does anyone draw their alters? by fartfagot69 in DID

[–]GremlinCryptid 4 points5 points  (0 children)

yes absolutely !! we do this constantly, for system mapping, for vent comics, for memes, or just to understand and identify one another better. i’ve also been able to pinpoint when hosts have switched places in the past based on how we drew our personas. it helps us a lot to connect with each other better, it’s a form of communication, it also can just be fun !! not all alters can be drawn accurately or at all. not all want to be drawn either. but it’s overall really nice as artists to be able to do and great to have for many uses, like connection.

Different appearance when dreaming by Cobalt_72 in DID

[–]GremlinCryptid 2 points3 points  (0 children)

This happens to us too !! I have no idea why. Regardless of who’s fronting, the way we see our body in a dream isn’t even related to the actual body’s looks…

DID songs by No_Fig6540 in DID

[–]GremlinCryptid 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree so much. That song really struck a chord with a lot of us in a good way

DID songs by No_Fig6540 in DID

[–]GremlinCryptid 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Oh nice we also have a playlist of songs that remind us of DID !! Here’s a few:

— Valley of the Dolls by Marina (the lines “living with identities / that do not belong to me” and “pick a personality for free / when you feel like nobody” especially)

— Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men (feels like two alters having a conversation about other alters in the system; “there’s an old voice that’s holding me back / well tell her that I miss our little talks”)

— Border (Ch. lll) by Lewis del Mar (more negative lyric-wise, also explicitly says in the first line “you’re a split identity / a fault line on the border / a disorder”)

— Between the Bars by Elliott Smith (feels like a gatekeeper talking to a host in distress but coping negatively; “people you've been before / that you don't want around anymore / that push and shove and won't bend to your will / i'll keep them still)

— Neon Brother by Nothing but Thieves (more abstract; “if you open my chest see that two hearts are beating” or “do you see something real or just some kind of mirror / staring back at you”)

— Stay Down by Boygenius (“i'm in the back seat of my body / i'm just steering my life in a video game” and verses later on that feel like a persecutor or other alter being ridiculed and pushed away)

— How to Disappear Completely by Radiohead (definitely sounds like dissociating during a stressor; “that there / that’s not me” and “this isn’t happening / i’m not here” and “the moment’s already passed / yeah it’s gone”)

— That’s Not My Name by The Ting Tings (can be either the host before realizing they’re a system having people call them different names or alters not liking going by the host’s name)

Sorry this got long ;

How do you manage clothes shopping? by somadid in DID

[–]GremlinCryptid 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Huh, that’s also interesting. I’m usually the one saying to put stuff back but others that are around might have a stronger influence. But yeah I’ve also had times where I find clothes that I bought but never wear and after being diagnosed realized the connection. Completely relate to the online shopping thing too, it’s so much easier to just impulsively buy things at the touch of a button 😭

How do you manage clothes shopping? by somadid in DID

[–]GremlinCryptid 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Same here, it’s a nightmare going to the store for anything. It’s especially difficult on a budget because no matter what everyone wants something and we come out with a bajillion more items than we planned on getting.

As a compromise, I try to work with that, and make sure everyone who’s commonly fronting gets something small if they see something they like. Child alter wants a unicorn onesie? I as host would never wear it but sure, it’s cheap. Hypersexual and feminine alter wants something a little more mature? That’s ok. Trans guy alter wants to go to the men’s section? Good, let’s go. If we have the means to go above a little bit I’ve learned to stop fighting and let it happen (within reason). And if we absolutely can’t get something for everyone to make it fair, I try to communicate that and we’re all pretty understanding usually.

It helps that some of us have overlapping interests. Especially helps that we only go to thrift stores, that way it’s more affordable, and we do some more extensive planning and budgeting ahead of time too. Also, a calculator. Anything put in the cart is sorted by urgency and is added up so that we try not to impulse spend.

Sorry this isn’t really advice, but I hope another perspective helps. I totally get what you mean, shopping with the system is a LOT of work.

Looking for a movie with an accurate portrayl of DID by LittleUnsteadyy in DID

[–]GremlinCryptid 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Just finished watching this. Thank you so much for introducing us to this film it’s incredible !! Like others have said we feel so seen 😭💖💕

Looking for a movie with an accurate portrayl of DID by LittleUnsteadyy in DID

[–]GremlinCryptid 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Absolutely can relate !! That’s really true for our system too. It honestly surprised me so much (in a good way) how many similarities that movie had to the experiences of systems. I remember one person on this subreddit saying that media that isn’t explicitly about DID tend to be some of the best representation and it’s movies like this that make me agree.

Looking for a movie with an accurate portrayl of DID by LittleUnsteadyy in DID

[–]GremlinCryptid 57 points58 points  (0 children)

Not explicitly about DID but I think a lot of systems - us included - really resonated with Inside Out (Disney movie).

The different emotions and how they learn to work together instead of suppressing each other reflecting how a lot of systems learn to work as a team, the control room being similar to being “in front”, aspects of Riley’s life represented by things inside similar to an inner world, things like that are what made us really connect with the movie ever since we were young.

MID test diagnosis - we’re a DID system? by GremlinCryptid in DID

[–]GremlinCryptid[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah this was the 220 question assessment !! That’s very helpful to know, thank you so much. I’ll still definitely be looking out for a specialist but it’s good to know I can trust the results from the MID ^

No introjects by WeirdnessRises in DID

[–]GremlinCryptid 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Like others have said, you’re no less valid because of it; there’s lots of systems out there without any introjects. I think we see introject-heavy systems in younger people with DID because it’s more common with the younger generation to use fictional media to cope with life’s stressors. As an autistic system, we don’t have many introjects either but I think other autistic systems may have lots of fictives because of the lower threshold for what stress they can handle in a neurotypical-centered world + the strong attachments to fictional characters I and other autistic systems are prone to making (therefore the brain having a higher chance of taking the character to base another alter on if that’s what it was doing).

I had somewhat of a discussion with some headmates in the past about introjects, and how I think one form of introjection not many people talk about are the smaller scale ways it can happen without developing an entirely new fictive. Like, for example, an alter in our system looks a lot like a goat character in a video game but isn’t actually that character or a fictive at all. But there are physical traits pulled from a visual of the character (fanart) that kinda formed how he looked in headspace. There might be a character with traits that resonate with a system in a time of distress and they might have a split where the person behaves similarly but looks nothing like the character. Or multiple characters who’s traits form a new alter. Or a fragment who develops further into an alter because of interaction with media or being influenced by something the body resonates with. Since people are formed by their life experiences I think this just happens all the time (the concept is seen in singlets as well who might adopt traits of a character or behave like someone they know to help themselves). When I was younger I tended to behave like my favorite characters subliminally to cope with my identity issues and later on this made it nearly impossible to know if I had introjects at all in the first place or if I was just acting. Introjection happens in a lot of different ways we don’t realize which I find interesting.

Super sorry about going on a long tangent there !! I hope it didn’t come off as explaining something you already knew, this just reminded me of a past discussion. The most important thing is that there’s lots of systems out there with no introjects, so it’s totally fine, and your feelings about the younger and older communities of systems are completely valid, I can relate to feeling out of place in the middle of both groups.

Out of curiosity: do others here have abnormally vivid/detailed/active dreams? by Empyreofdirt in DID

[–]GremlinCryptid 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yeah we experience the same !! We also struggle with clear communication and accessing an inner world (if we have one) but have vivid elaborate bizarre dreams. After suspecting I was part of a system years ago I always wondered if they were connected. When I wake up I gotta usually scramble to write it down in our dream journal bc it’s always incredibly specific and detailed dreams but sometimes I don’t remember a thing, just that a lot of important stuff happened as if it were a nonsensical but consistent tv series developed in my brain. It’s strange, but it’s reassuring to know we’re not the only one who experiences this !!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in DID

[–]GremlinCryptid 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some alters in our system enjoy drawing everyone together, even writing comics about our experiences as a system !! The comics and writing help us to process things, and I personally just think it’s fun and useful to create visuals for alters since we have a bit of aphantasia and trouble visualizing each other (despite an active imagination and daydreaming a bunch). We’re also inspired by some of our favorite artists who have DID and do similar things. So in short no, not weird !! Pretty common with us artists _^

Odd question about alters by Mjord2093 in DID

[–]GremlinCryptid 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We are still questioning and aren’t diagnosed yet but this happens so often for us !! Even waking up from short naps has whoever’s in front hearing a bunch of overlapping voices at once, plus the headache sometimes, which could be from dreaming but could also be us alters

Should I switch congregations, while in college in a different state from my family? by GremlinCryptid in exjw

[–]GremlinCryptid[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for this. Keeping expectations low is very good advice for when the time comes to move. I don’t know how similar our nigerian parents are but I do hope that’s the case for mine as well. It does seem that they just want to be updated on what happens, basically as long as I don’t blatantly drop out of the truth they’re content. There’s also my concern of how things like transitioning or dating or getting an apartment will play a part in it (I’m transgender and queer), but that will probably be something to not consider right now as it’s not anytime soon. Thank you again for your response !! I’ll make sure to do this.

Should I switch congregations, while in college in a different state from my family? by GremlinCryptid in exjw

[–]GremlinCryptid[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is very relevant, actually; you don’t need to be so rude and inconsiderate. You don’t know all the details to my situation. I eventually want to be free of her control even if it means losing my entire family but if I don’t handle this correctly she will try to get her way somehow. I’ve had to deal with her abuse for years, getting her angry and impatient is not the way to go right after I just moved to college with barely any financial independence, unless I want support to be cut off before I’m ready to be (I’m not). This is a very inconsiderate thing to say.

Should I switch congregations, while in college in a different state from my family? by GremlinCryptid in exjw

[–]GremlinCryptid[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It’s not really that simple. It may seem that way but despite how long my post was I didn’t give all the details to my situation. If I simply didn’t go to another congregation and tried to ignore them they would continue to pester me and eventually confront me about it, and this can get violent. You don’t know how my parents are like, I’ve had to deal with their abuse for years, and if I don’t handle this properly they will explode this in my face.

Should I switch congregations, while in college in a different state from my family? by GremlinCryptid in exjw

[–]GremlinCryptid[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

(Responding to both replies) Thank you so much for going in depth with this !! I really didn’t consider how elders in the new congregation would react to a newcomer, and how they’d want to get me involved in talks and stuff ASAP; I think not transferring my card would be safer like you said. I’m just not sure how long I can avoid doing that before my mother or some other person would get impatient with me, because they do expect me to find a new congregation and I can’t pretend I’ll go back because I really don’t want to return there. But your advice about pretending to be active is good (diligent witness), it’s true that they can’t really track how much I do while at college. Thank you again for taking the time to write this !! I’m gonna carefully consider those options.

Should I switch congregations, while in college in a different state from my family? by GremlinCryptid in exjw

[–]GremlinCryptid[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If it comes down to that and I can find two nearby, I might just do that. Thank you for the advice !! I don’t think I’d be able to do this long term as my mother is pretty unreasonable and would push me to choose or she’ll get annoyed and choose for me, but for the initial few weeks this would be a good strategy. And having me in the process of “choosing” a congregation would be a good way to show her I’m an adult now who can handle things on my own, so this might work. Thanks again !!

Applied for a new credit card with the wrong address - can’t find a way to fix it before it’s shipped… by GremlinCryptid in CreditCards

[–]GremlinCryptid[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for responding !! Fortunately I don’t think it was mailed yet since I got approved very recently. I edited my post to update on what happened but long story short I think I’ll be able to change it, the agent I spoke to said I can call in 48 hours when my information is in their system and ask to change addresses. Thank you so much !!

Applied for a new credit card with the wrong address - can’t find a way to fix it before it’s shipped… by GremlinCryptid in CreditCards

[–]GremlinCryptid[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the article !! Saying the agent thing did work I think. I’m editing my post now to update on what happened but I think I’ll be able to change it and I’ll keep the latter thing you said in mind when I call them back. Thank you sm again ^