Can you have alters and not know?

✘ Myth: If you have DID, you can’t know you have it. You don’t know about your alters or what happened to you. While it is a common trait for host parts of a DID system to initially have no awareness of their trauma, or the inside chatterings of their mind, self-awareness is possible at any age.

How do you know if you have an alter?

Symptoms

1. Memory loss (amnesia) of certain time periods, events, people and personal information.
2. A sense of being detached from yourself and your emotions.
3. A perception of the people and things around you as distorted and unreal.
4. A blurred sense of identity.

Do alters know when they switch?

Do Outsiders Know When We Are Alter-Switching in DID? Most outsiders, including my husband and often times our therapist, do not realize when a switch has taken place. There are some signs, such as altered behaviors, changes in language, uncharacteristic differences in beliefs and thoughts.

Can you purposely switch alters?

Alters (headmates) can switch for all types of reasons depending on the trigger. Switching between headmates is usually involuntary, and can cause a great amount of distress with the alter. Every DID system is unique.

Can you have characters as alters?

Alters that are fictional characters and alters that are based off of real people can definitely exist in this disorder. These alters are known as “introjects.”

What are the characteristics of a fictive alter?

Some fictive alters can be predominantly similar to the character, while others take on just a few of the characteristics. They don’t have to think, act, look, or feel in the exact same ways that the fictional character does. This doesn’t make them any less valid.

What are fictional alters in did form?

Fictional introjects, also called fictives, are alters that are based off of fictional people or characters. While not as common as other types of alters, fictives are just as important. So how do these fictive alters in DID form, and what is their purpose? How Do Fictive Alters in DID Systems Form?

Are did alter’s always positive?

Dissociative identity disorder in itself consists of such varying experiences, and DID alters are no different. One assumption that people make about fictives is that fictives are always positive. Fictives can have positive qualities, but they can also have negative qualities and engage in harmful or risky behaviors.

Can a person with did form new alters at any time?

While fictives often form in childhood, people with DID can form new alters at any time, especially in response to recent trauma. There are a few assumptions that people have about fictional introjects in DID, but the reality is that there are no concrete characteristics that all fictives possess.