours to weeks, typically less than a month. OSDD-4 is the experience of a dissociative trance where one have acute narrowing or loses complete awareness of immediate surroundings as they are significant unresponsive or insensitive to environmental stimuli. People with dissociative disorder that don't fit into any diagnosis above would have Unspecified Dissociative Disorder. ( UDD )

There are also two major subtypes of OSDD1 known as OSDD-1a ( partial DID with very less distinct alters than OSDD-1b and DID ) and OSDD-1b ( partial DID without blackouts and potentially with experiences of greyouts or emotional amnesia ). Some systems stress over having to be more specific with what they have, but it is more than valid if they don't want to or feel they don't fit the criteria to have either, so simply having OSSD1 is okay too. We see ourselves having OSDD-1b as while we do not experience full amnesia ( " blackouts " ), we do experience emotional amnesia while we have several starmates in the cluster who are more distinctive.

To come down to answering your question, yes, OSDDID is an umbrella term while, as mentioned in the previous answer, it is used for general details about / that involve both DID and OSDD rather than specifically about either condition of these two.

[whisper-overseer]

more system ramblings again because I just had to remind myself of system knowlegde.

okay we're definitely not disordered or OSDD-1a like I questioned we were, however we do experience dissociation, just dont have amnesia barriers between facets. we could also have formed from BPD or PTSD so Im gonna do more extensive research on that as well.

-kiru :3

Ooh, the systemhood explorations! You can also look into OSDD-1b, because I believe this one doesn't have barriers between alters.

We still are going to stay away from disorders. ThAtS JuSt BpD [PT: That's just BPD. end PT] we say.

I think dissociation is very common in a lot of disorders, why people don't talk about it tho? Like idk, there are depression, BPD, PTSD, and others I don't remember because our brain is fixed on different thing.

Also I'll just say that there's basically nothing about median systems((

[freshmanyearhistoryteacher]

HOW TO WRITE D.I.D / OSDD:

I have seen some incorrect or harmful ideas about DID and i wanted to give literally the quickest rundown i possibly can.

HOW IS DID FORMED? 

- Usually formed between the ages of 2-9 but some research suggests there is no true age that it stops forming. 

- There has to be repeated trauma 

- Some research also suggests that children with higher imagination and innate ability dissociate are more likely to develop DID as a trauma response 

- Once you have DID new trauma/stress can result in new alters forming  

‘TYPES’ OF ALTERS: 

- Alters in systems (the alters that ‘make up’ one person aka, Marc’s system could be called the Moon Knight System) can have specific roles but also might not! :) 

- Protectors: imagine a cool older sibling who is kinda over your shit but wants you to be ok and is there to help  MORE ABOUT PROTECTORS (NOT MY POST BUT EPIC)

- ANP (Apparently normal parts): seemingly normal or non-traumatised 

- Emotional parts / Trauma holders: .... they tend to hold trauma. 

- Littles: Younger alters (NOT DDLG! Can be age regression or an alter that changes age) 

- Host: the one that most commonly fronts and USUALLY doesn’t know too much about the system or existance of DID at all. They don’t have to be the ‘original’ person

- Persecutors: alters, often very traumatised or hurt, that lash out towards the system and body. THEY ARE NOT EVIL! THEY ARE LOVED! 

- Fragment: they hold a specific role or memory, they tend to have less definition in who they are and don’t appear as a ‘whole’ alter. 

post I liked.

TERMINOLOGY: 

- Switching: Different alters ‘taking control’ or coming to the front 

- Fronting: when an alter is the one out or ‘in control’

- Inner world: a kind of visualised headspace where alters can interact, sometimes physically touch, and hang out. Not everybody has this and it can be hard to develop. No one innerworld is the same as the next, they are all unique. 

- Co-consciousness: Two or more alters being in or around the ‘front’ at the same time, often both dictating what the body does or how they react. Think of it as a hallway and the closer you get to the front door the closer you are to being co-conscious or the front. 

- Integration: lowering the amnesia barriers and increasing communication 

- Fused: Alters combining to create a NEW alter! This can happen for so many different reasons. Thing of it as. A + B = V... aka, an entirely new part with the memories (all or some) of the previous alters. This can be more than two alters! 

( Fused and integrated are used interchangeably but in more recent research and online conversation it has kinda started to change. So if you just say integrated to mean fused, people will know what you mean :)) <33 )

- OSDD 1A: a kind of diluted form of DID. Alters are less defined and individual. This can mean one person at different ages or in different emotional states. 

- OSDD 1B: DID but without as much or any dissociative amnesia between alters. The memory gaps are less or non-existent BUT alters still have unique experiences and their own memories of trauma (sometimes it’s different).

MORE ON OSDD

- Amnesia: In DID/OSDD and trauma this can specifically refer to the memory gaps due to dissociation (dissociative amnesia) from that singular alter OR the memory gaps from different alters switching

WHAT WOULD DID ‘FEEL’ LIKE: 

- I’ll be honest in that the memory gaps aren’t fun. You lose track of what day, time, month, year it is and can even find yourself in dangerous situations with no memory of why or how.  

- Dissociation can feel like you are lagging behind your body or watching yourself from across the room. 

- Switching can feel like falling asleep or being dragged through water but switches between systems and even alters can be different! It can take seconds to over half an hour. 

/\ this depends on communication levels between alters and also willingness of the alter to actually switch, if they resist or attempt to stay in the body it can become harder. 

- An alter coming to the front or into co-consciousness can feel like someone is standing over you or close by, sometimes accents will begin to chance and emotions will bleed through from one alter to another. Their voice may get louder and you can feel their opinions. 

- You will/may hear the voices of the other alters while you are out. 

- Seeing alters in mirrors and in the real world is not common, Moon Knight did this as a visual aid and it works amazing BUT I have only ever heard one other system (irl) say that they experience any sort of communication similar to this. 

- DID does not feel like schizophrenia or just ‘hearing things’. AKA it rarely (if ever) involves straight up psychosis. 

WHAT WE ARE NOT GOING TO DO!!!!!

- The goal of DID is not complete integration/fusion for everybody! 

AND /\  If this was the case, the resulting person would be a DIFFERENT person to the Alter/s that integrated/fused! They would no longer be the same!  It is 10000% ok and sometimes better to continue through life with alters! 

- WE ARE NOT GOING TO IGNORE THAT THIS DISORDER IS A TRAUMA DISORDER! People with DID have been through horrible things and often continue experiencing the abuse far into their adult years (not always), so 

- DO NOT force someone to disclose trauma. 

- DO NOT insinuate they are dangerous because in reality they are the victims! 

- DO NOT call alters ‘evil alters’ (THAT DOESN’T EXIST)

- DO NOT say alters are created by or chosen by someone else! This just isn’t true,,, read the how the alters form part of this post lmao 

- DO NOT force every alter into some sort of weird sexual romantic relationship! Alters can date in both their own system and across systems BUT THEY DON’T ALL DATE IT ISN’T SOME WEIRD FYCKED UP POLY ROLEPLAY! thx :) 

RESOURCES AND OTHER INFORMATION:

DissociaDID (there has been controversy so take information from them with a small grain of salt, but most of their content is accurate)

MultiplicityAndMe (They have stopped uploading but have amazing information)

F o r u m s! Just google DID forums! here

Ask! Just ask! Most systems are going to be willing to answer questions or fix up misunderstandings as long as you are not rude! Don't act like you know more!

DID / OSDD discords will have chats to ask questions! Instagram has a massive DID community!

EVEN TUMBLR! TEXT ME! I WILL TRY AND IF NOT I WILL GOOGLE WITH YOU TO FIND OUT!

GOOGLE :) just look it up and read a few things before you believe it because there is so much misinformation even in medical definitions.

It was called multiple personality disorder (MPD) AGES ago but it has been changed for decades now and calling it MPD is just kinda a dick move... so, don't??

IF I AM WRONG TEST ME PLS /G.. I WANT TO KNOW ALSO I DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT WORSE FOR SYSTEMS OMG! <<3 mwah ;)

I am not qualified or at all well educated in this topic BUT i did dedicate 3 years of my life to learning as much as i could in whatever spare time i had. SO :) love you.

[sysmedsaresexist]

How can osdd 1a systems be “systems” if they don’t have alters?

How do 1b systems know they’re a system when they don’t experience black outs or amnesia?

(I’m not trying to fake claim for anything even remotely like that. It’s just that OSDD confuses my definition/experience of being a system and I’d like to know more about it.)

When it comes to 1a systems, it kind of boils down to semantics and definitions.

At the end of the day, 1a systems still have dissociated parts that act autonomously. These EPs are less developed than EPs in other systems, but more developed than those in other disorders. It seems 1a systems don't have multiple ANPs.

It can be argued both ways whether those with 1a are actually systems or not, but the fact remains that they absolutely own a space in the dissociative and DID community, and deserve equal say in topics based on overlapping and similar symptoms.

I might even say some aspects of the disorder are harder for them based on an EPs often traumatized and emotionally reactive behavior. At least with ANPs you can get away with being semi-"normal", behavior-wise. Even if you don't remember what happened, you know you probably didn't do anything too noteworthy.

1b systems aren't always easy to spot. Some people just assume they have wild mood swings and tastes that just change day to day depending on their mood-- there's a lot of ways to rationalize it away, and it's very easy to mistake it for something else. The reverse is also true. It can be hard to tell if what you're experiencing is alters or parts. In many, many cases, OSDD 1b systems tend to actually be DID systems not realizing the extent of their amnesia, but the overlapping symptom is the extreme dissociation experienced when these alters front, and the lack of control over their behaviour. You might remember it, but you still had little to no say in anything happening.

[justanothersyscourse]

In your new post, you say you aren't comparing the complexity of anything and that "neither [dissociative disorder?] is more complex than the other", but yesterday you were saying DID and OSDD-1b are "complexiest of all"/"those two are the most complex (complexiest)", could you please clarify this?

This question is in genuine, good-faith, I am just very lost on your wording choice here.

This one is actually a fair question that I'll answer.

I think the confusion is WHERE we're comparing complexity. Complexity of causes? Presentation? Experience? Theories? Parts? SD?

I can only find two instances that might be causing this confusion:

"I think it's important to remember that by calling DID and OSDD "complex", it's not saying the others aren't. Of course they're still complex, but tertiary SD (DID and OSDD 1b) are complexiest of all because they have more than one ANP and EP (as opposed to one ANP and multiple EPs)." - in reference to SD

And

"This is also why I said OSDD 1a falls in secondary, and 1b falls closer to tertiary. It is very much a spectrum, and the further you go down it, the more complex it gets. Again, that doesn't mean the other types of SD aren't complex, but those two are the most complex (complexiest)." - in terms of SD

DID and OSDD 1b are the complexiest of structural dissociation based on tertiary having multiple ANPs. As I said in the post, this also doesn't mean that the presentation is the complexiest, because secondary SD can have infinitely more parts, thus infinitely more interaction of parts, making the experience and treatment far more complex.

There's one more quote I'm still trying to find which discusses how the lack of amnesia between some parts can make the experience more difficult or complex, and in some ways, harder to treat.

My use of the word complex was never meant to... Directly compare experiences or causes, or to diminish or downplay any experiences, and if I inadvertently implied that, i apologize. The use of the word complex in these conversations was specifically in regards to the heading of complex dissociative disorder and why the heading was reserved for those two.

Thank you for giving me a chance to explain.

[plural-culture-is]

I'm sorry if this seems insensitive, I'm not trying to be, I'm just genuinely curious; what is the difference between monoconcious and OSDD systems? I'm part of a DID system, but I thought OSDD was DID with less amnesia so they all feel like kinda the same person? I'm probably wrong tbh

OSDD-1 is either DID with less amnesia (1b) or DID with less distinct alters (1a). However, while there are monoconscious systems with OSDD-1, they aren't the same thing, because there can be OSDD-1 systems who aren't monoconscious, and monoconscious systems who don't have OSDD-1. Plus monoconscious systems don't necessarily feel like the same person? It's more that they only have one consciousness that they all share, so they can all only be aware of the same thing at the same time, but they can still feel like different people.

but we’ve also recently heard that being monoconscious is normal for most OSDD-1 systems, but we only heard about the monoconscious experience when learning about the term monoconscious, so I’m not sure if that’s actually true? It could be though, but even if it’s common to be both things, it doesn’t mean they’re the same thing.