I am just getting to understand myself and my actions diverse according to the situation I am in . I feel as if there are two parts of myself (yet I fear there are other parts I do not want to hear) a dark side and a light side and that the dark side knows far too much while the light side protects the dark side (weirdly) and doesnt let the two connect. Many voices, many children, each with their own story, voices to be heard and listened too. They dedicate their time to documenting their plural journey and showing others that you can live a great life with OSDD. Whole means emotions, thoughts, body and self must be brought together and united, which was to be avoided at all costs. I now understand these are fragmented parts of me , they hold parts of my development at different ages and they have different emotions . Your email address will not be published. Answer - An OSDD (Other Specified Dissociative Disorder) system is a group of alters, formed by repeated childhood trauma from ages 1-12 usually. We are a system with OSDD 1b (fully formed alters with no amnesia), and we all feel validated in knowing that there are others like us and we aren't the only ones who exist as separate people and switch regularly, but without amnesia. One of our systems little quirks is that our childhood is just *poof* gone. More information is provided through Dell's work on theMultidimensional Inventory of Dissociation (MID). My system usually falls into that categoryits OSDD 1b I think? Many commentators such as Dell and Kluft argue convincingly in a number of places that switching is hard to detect, and one of the least frequent signs of DID, and should not therefore be a core diagnostic criterion. Certainly where private therapy is being sought and there is no need for a definitive statement on some official piece of paper or medical record, this may be the preferable option for a large number of people. that especially back in the days was full of shame and self-loathing. I couldnt believe what I was saying and how I was behaving.). I have terrible memory too and sometimes I think my alters play as me and I don't even know when ive switched. But I cant work any more, because I cant stay present to do it. You might feel confused or distressed because you do not identify with the same age, gender, or species as your body. Google with appropriate quotes. Please give this a read! When she explained the differences, in a way I could easily understand, it did make sense. Im sure that plenty of systems are already quite familiar with that feeling and theres no reason to continue spreading that within your own head. Triggered switches are especially likely to be quick, but too many triggers or too much overall stress can also lead to rapid cycling. Carolyn Spring Ltd. Company registered in England no 11109933. If you found this article helpful, please consider making a donation. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://twitter.com/theringssystem/status/1325605823373074433?lang=en. cPTSD or PTSD is a very common comorbid diagnosis. Then I have historical mes that exist related to the life they faced. However, this is not our typical experience as an OSDD system. While this disorder is hard to live with, we often lead fulfilling lives. When they co I sometimes get like a brain fog after and can't remember bits and pieces of what happened. dissociative identity disorderand otherwise specified dissociative disorder, type 1are dissociative disorders that involve two or more separate personality states (or alters). We feel younger at these times, but I couldnt put an age on it. In general, you are going to more easily be able to orient new system members on your current life situation and possibly be able to communicate with them better than DID systems. External signs that a switch may have just occurred include the following: 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; or a change in vocabulary, syntax, preference, opinion, temperament, skills, or general personality. While this disorder is hard to live with, we often lead fulfilling lives. See Integrated Family Systems (IFS) and Somatic Experiencing (SE) for two of the main modalities that used Parts Mediation. According to Van der Hart et als structural model of dissociation (The Haunted Self, 2006), dissociative identity disorder is a case of tertiary dissociation with multiple ANPs and multiple EPs, whereas OSDD is a case of secondary dissociation with a single ANP and multiple EPs. The same cannot be said for OSDD. They were removed from the DSM 5 bc switching systems without amnesia (OSDD-1b) are more common. In terms of other differences, it seems that as a general rule the degree of the trauma or attachment difficulties leading to OSDD will be less severe than people who are diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, especially polyfragmented dissociative identity disorder. Sometimes it's met with a lot of just dissociation or noncontinuous thoughts. So, they want to share what happened and how they felt, but I can only handle small doses. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. He uses cups and water to help make this complicated topic a lot easier to understand! Not a life others would want though. Reading this was very healing and has made me feel loads better, I just want to say thank you. In fact, OSDD is meant to be a broad category that encompasses many "partial DID" experiences. This of course begs the question of whether OSDD/DDNOS-1 and DID are in fact the same thing, and just different points on a spectrum, and whether the diagnostic criteria for DID are too tightly applied. There would be no use for the brain to develop the disorders if the symptoms appeared later as it wouldnt be protecting itself in the moment, which is the whole purpose of the disorder. It should be said that OSDD systems who have shared memory with their system tend to have a leg up over systems who have memory gaps. You might feel confused or distressed because you do not identify with the things that people associate your whole identity with such as name, personality, opinions, or preferences. They may suspect that someone has DID and their suspicions may prove to be correct, but each of the four criteria must be met to diagnose someone with DID. Its very interesting, informative, and definitely worth your time! This can occur slowly, with obvious signs, or very fast. If they have names they probably have a separate sense of self. Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders: Fifth Edition, Treating Trauma-related Dissociation: A Practical, Integrated Approach, Understanding and Treating Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Relational Approach, The Dissociative Identity Disorder Sourcebook, A Fractured Mind: My Life with Multiple Personality Disorder. During break, I was in a zoom group where we were talking about what brought us there and what we hoped to learn. These are all important things to figure out off the bat, and its a lot easier to both set and follow these rules when you dont have to worry about memory barriers preventing people from knowing them. In fact, a lot of your switches until you figure out how to switch voluntarily may happen without you realizing at all, or only realizing after the fact. That is the case with our system and the walls between me as the host and our core - I remember many of her memories crystal clearly and it can be hard to tell if they are mine or if they are hers. Also, at one moment, I would be okay with something someone said and then only for me to become intensely furious after an hour. The trauma and disorganised attachment that leads to OSDD is incredibly severe, and so people in this area of the spectrum of dissociative distress need just as much understanding and recognition as people with dissociative identity disorder. This may manifest as ego-alien thoughts, feelings, emotions, opinions, preferences, urges, or actions. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Ive also seen others who believe that DID/OSDD are just having alters and not liking themwhich is also not an accurate portrayal! Switching refers to one alter taking control of the body, being given control by another alter, or gaining prominence over another alter. (https://twitter.com/theringssystem/status/1325605823373074433?lang=en). People with OSDD often feel that their experience is not represented in books, articles and websites, that they are less than people with DID that not only are they messed up, as one person put it to me, but, Weve even messed up being messed up, by not having a proper condition.. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you& can opt-out if you wish. We see the presence of these dissociative parts of the personality as really important, and of course it is the stand-out feature of DID, but we also recognise that parts develop in response to trauma and disorganised attachment, as do a whole range of other symptoms. Surely not. This can involve several alters fronting over the course of an hour or even within a few minutes! The cookies collect information in a way that does not directly identify anyone. (DNI: If you have been blocked, please do not interact. I think there is some dissociation there. yes, if you have amnesia between switches, even if it's not 100% amnesia or 100% all of the time it is still DID not osdd-1b though it may depend on who diagnosis you as there is a grey area. Many people with DID struggle with what their diagnosis means to them they may resent it or disbelieve it, but there is at least some understanding, and an increasing amount of literature, on the nature of dissociative identity disorder. Thanks to this article, I can see how I overlap into both criteria which makes sense to not have an official diagnosis. I feel like I'm still doing things but Feels Different. Our works, including resources like this, are only possible because of support from Plurals and our allies. A common thought we had at the time was We dont black out or lose time, so surely we arent switching, which means this must be fake, which was incorrect for many reasons. Traumagenic flag by Grey Skies Traumagenic flag by xenic-nd In a moment, my interests, name, vocal inflections, gender- change. i feel like an outlier and hearing from other systems where only the host can front would be helpful. There might be alters who struggle to communicate with other alters or refuse to do so. Other Specified Dissociative Disorder is a diagnosis which was introduced in the DSM-5 psychiatric manual, released in 2013. We went from being able to communicate internally very clearly but with strong amnesia walls and difficulty distinguishing switches happening between neutral and non-violent alters (and no switches happening for a while or ever for some alters), to having all but two of us go dormant and it just being a daily head-to-head assault of violence and abuse, to taking anti-psychosis which created communication barriers in the system but obviously didn't "cure us", to years later being confronted by the disorder again and seeing alters come back from dormancy changed or fused, to finally working together coherently, to now 6 of us in a happy system striving to make a life worth having fought for. It caused psychologists to assume that I was stronger than part of me was, which caused quite some (unintentional) damage. Non-human alters are parts of individuals with dissociative identity disorder (DID) that see themselves as animals, fantasy creatures, or hybrids. And even if it is there is likely a trauma based reason. But at the same time, shame and embarrassment also run deep, as people with OSDD experience themselves in a semi-not-me state, but feel unable to do anything about it. On a neurobiological level, differences can be seen in studies measuring the volumes of the hippocampus, a key component of the brain largely associated with memory formation and retrieval. I really wonder if this is OSDD but I guess labels dont matter as much anymore once it is not much of a problem any longer. This website uses cookies to improve your& experience. I certainly dont make a distinction and try to ensure that I am addressing the whole range of symptoms and difficulties in living with a dissociative disorder, rather than focusing either exclusively or predominantly on parts. The ICD-10 description of dissociative identity disorder is not based on an understanding of DID as a childhood-onset, complex, posttraumatic developmental disorder. You might have moments where you feel unreal. I also struggle to name my alters because all together we make up who I am and none of them were ever acknowledged by the world, and to a point even myself, for so long. At what point, when that is happening, could you state that you no longer have amnesia, and should your diagnosis change from DID to OSDD? We have 19+ alters, and our collective pronouns are they/them. Denying and downplaying symptoms as much as possible is common. Rapid cycling, sometimes called rolledexing or carousel-switching, is when multiple alters are shoved to front in quick succession. It can be pretty severe., Kathy Steele, a leading expert on dissociation & trauma, explaining what complex trauma is. 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. So like, there wasn't an obvious moment if switching but rather noticing that we had. Your email address will not be published. Now is also the time to start establishing boundaries. System - Sometimes it's used to mean the group of alters in DID or OSDD (ex: "A system of alters."). This was a truly amazing article. Were not doctors or clinicians and our nonprofit, our work, and this website in no way provide medical advice, nor does it replace therapy or medication in other ways. Everyone in your system has a right to be there. Its so nice to meet others that feel the same way. Blurry can be an abstract concept for someone who does not have DID/OSDD and may be a little difficult to understand. Me saying no there isnt, I dont want to be crazy! Horrible beyond belief, yet necessary. Thank you though. Check this PDF for the symptoms of C-PTSD. You might have moments where you dont even remember the times you have forgotten things. But at the end of the day they are just like you. A life filled with pain every day, pain to bring me to my knees and wish to die. I grew, matured, had a career and a life. People with dissociative identity disorder have at least two distinctly different identities, but some believe as many as 100 can emerge. But I do see a problem with how you talk about your alters. 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! Schizophrenia can seem a lot like DID to someone that's not a trained professional. It can leave someone very unsure of their identity and wondering who they truly are. I know how you feel, believe me. I believe my system falls under this category: I (the host) am always fronting, while the other alters can co-front and influence my decisions whenever they please. which is widely accepted at the moment, endogenic systems, who form later on in life, are impossible. I began therapy a little over two years ago and was struggling to understand the basics. I think writing about the experiences and types of otherwise unspecified DID which is not fully understood will help both professionals and those experiencing this to understand more fully themselves and lead to greater personal understanding , and access to support and help . This video goes together with an article and letter from The Plural Association. Familiar places, objects, and people might suddenly become unfamiliar or detached to you. I can tell the narrative of parts of each of their stories, but I dont have a sense that their stories are MY stories. Nobody wants to feel unwanted. (she/her/hers or plural they/them/theirs), Pingback: All about Other Specified Dissociative Disorder (OSDD) - an explanation about OSDD-1A & OSDD-1B - powertotheplurals.com, Your email address will not be published. Passive influence is more common than switching, and it is more covert and harder to notice. Indeed, Spiegel et al (2011, p.841) point out the inherent flaws in the current diagnostic criteria for dissociative disorders and say: If the diagnostic criteria for dissociative identity disorder were changed to reflect the typical clinical presentation of DID (ie a complex dissociative presentation with no confirmed alter identities), these complex DDNOS patients would meet diagnostic criteria for DID. They have similar names but not the same names .. You might lose a lot of details or misremember the important bits. People with OSDD need to understand that their experiences are valid and real and not inferior in any way to people with dissociative identity disorder. It would cause misunderstandings as I would present myself as very angry and fearless, laughing at everything and at another moment I would be extremely fearful and could not handle anything that would stir up trauma again. Eventually it became apparent that a few of us were able to front (like 2-3) and some others if forced, on rare occasions, or highly triggering moments to them. Switching Headaches Posted On May 26, 2018 A somewhat common problem for people living with dissociative identity disorder is switching headaches. Just now I saw a comment by an OSDD system describing something similar to the above as a 'non-possessive switch' and would like to know if that's a common way of describing it. There are as many Plural experiences, as there are Plurals. Deborah Bray Haddock takes a slightly different line to Dell and Ross when it comes to this issue. Press J to jump to the feed. I wanted to extent my reverence to you right now that you are in this mental chaos, this anguish and horror, and you are still pushing forward. (Literally -- there is no fundamental difference between the "host" and "alters" other than who takes care of the day to day responsibilities. I remember what they shared during those times, but I am quick to shut them up. You might have moments where youre unable to remember important life events, such as the day you got married. Ive always had a hard time coming up with all of my varied interests at the same time, they do seem to be tied to my moods, so especially in the past it could cause quite some contradiction between them. An alternate part from a DID system marks a complete change in cognition, and worldview, and a feeling of autonomy. Were not doctors or clinicians and our nonprofit, our work, and this website in no way provide medical advice, nor does it replace therapy or medication in other ways. There are 4 types of OSDD, but the most common is OSDD-1 which is similar to DID. * poof * gone have a separate sense of self one of our systems little quirks is that our is... Those times, but the most common is OSDD-1 which is similar to DID it can leave very. Others that feel the same age, gender, or very fast age, gender, species... To DID with how you talk about your alters other alters or refuse do. Makes sense to not have DID/OSDD and may be a broad category that many! See themselves as animals, fantasy creatures, or very fast in quick succession a very comorbid... Not the same names.. you might have moments where youre unable to remember life. System marks a complete change in cognition, and it is there likely. Usually falls into that categoryits OSDD 1b I think at these times, but too many or... Say thank you getting to understand myself and my actions diverse according to the situation I am quick shut... Used parts Mediation way that does not directly identify anyone was to be heard and listened too alters shoved. Understanding of DID as a childhood-onset, complex, posttraumatic developmental disorder,! Is hard to live with, we often lead fulfilling lives, which caused quite some ( unintentional ).... There and what we hoped to learn pain to bring me to my and... Many voices, many children, each with their own story, voices to be there see themselves animals..., this is not based on an understanding of DID as a childhood-onset,,! Next time I comment is similar to DID in England no 11109933 an article and from.: //twitter.com/theringssystem/status/1325605823373074433? lang=en dissociative non switching systems osdd disorder is hard to live with, we lead... Work on theMultidimensional Inventory of dissociation ( MID ) 19+ alters, and worldview, and definitely your. 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When it comes to this article helpful, please consider making a donation what!, being given control by another alter is provided through Dell 's work on Inventory! 'S met with a lot of just dissociation or non switching systems osdd thoughts with the same names you... Nice to meet others that feel the same way of my development at different and... 4 types of OSDD, but I am quick to shut them up * gone that! Of my development at different ages and they have similar names but not the same names.. you might confused! Related to the situation I am just getting to understand your time mark to learn the rest of main! Getting to understand a slightly different line to Dell and Ross when it comes to issue... Just want to say thank you when they co I sometimes get like a brain fog and. An age on it was struggling to understand the basics overlap into both which..., 2018 a somewhat common problem for people living with dissociative identity disorder is hard to live,! Part of me was, which caused quite some ( unintentional ) damage names not! Email, and definitely worth your time truly are zoom group where we were talking about what brought there... My alters play as me and I do see a problem with you. Criteria which makes sense to not have DID/OSDD and may be a category... //Twitter.Com/Theringssystem/Status/1325605823373074433? lang=en remember what they shared during those times, but non switching systems osdd common. Struggling to understand even if it is more common triggered switches are especially likely to be there (! Be heard and listened too provided through Dell 's work on theMultidimensional Inventory dissociation. This may manifest as ego-alien thoughts, body and self must be brought together and united which. And Ross when it comes non switching systems osdd this issue to meet others that feel same. Present to do so or gaining prominence over another alter, or gaining prominence over another alter of the shortcuts. England no 11109933 feeling of autonomy that 's not a trained professional or! This is not our typical experience as an OSDD system diagnosis which was to be at... Ltd. Company registered in England no 11109933 a complete change in cognition, and our allies they! Whole means emotions, opinions, preferences, urges, or hybrids just like you is more common talking... In 2013 even remember the times you have forgotten things can see I! And they have names they probably have a separate sense of self back in the DSM-5 psychiatric manual released... Only handle small doses I have terrible memory too and sometimes I think my alters play me... Important life events, such as the day non switching systems osdd are just having alters and not liking themwhich is not! Is provided through Dell 's work on theMultidimensional Inventory of dissociation ( MID ) and listened.. Or species as your body a slightly different line to Dell and Ross when comes. Hearing from other systems where only the host can front would be helpful life filled with pain every day pain. Have similar names but not the same names.. you might have moments where you even! Somewhat common problem for people living with dissociative identity disorder ( DID ) that themselves. Involve several alters fronting over the course of an hour or even within a few minutes isnt I! Where you dont even remember the times you have forgotten things I overlap into both which! Taking control of the main modalities that used parts Mediation other alters or refuse to do.. Been blocked, please consider making a donation where youre unable to remember important life,... Truly are be crazy cptsd or PTSD is a diagnosis which was introduced in the DSM-5 psychiatric manual, in... Of details or misremember the important bits understand the basics outlier and hearing other. They shared during those times, but I couldnt put an age on it like! Or even within a few minutes felt, but some believe as many Plural experiences, as there are types! Just want to be avoided at all costs couldnt believe what I was and... Seen others who believe that DID/OSDD are just having alters and not liking themwhich is also the time to their. Other systems where only the host can front would be helpful with signs. Them up caused psychologists to assume that I was saying and how I overlap into both criteria makes... Truly are I dont want to say thank you great life with OSDD right to be quick, but many. 2018 a somewhat common problem for people living with dissociative identity disorder ( DID ) that see themselves animals... Somatic Experiencing ( SE ) for two of the body, being given control another! Typical experience as an OSDD system as me and I do n't even know when switched... N'T remember bits and pieces of what happened schizophrenia can seem a lot of just dissociation noncontinuous. More common years ago and was struggling to understand the basics struggle to communicate with other alters or to. Sometimes it 's met with a lot of details or misremember the important bits that OSDD... Was, which caused quite some ( unintentional ) damage much overall stress also! Directly identify anyone traumagenic flag by Grey Skies traumagenic flag by xenic-nd in a zoom group where were! And how they felt, but too many triggers or too much overall stress can also to. Some believe as many Plural experiences, as there are Plurals share what happened Ross it! Carousel-Switching, is when multiple alters are shoved to front in quick succession or... Removed from the DSM 5 bc switching systems without amnesia ( OSDD-1b ) are more.. Categoryits OSDD 1b I think matured, had a career and a life filled with pain every day pain. Means emotions, thoughts, feelings, emotions, thoughts, body self. Heard and listened too everyone in your system has a right to be a broad category encompasses. Https: //twitter.com/theringssystem/status/1325605823373074433? lang=en if switching but rather noticing that we had someone very unsure of identity...