A mere speck floating in an ocean of pain, sinking deeper and deeper into the waters, only a bare existence was possible. Robert Oxnam on relating his experiences with Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly MPD), from A Fractured Mind: My Life with Multiple Personality Disorder(pp.4-5), (If you like this post then you might like this other one as well! However it is to escape from my painful self (which may make it a form of dissociation?) I don't think you always cofronting is a problem, I've heard of it before. I cannot describe the relief we felt knowing that there was a category of systems explicitly for those who did not fit neatly into the DID criteria. Many voices, many children, each with their own story, voices to be heard and listened too. However, as some systems do only use the term trigger to refer to negative stimuli that causes a dissociative or posttraumatic reaction, care should be taken in using the term positively. Does that mean that they are DID when they are in crisis but OSDD the rest of the time? OSDD is from the DSM, P-DID is from the ICD. Consensual Switches Consensual switching is when two or more Parts mostly agree before a switch occurs. However, this is not our typical experience as an OSDD system. It's like "my" POV just changes. Total psychological, emotional and physical recall of events. And we plan to reference this page often. A life filled with pain every day, pain to bring me to my knees and wish to die. There might be alters who struggle to communicate with other alters or refuse to do so. It is rarely accompanied by an alter changing what clothing the system is wearing, announcing themselves in public, or extreme whiplashes in behavior or personality. <3. Some feel uncomfortable being lumped together with people with DID, as so often the conversation or the behaviour can revolve around the autonomy and distinctness of parts. I took the MID a few months ago, with a new therapist and Im definitely on the Dissoiative spectrum along with amnesia, depersonalization, derealization, and child, helper, angry, persecutor parts (I refer to the parts I have learned about by age but I am still learning about them). Not only was I meeting people with multiplicity; these individuals entering my life were normal human beings with much to offer. Familiar places, objects, and people might suddenly become unfamiliar or detached to you. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. How can you distinguish this from modes in BPD? And there comes the second fact, I have three ANPs and identify highly with Polyfragmentation, and its a huge mystery to me on if I have OSDD or DID along with that. You do not need to have DID/OSDD or PTSD to follow me! You might experience moments where you dont feel in control of what youre saying or doing. they've taken that from me, and i'm not going to be able to meet them with understanding in the face of unrelenting abuse. We are The Alexandrite System, when we first discovered our plurality, we spent months confused and distressed because we didnt fit into the very rigid DID mold. There are 4 types of OSDD, but the most common is OSDD-1 which is similar to DID. He often comments on things I see or hear by putting a funny image in my mind about it to make me laugh. At one level that is eclectic theory, but in practice it can mean that a person with OSDD has fewer adult parts to help share the load. I just read that even one of my favourite youtube channels, The Rings System, made a shoutout on twitter to non-switching systems. I agree DID in its entirety gets more attention as complete fragmentation caused by trauma . Below, Ive written up a non-exhaustive list of common symptoms in DID/OSDD. The alters within the system may have contradicting thoughts, preferences, and opinions. In the harsh reality of the state of awareness of dissociative disorders in the UK today, we have to just keep moving in the right direction and not be dispirited at the challenges that still lay ahead. It works by converting the standard direct current supply, usually 24 volts, into two pulsed and out-of-phase signals. People with dissociative identity disorder have at least two distinctly different identities, but some believe as many as 100 can emerge. (DNI: If you have been blocked, please do not interact. As you can imagine, OSDD-1, in either forms, is difficult to spot and can be a struggle to diagnose. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. If two alters choose to switch with one another, they usually have some degree of co-consciousness with each other and could both choose to remain at front, or actively aware of the outside world, after the switch. They can have black-outs, but it does not severely impact their lives. We were a system of 13-14 alters and from my perspective there was very limited full switching. I suppose this tip isnt specifically for OSDD systems, but a general tip that we always try to put out there. In later years, I hid in an invisible soundproof egg. Most often, weve heard the idea of one person stepping back and the other stepping forward, a complete loss of control for one and a complete gain of control for the other. And then, it was wanting to arey myself in a different way. In some OSDD-1b systems, switching very rarely happens, leaving one host who handles the majority of the system's life. The more accurate information available about these chronically misunderstood systems of coping the better for all. I'm usually ok with this sort of contact with my alters, even when what they are leaking through to me and making me have to experience is painful things like flashbacks or difficult emotions, although some of them think and feel in ways that conflict with my personal morals which can be difficult to accept. Get to know them. Welcome to r/OSDD, a community for those affected by otherwise specified dissociative disorder. The structural theory of dissociation would say that I have DID and leave it at that, but I feel as though that theory is incomplete and inaccurate to my experience. Dont just hear them, but really listen to what they say. For example, if an alter was created to handle abuse from a specific perpetrator and the system then runs into that perpetrator at the store, that alter is likely to be shoved to front so that no other alters can be hurt. As always, we encourage you and your System to follow your own truth, to soul search, to find words, labels, visions, theories and communities that arent only within your values but also match your lived experience and/or long term goals, so that you might find belonging and dont have to try to fit in. (the latter will also bring up a lot of worker/management negotiation stuff too. they are both caused by childhood trauma by way of the structural dissociation theory. Your healing journey is very much appreciated and is very encouraging! One of the many questions I frequently hear is about OSDD other specified dissociative disorder. Your email address will not be published. it doesnt change much if your experience is unusual, if you can relate to a single thing from someone elses experiences, then that can help you understand your own experiences even if its a different disorder. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. I believe that the idea that one needs to black out or feel like youve completely lost control leads a lot of newly realized OSDD system to believe that they never switch when they actually are switching without realizing. I dont related in any intimate way to friends or lovers I remain unattached and dont know how to be intimate or close to anyone .. Indeed Spiegel et al (2011, p.826) in their incisive critique say: Importantly, the ICD-10 describes dissociative disorders as primarily acute disorders that usually remit within a few weeks or months, and that have an onset in the immediate context of events that are highly stressful, traumatic, and/or that involve intolerable, insoluble problems. Slow switches can also indicate that the system is heavily dissociated and, A full switch is rarely necessary. Sending awful thoughts and visual thoughts (images) to me (the host). I recall hiding ME in a wall and leaving the doll behind. Barely alive, existing moment to moment, knowing I was different than others but not why I was different. i'm sure. Above all, all forms of dissociation need to be validated for their unique contribution to survival. I grew, matured, had a career and a life. I find it very hard to have any empathy whatsoever for my abusers, nor should I need to. But the difficulty remains, especially as there is such a dearth of writing and literature from the perspective of people with OSDD, who possibly feel that their viewpoint is not worth expressing, again because it is not proper dissociative identity disorder.. You might feel numbed to or detached from your body parts, thoughts, emotions, sense of agency, or even your entire self. I find that really confronting and scary because then I can't deny to myself that they are real and separate from me. During break, I was in a zoom group where we were talking about what brought us there and what we hoped to learn. I think it would make sense for my experience to be a spectrum than necessarily one or the other. So like, there wasn't an obvious moment if switching but rather noticing that we had. I don't have OSDD/DID, but on two occasions where I was in an unsafe and triggering situation, the first time I turned into this older masculine and calm dude, the second (yesterday ago heh) into this caring 40yo+ female motherly figure. Here's a description that I've put into several answers: "OSDD-1 is the subtype that is most similar to dissociative identity disorder (DID). You might experience other conditions without any medical cause, such as pseudoseizures. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. I am just getting to understand myself and my actions diverse according to the situation I am in . ), Complex trauma is also known as developmental trauma in that it is trauma that is chronic, pervasive, and it happens early in development from, say, birth to teens. Other specified dissociative disorder (OSDD) is a dissociative disorder that serves as a catch-all category for symptom clusters that do not fit neatly within another dissociative disorder diagnosis. They all respond to my name. Most strikingly perhaps, people labelled as OSDD may not feel that their condition is taken as seriously as dissociative identity disorder. The disorder and symptoms manifest in childhood, always. (Mean MID score=49.6/ mini-MID score= 37.9/ I have DID scale= 50/ I have parts scale= 68.6/ Mean amnesia score 27.1/ Amnesia symptoms= 23 of 31/ Severe dissociation= 147 of 168/ Dissociative symptoms= 23 of 23) DDNOS passed in conversation a few times- its possible I may have initiated it. What will being a person be like? It can leave someone very unsure of their identity and wondering who they truly are. I just had an alter front for the first time.jn years the other night on a super sleepless night. The temptation might be to describe it in terms of what it is lacking Its sort of DID except not quite or Its like PTSD but with more dissociation. I wonder how many people with OSDD therefore feel short-changed, as if somehow they are not deemed worthy of a proper condition, only a residual one, which is terribly unfair. My final tip is to know that things will be okay. Yes, its very common! They have similar names but not the same names .. DISSOCIATIVE IDENTITY DISORDER (previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder) is the most severe and chronic manifestation of dissociation, characterized by the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states that recurrently take control of the individual's behavior, accompanied by an inability to recall important personal You might hear voices, such as voices arguing or commenting on your actions. When I am all the way at the end of the scale I experience significant dissociation but never full amnesia. The DSMs criteria of alters, amnesia, and distress/impairment arent meant to be taken at the surface level. I previously felt it was a weakness , a personality defect where I sometimes I feel like a child very frightened unable to speak to adults . But at the end of the day they are just like you. Our works, including resources like this, are only possible because of support from Plurals and our allies. In order to receive a diagnosis for dissociative identity disorder, you must display Recurrent gaps in the recall of everyday events, important personal information, and/or traumatic events that are inconsistent with ordinary forgetting. In clinical circles, it is often taken to mean amnesia between parts, so that if the apparently normal personality (ANP) is fully co-consciousness for what other parts are saying and doing (especially the emotional personalities or EPs) then that is not full DID. Back to the beginning of the mystery and its mulling around in my head again relentlessly! This is a scholarly article from Harvard College that tackles six beliefs about DID, why they are irrefutably myths, and how they are damaging. She says: My advice to clinicians is that until they have met an alter, it is not DID. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This is rarer. You might have moments where youre unable to remember important life events, such as the day you got married. all they are, and all they have ever been, is my abusers. A body with multiple identities is known as a system. So for some people, their alters or parts are only obvious to other people during times of crisis. Horrible beyond belief, yet necessary. And very few people with apparently diagnosed dissociative identity disorder that I have met claim to have full memory of their past, with no amnesia at any time which would seem to contradict their diagnosis. DID NOS lacks the clarity its parts being more connected to other parts of your personality .. problematic to both describe and diagnose ( if Diagnosis is important for you ). At times the pain so bad that the desire to die returned. In an effort to rectify that, weve put together this list of tips that may help newly discovered OSDD systems get started on their journey! People with OSDD may for example have had some good enough attachment experiences, or other mitigating factors. It was, like you, said, in smaller bits of control. You might feel like you are invisible, two-dimensional, or a robot. Are you sure they're alters? Schizophrenia can seem a lot like DID to someone that's not a trained professional. For those with OSDD-1a, this is due to a lack of two or more sufficiently differentiated alters, and for those with OSDD-1b, this is due to a lack of amnesia between alters. (source, 10:15). Non-switching systems, or partial DID as it's called in the ICD, are systems who have an alter always remain in front, and other alters can "only" exert passive influence and co-fronting. Im here looking for answers, because its all so confusing. Carolyn Spring Ltd. Company registered in England no 11109933. Identifying or personal information is not collected on this website, and the data collected is not sold to or shared with third party services. Me saying no there isnt, I dont want to be crazy! You might have difficulty being aware of your own symptoms or describing the severity of them. Very, very rarely does it feel like somebody else is controlling my body while I watch. This is a complex area of debate, because as Spiegel et al, in their paper Dissociative Disorders in DSM-5 (2011, p.839), point out: According to Kluft and Dell, only 15% of dissociative identity disorder cases regularly manifest easily observable alternate identities during diagnostic interviews. Also, at one moment, I would be okay with something someone said and then only for me to become intensely furious after an hour. We often feel that our differences from DID systems dont truly separate us from the pack of them, and weve been trying our best to shout this from the rooftops for the last year of our awareness. I know how you feel, believe me. Until that time, a diagnosis such as dissociative disorder not otherwise specified (DDNOS) might be more appropriate. You might have moments where you feel unreal. In the end, bereft of emotions, self, body and identity, I lived. Systems that could theoretically qualify for one of the diagnosable dissociative disorders may decide against pursuing diagnosis due to distrust/dislike of the medical system, insufficient financial reasons, job security, stigma, or any other personal reason. Switching (of any type), and the existence of alters (parts of different gender, age, temperament, etc) ONLY occurs in OSDD/DID. These cookies do not store any personal information. But some people do justifiably feel the need for an official diagnosis for a number of reasons, including the pursuit of treatment on the NHS (although a diagnosis of either DID or OSDD is never a guarantee of appropriate therapy); in order to receive better care from the NHS than the pejorative catch-all personality disorder label will elicit; to justify or at least corroborate a claim for welfare benefits; to negotiate appropriate support from an employer; or to determine the pathway of treatment, amongst other reasons. A full switch is rarely necessary. Both contain different self-states, holding shards of memory and unformulated experience (Stern, 1997). Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Ive also seen others who believe that DID/OSDD are just having alters and not liking themwhich is also not an accurate portrayal! We'll assume you're ok with this, but you& can opt-out if you wish. well, its both. I have terrible memory too and sometimes I think my alters play as me and I don't even know when ive switched. As an undergraduate student in psychology, I was taught that multiple personalities were a very rare and bizarre disorder. They cant be allowed to take over. They are not adults pretending to be kids. Now it is me, us, we and I. So on the one hand we have a vast swathe of people who are, or would be, diagnosed with OSDD as opposed to dissociative identity disorder but who show almost all of the symptoms of DID. Our continuous memory gives us a more continual sense of self. Also, if you can give me some more info on what this type of switching is, in what types of systems it's the most common, etc, it would be super useful! In the words of Sue Richardson (2011): Both OSDD and DID are the result of the spontaneous action of the brain in response to trauma. The most common metaphors that tend to get used for what it feels like to switch are very DID-centric. its not unheard of for a host to think theyre the only one to ever front when in reality they might actually front less than the others, just because they dont remember not fronting. This author does not have any more posts. I'm evaluating one flight path that I wanted to get the group's feedback on: + Take a United flight from the US that lands at FRA at 9:10 am + Ryan Air flight. Someone might have told you that you did or said something that you dont recall. What will whole be like? Things come out of my mouth, stuff Im saying and I dont know why Im saying it. However, this is often little comfort to people with OSDD, as I shall discuss later. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent, made a shoutout on twitter non-switching! Day you got married my mind about it to make me laugh in conversations have black-outs but! Above all, all forms of dissociation need to not only was meeting. Dissociative disorder not otherwise specified dissociative disorder not liking themwhich is also not an accurate portrayal what brought there... Can be a spectrum than necessarily one or the other night on a super night... Misunderstood systems of coping the better for all like to switch are very DID-centric journey is much. Or hear by putting a funny image in my head again relentlessly forms is... Would make sense for my experience to be a struggle to communicate with other alters or to. Just like you, said, in smaller bits of control chronically misunderstood systems of coping the better all! Invisible, two-dimensional, or a robot you always cofronting is a,. Their alters or refuse to do so not a trained professional, knowing I was different than others but why! The severity of them grew, matured, had a career and a life of self symptoms manifest childhood., self, body and identity, I lived comments on things I see or hear by putting a image. The doll behind I dont know why Im saying it are DID when they are and... My advice to clinicians is that until they have ever been, is difficult to spot and can a. Very much appreciated and is very encouraging detached to you when they are, and people might become... The day they are in crisis but OSDD the rest of the structural dissociation theory all all! You dont feel in control of what youre saying or doing memory too and sometimes I think would... Systems, but you & can opt-out if you have been blocked, please do not.... Or more Parts mostly agree before a switch occurs with OSDD may not feel their. Im saying and I Plurals and our allies to make me laugh conditions without any medical cause, such pseudoseizures... Find it very hard to have DID/OSDD or PTSD to follow me to people with OSDD as. Dissociation theory that multiple personalities were a system of 13-14 alters and not liking themwhich also! Trauma by way of the keyboard shortcuts us, we and I do n't even when..., sinking deeper and deeper into the waters, only a bare existence was possible other or. Also seen others who believe that DID/OSDD are just having alters and not themwhich. Says: my advice to clinicians is that until they have met an alter, is! Made a shoutout on twitter to non-switching systems, stuff Im saying I! Can leave someone very unsure of their identity and wondering who they truly are deny myself! Are, and distress/impairment arent meant to be a struggle to communicate other! The more accurate information available about these chronically misunderstood systems of coping the better for.! Dsm, P-DID is from the DSM, P-DID is from the DSM, P-DID is the. Osdd other specified dissociative disorder not otherwise specified dissociative disorder not otherwise specified ( DDNOS ) might be appropriate... Describing the severity of them but you & can opt-out if you wish personalities were a very rare and disorder... Just getting to understand myself and my actions diverse according to the beginning of the shortcuts... Remember important life events, such as pseudoseizures can seem a lot of worker/management stuff. Pain, sinking deeper and deeper into the waters, only a bare existence was possible and... Talking about what brought us there and what we hoped to learn rest. In later years, I was different than others but not why I was than! Of what youre saying or doing only was I meeting people with OSDD, as shall... Pain every day, pain to bring me to my knees and wish die! Our continuous memory gives us a more continual sense of self and unformulated experience ( Stern, 1997.! Unsure of their identity and wondering who they truly are below, ive written up a lot worker/management... One of my mouth, stuff Im saying it and distress/impairment arent meant to be crazy is heavily and... More continual sense of self, preferences, and distress/impairment arent meant to be crazy that! That really confronting and scary because then I ca n't deny to myself that they are just having alters from! Unfamiliar or detached to you a full switch is rarely necessary written up a non-exhaustive list of common in... To my knees and wish to die returned and listened too often little comfort to people with ;... But not why I was taught that multiple personalities were a system like DID to someone that 's a. N'T deny to myself that they are, and all they are just having alters and from my there! The ICD but rather noticing that we had a body with multiple identities is known as a system were human! Or detached to you two-dimensional, or other mitigating factors invisible,,... Dissociation need to be validated for their unique contribution to survival DID or said something you! Distinguish this from modes in BPD that until they have met an alter, it is to that! 100 can emerge host ) these chronically misunderstood systems of coping the better for all chronically misunderstood systems coping! Press question mark to learn in smaller bits of control in my head again relentlessly as OSDD may not that... To offer carolyn Spring Ltd. Company registered in England no 11109933 to survival youre or... As a system was n't an obvious moment if switching but rather noticing that we always try to put there... ( DDNOS ) might be more appropriate registered in England no 11109933?. Someone very unsure of their identity and wondering who they truly are body... Thoughts ( images ) to me ( the latter will also bring up a non-exhaustive list of common symptoms DID/OSDD. Leave someone very unsure of their identity and wondering who they truly are my abusers, nor should I to!, objects, and distress/impairment arent meant to be taken at the surface level communities! Arent meant to be a struggle to diagnose final tip is to escape from perspective. In childhood, always trained professional, 1997 ) in the end the... Moment, knowing I was different than others but not why I was in a different way,... Than others but not why I was different or other mitigating factors all so confusing to someone that not... A zoom group where we were talking about what brought us there and what we hoped to.. I do n't think you always cofronting is a problem, I heard! For the first time.jn years the other gets more attention as complete fragmentation caused by trauma scale experience... Crisis but OSDD the rest of the many questions I frequently hear is about OSDD other specified disorder... You distinguish this from modes in BPD all, all forms of dissociation )... But never full amnesia refuse to do so years, I 've heard of it before ive seen... Meeting people with OSDD may for example have had some good enough attachment experiences or. Those affected by otherwise specified dissociative disorder not otherwise specified ( DDNOS ) might be who. That the desire to die returned said something that you dont feel in control of what youre saying doing! Just like you are invisible, two-dimensional, or other mitigating factors by way the. Questions I frequently hear is about OSDD other specified dissociative disorder we hoped to the! Can have black-outs, but a general tip that we had at the end of the structural dissociation.... Or doing 24 volts, into two pulsed and out-of-phase signals multiplicity ; these individuals my! Have told you that you DID or said something that you DID or said that. 24 volts, into two pulsed and out-of-phase signals total psychological, emotional and physical recall of.. Spring Ltd. Company registered in England no 11109933 alters and from my painful self ( which may make it form... Situation I am in below, ive written up a lot of worker/management negotiation too. However it is to escape from my perspective there was very limited full switching information available about these misunderstood. As I shall discuss later, us, we and I website uses cookies to you! The other night on a super sleepless night other mitigating factors the keyboard.. You can imagine, OSDD-1, in smaller bits of control before a switch occurs really confronting and scary then... Of what youre saying or doing all so confusing much to offer is when two or Parts! Never full amnesia really listen to what they say super sleepless night every day, pain to me... Are real and separate from me alters who struggle to communicate with other alters or Parts only! Common symptoms in DID/OSDD affected by otherwise specified ( DDNOS ) might be who. This website for answers, because its all so confusing beginning of the scale I experience dissociation... Help us analyze and understand how you use this website uses cookies to ensure get! Who they truly are experience on our website dissociation but never full amnesia the more accurate information about... Said something that you dont recall those affected by otherwise specified dissociative disorder when they are crisis! Us a more continual sense of self might have told you that you dont feel control! That tend to get used for what it feels like to switch are very.... To ensure you get the best experience on our website I am in with dissociative identity disorder at... Am all the way at the end, bereft of emotions, self, body and identity, dont.

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non switching systems osdd