Part 4- Who Are Alters in DID (Part 2)

Hi there,

Welcome or welcome back to my mini series on dissociative identity disorder.

Last week, we started to look at alters; the guys who pop out, or take over a host, usually during times of distress. As it is such a large topic, I decided to break it down into 2 parts, with the second half looking at how an alter may appear to a third party, as well as looking into what switching is in a clinical sense. We will also be looking at some of my own art work relating to my team, to make it a bit more personal.

Switching- What Is It?

To start with, lets look at what switching is. As always, I will start with a clinical definition!

According to DID Research, switching refers to

‘one alter taking control of the body, being given control by an alter, or gaining prominence over another alter.’

This is the moment in any movie or show about DID where the host begins to respond to a different name, may state that they have a different name or ?may hold their face or posture differently and, most notably, may talk differently. As well as this, a person who has had a switch will often have a change in mannerisms and may simply act, well, different to how they usually do.

Of course, this is hard to spot unless you know the person intimately. For some people, a switch may look like a mood swing. For others, it may look and feel as though you are talking to a different person.

A dear friend who saw me during a switch described is as follows

‘it was REALLY eerie. They looked like you, but they didn’t sound like you, act like you, move like you or even talk like you talk. It was a different voice, with different patterns of speaking. They even looked at me differently. ?It was like they were wearing a Lizzie mask. You just weren’t there.’

For the person having the switch, time is often lost. There will be time jumps, or, in some cases, they may have a vague recollection of events. However, it may feel as familiar to them as a distant dream. Or it may feel that it was happening to someone else and that the host has no control.

If you know someone who has DID, here are some signs that an alter may have taken over.

·???????? heavy blinking as if the individual is just waking up

·???????? mild muscle spasms or jerks

·???????? disorientation or visible confusion

·???????? checking the clock or one's watch

·???????? seeming not to remember anything that just happened

·???????? complaining of a mild or moderate headache

·???????? adjusting clothing or posture

·???????? clearing one's throat before speaking so that the tone or pitch changes

·???????? change in vocabulary and syntax

·???????? difference in preference (food, activity, music)

·???????? change in opinions on the world

·???????? different temperament to the host (may be more emotive, or less)

·???????? different skills (one of my alters can sing, another can play the keyboard. I can do neither!)

·???????? different ?personality (a host who is anxious may become relaxed, or vice versa)

There will be a part to this series that will explore how to support a friend/family member who has DID, so don’t worry! We will look at that too!

My Alters

Now, I have thought long and hard about this.

As part of my psychotherapy, it was recommended that I should try to see my alters as external people. That way, it would be easier to empathise with them. As I am artistic, this led me to look at my inner world and begin drawing them.

My system, including me, has 5 parts. Below are drawings of the 4 others in my system. I won’t be mentioning/showing their names.

?

?Over the course of therapy, I have drawn these 4 many more times, in different circumstances.

The defender (the young boy with the long hair and the top hat) is by far the alter I have drawn the most and, based on work with my therapist, we believe he has been around for the longest. Of the 4, he is also, by far, the alter who has wanted to communicate the least and in recent weeks, has been causing a lot of feelings of anxiety in my daily life.

I have also learned in therapy that these 4 are the reason I am still alive to this day. I owe everything to them, including my current life which, while not perfect, is a far cry away from the place where they emerged.

Also, to round off, 10 points to anyone who can guess who my defender is based on. Think rock band, think 1980s-1900s and you may have a clue!

Next week, we will be looking at what the most common causes of DID which is likely to be a very heavy article.

Until then, look after yourself and I will see you next Sunday!

?

?