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Can people with DID communicate with other personalities?
In dissociative identity disorder (DID), communication between alters (alternate personalities) is the key to a person’s well-being. With DID, a person may have one or many alters, all working together to form the whole of who the person is.
DID How do alters form?
According to this theory, alters are created when no existing parts can integrate new materials (e.g., memories, strong emotions, perceptions, attachment styles) because these materials are too threatening or are perceived as conflicting too strongly with what is already held.
Can you hear your alters?
The voices are, in essence, real. They are the voices of the alters, or parts, existing within the core person. The voices aren’t caused by a chemical imbalance, so medications cannot get rid of them. Many with DID spend their entire lives hearing these voices.
Where do alters go when not fronting?
What is Happening Inside the Inner World? When an alter is not fronting, we can still have an awareness of one another in “the inner world” which is basically where alters go when they aren’t in control of the body. If you are the one fronting, you can concentrate on the inner world and “see” it in your mind’s eye.
Can you see your alters?
They can have a visual image of them in their minds, just like anyone would visualize something in their mind’s eye. It is not the same as a hallucination. as others have said, we ‘see’ our alters on ‘the inside’. they have different appearances as they are of varying ages.
Can alters have the same voice?
Yes, of course you can. A couple of my alters have the same voice, but say my littles have a higher and softer tone. One of my alters Kyle also has a change in accent, where his is more Essex.
How does it feel to switch alters?
In the shift from one personality to another, a person may experience other symptoms. Some people can have anxiety, as they may be afraid of the personality change. Some may become very angry or violent. Others may not notice or remember these transitions at all, although another person may notice them.
What is a gatekeeper in DID?
Gatekeeper: A gatekeeper is an alter that controls switching or access to front, access to an internal world or certain areas within it, or access to certain alters or memories. They can help to prevent traumatic memories from bleeding from the alters who hold them to alters who could not yet handle them.
How does it feel to have alters?
One person described having alters as all being together, riding in the same car, with each person taking turns driving. Another person described the experience of alters as feeling like being on a bus full of people; sometimes it’s loud and scary, while other times it’s quiet and calm.