thickramen

[thickramen]

except for the fact that "alter" is a CDD-specific term and isn't the same as whatever the fuck endogenics have going on. so yeah, if you say you have alters, you're inadvertently saying you have a CDD.

alters is a symptom, not the disorder. DID/OSDD disorders are a collection of symptoms.

having one symptom of the disorder doesn't mean you have the disorder. you can have intrusive thoughts without OCD, you can feel nervous without anxiety, you can hallucinate without schizophrenia, etc.

someone who has alters/headmates/whatever without a CDD are not people "trying to fake having a CDD" by having that one symptom.

[thickramen]

i think you're forgetting that the vast majority of pwDID literally cannot control who is fronting when, not to mention that not every system with littles also has caregivers. So no, you shouldn't be faulting someone for not having a caregiver co-front with immature/dependant littles.

Maybe unpopular opinion BUT most of your littles should be able to take care of themselves and if they cant a caretaker NEEDS to be in front with them. Also the pressure to take care of your little(s) should never be put on another system without proper boundaries and communication. drops mic.

- kyle 🧃

[thickramen]

I hate the tiktokification of mental health disorders.

[thickramen]

what you are saying is that introject are not their sources right?

so this obviously goes for abuser introjects right ? A part is struggling with that and they refuse to let that go, they are convinced that if we ever final fuse they'll """""corrupt"""" us and then I'll turn into my mother

Idk what to tell them, they're just convinced and at least it makes them strive to be the best person possible to never end up like that, but i know the feeling obvi since thats just such a classic thing to be scared to turn into your abuser and it sucks

ig it's not really an ask more like, can you agree with me that they are not Literally that person, and that they're not Bound By Fate to turn into them ?

(also you don't have to, it's literally so dumb, i can't believe i'm even writing that, I'm kinda out of things to write to them, i dont know if they read them, they always answer back normally but not on those, so maybe hard science from an outsider can help idk im sorry, no matter what i hope you have a great day and thanks for always being so informative, it really helps me and us 🙏)

yes, introjects are not their sources and this very much includes introjects of abusers, and those kinds of introjects are not bound to end up like their source.

i totally understand the fear of turning into your abuser.

I really believe that no one is destined to be any sort of way. We can ALWAYS choose to be kind.

[thickramen]

DID sucks because in the morning you think "maybe I'm actually normal and I should stop overanalyzing my experiences and just enjoy life" and in the evening you get possessed by the ghost of yourself from 2018

[thickramen]

what people get wrong about systems

a system is not “multiple people in one body” it can feel like that sometimes, but it is fundamentally multiple fragmented identities that make up one whole person divided by dissociation and often amnesia. Simplifying plurality as “multiple people in one body” fundamentally misunderstands what a system even is and why it formed.

[thickramen]

Common things in DID that no one likes to talk about

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

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

- staying in the front for weeks at a time

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

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

- constant denial

- rapid identity, label, and appearance changes

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

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

- disliking your system

- wanting final fusion

[thickramen]

can’t believe i have to say this but negligence is abuse. if a child is struggling and there is no action taken to help that child, that is abuse. if a child’s needs are ignored, that is abuse. if children are told to “suck it up” or punished for expressing their needs, that is abuse. if a child is suffering and you don’t care— that is abuse.

it doesn’t matter if it’s purposeful or intentional, neglect is neglect and children, especially young children, need adults to help them thrive.

[thickramen]

I fell asleep before midnight but uhhh yea I'm 21 now. Woop Woop

I'm gonna be 21 in half an hour. hmmmm

[thickramen]

I'm gonna be 21 in half an hour. hmmmm

[thickramen]

it’s genuinely not healthy for introjects to fully identify as their source.

yes, it makes sense that an introject might feel a strong connection to their source — that’s literally what being an introject is — but when that connection turns into “i am this person/character”, it starts to cross a line that can be harmful for both the introject and the rest of the system.

clinging to source identity can seriously blur the line between reality and internal experience, which isn’t great for staying grounded. it can also get in the way of healing, where building a stable, self-aware identity is part of recovery. if you're stuck in “i’m not me, i’m [source],” it’s hard to grow into who you actually are.

plus, the longer someone holds onto that identity without room to self-differentiate, the harder it can hit later when they start questioning it.

it’s okay to relate to your source. it’s okay to carry parts of them with you. but introjects deserve to be their own person — not carbon copies. you should exist beyond where you came from.

[thickramen]

Everytime someone argues with me that "no one can say an unhealthy coping mechanism is counter productive but the person using it" I go a little nuts. Of course your unhealthy coping mechanism feels beneficial, that's the entire point of the coping mechanism, it's still unhealthy. Feeling better doesn't always mean something good. It's unhealthy for me to be drinking rn but it makes me happy does that mean it's beneficial?? NO!! I should probably not do that and I can acknowledge that!!! Escapism is unhealthy, maladaptive daydreaming and dissociation is unhealthy, refusing to ever follow treatment guides to heal from something cuz it feels better to avoid it is UNHEALTHY. Yes, obviously you can take your time to do this and not everyone is at that place but can unhealthy coping mechanisms stop being encouraged? Like stop telling children it's totally cool to intentionally raise dissociative barriers just cuz it makes them happy to escape into the identity of a fictionial character (both unhealthy coping mechanisms!!!) for the rest of their life instead of advising they try to work on that??

[thickramen]

System culture is I need a fat blunt

.

[thickramen]

Faking disorders can have serious consequences for individuals who genuinely live with these conditions. It can lead to increased skepticism among healthcare providers, making it harder for real patients to receive accurate diagnoses and appropriate care.

Additionally, it can contribute to stigma, as people may question the legitimacy of symptoms or dismiss the struggles.

This behavior also strains healthcare systems, diverting resources and attention away from real patients, this can mean longer wait times, reduced access to treatments, and a sense of invalidation.

[thickramen]

remember, folks. it's what was traumatic to a child without proper support. not what would be traumatic to a grown ass adult with coping skills.

[thickramen]

how do you feel about the concept of a "median" - someone in the space between full DID/OSDD and every day dissociation (highway hypnosis)? the way i see it is that it's kinda like the idea of a boundary between normality, maybe? like subclinical DID/OSDD. i'm not too sure about it though

I'm clarifying this before starting bc I know people have their own definitions for the word and I'm using my specific one for this. When using the word "system" here, it is as a way to describe having multiple distinct dissociated parts (DID) or having multiple distinct parts with less amnesia/amnesia with less distinct parts (OSDD-1) This will also be a long post bc I needed to go into detail about why I don't think this is being a system but I put a TL;DR at the bottom as always!

Anyway. there is a space between highway dissociation and DID/OSDD-1. It's a very wide space actually, it's the dissociative spectrum. This kind of shows how that looks.

There's a large space in between every day dissociation and DID. The theory of structural dissociation helps explain the distinction between them all.

People with PTSD have something called an emotional part (EP) along side an apparently normal part (ANP). The EP helps keep the trauma from constantly affecting the person and the ANP is a more grounded state that helps the person continue in their every day life. The more complex the disorder gets, the more complex this gets. Someone with C-PTSD, BPD, and OSDD (not just OSDD-1) will have multiple EPs and one ANP. Someone with DID will have multiple ANPs as well as multiple EPs. The parts in the case of DID will be more distinct, and in OSDD-1 they will either be less distinct with amnesia or have a lack of amnesia but more distinction.

I can't find the pic I usually use to simplify this so I drew it. Excuse my handwriting.

Because of how DID is multiple ANPs but none of the others are, there's no real way to be in between this and still have distinct parts (alters) other than OSDD-1, which you said is also included on the explanation of a "median". However, you can be in between in general. You just can't have alters. BPD, OSDD-2/3/4, C-PTSD, and other disorders that fall on the spectrum can cause identity confusion which might be confused as alters, but the distinction between the dissociated parts is what makes DID and OSDD so different along side just generally different symptoms. A DD in between highway dissociation and DID in a way that's comparable by experience, has distinction between parts, more than one ANP, amnesia between parts, and generally fits the criteria for DID is just DID. If it's missing distinction or amnesia it's just OSDD-1. If it doesn't fit this criteria or it's just identity confusion + dissociation, it's not DID or OSDD-1 and it's another issue.

I don't know if medians are considered endogenic or under that umbrella, but if it is that just wouldn't be possible. Without having the trauma that causes the dissociation to become maladaptive and more severe/complex, you couldn't be in between highway dissociation and DID in a way that would make you able to compare the two in experience unless you're really reaching. DID is far more than feeling like a different person sometimes, wanting to go by different names, gender/prns/sexuality changing, etc. Hell I got asked if I experienced that stuff when getting assessed for autism. A non-trauma caused issue will not be so similar to DID that it falls between DID and highway dissociation.

TL;DR To sum it up, I can understand how someone self reporting could mistake something else for DID/OSDD-1 but I don't think this qualifies as being a system because of the lack of distinction and amnesia that makes DID/OSDD-1 what it is. There's no way to be in between multiple ANPs and EPs without just fitting under a different DD that doesn't make someone a system or OSDD-1 which you stated is included in being "in between".

Also, If you believe yourself to be a median system please do not brush it off just bc that description is not recognized by professionals. If you are experiencing the symptoms of a dissociative, trauma, or personality disorder in such a severe way that it's comparable to DID, there is an actual issue that needs to be addressed even if it's not the answer you thought it was. Getting help and healing from your trauma is more important than being right. If you were wrong about being a system that's okay, if the friends you made from it are truly your friends they will understand and support your pathway to recovery.

[thickramen]

yelling at sysblr that splits come from extreme trauma and stress and not just watching a fun little show