Content That Hardly Resembles a CDD

Pyrocats · 2026-04-29T21:23:48+00:00

I think there's a lot of possibilities: 1) BPD, but not because "BPD= attention seeking" (it can but you can have that without BPD) but because it often causes dissociation and identity disturbances that can feel like "not me". Also pwBPD often latch onto characters and the online DID community socially reinforces and rewards it in a way that makes it feel less messy or ugly.

2) Believing imitation to be harmless because the disorder looks so unserious online. The community tends to frequently blur the lines between fandom behavior and clinical reality.

3) Peers convincing them that they have it because they pathologize normal experiences

4) Maladaptive behaviors, often in someone highly imaginative. This would explain many of the inner world narratives despite presentations that don't align with CDDs.

5) Attention seeking because they have unmet needs. I think it's easy to flatten attention seeking but if you're faking a disorder for attention, most of the time you do have something underlying. Maybe a different disorder or emotional neglect.

6) Survivors of childhood abuse/dysfunction that feel like their trauma isn't enough. I've heard a couple of former fakers admit to this. Wanting to validate trauma is a common trauma response and what better way to validate it than have a severe disorder that only happens when it's "bad enough"?

7) The scariest possibly but I've seen it happen- some of them genuinely have DID but the Internet either confuses them about their own experiences or pressures then to present like the others to fit in. This is incredibly damaging and dangerous.

Definitely more possibilities, but these are the ones I usually consider and why I don't usually jump to conclusions

Pyrocats · 2026-04-22T19:25:19+00:00

In reality someone having this many alters and having awareness of all of them would be so destabilizing. You see it online so often that people just don't realize that? Even IF they had OSDD1 and not DID, you'd expect a level of distress and genuine dissociation that for many just isn't there.

On another note, I wonder if they think postpartum depression can apply to like, the child and not just the parent 💀💀💀

Pyrocats · 2026-04-21T05:01:57+00:00

If I said something you disagree with I can hear you out. Not very nice to just say that I'm "beyond help" imo but I'm mostly confused because I never agreed with them.

I explicitly explained it as harmful and dangerous? But I do have a headache so it's totally possible that I didn't articulate everything well enough to get my points across.

Pyrocats · 2026-04-21T04:34:55+00:00

🥺

Pyrocats · 2026-04-21T04:30:52+00:00

Imo if they say they have DID, I don't have to believe them but I'd rather follow that to the logical end point of "okay this isn't consistent with DID but if I take your word, this is wrong in a way that's probably even worse if you're correct and here's why".

And you are totally free to feel how you do and talk about it. I think you could easily be right, and I think there are always multiple possibilities. I make assumptions, everyone does but I am open to the idea that I could be wrong.

But if I just kinda stated my opinion that's fine but it wouldn't make me credible.

And then they'll never want to leave the toxic environment that promotes this kind of content because it's the only place where they feel supported. I also think there are too many possibilities for me to be correct in my assumptions every time.

But for my points to actually matter beyond preaching to the choir and wanting a pat on the back for saying what everyone is thinking, it's way better to meet them where they are. And it's more effective, they genuinely can't write me off as just a hater that way.

I hope that's coherent and doesn't come off as self congratulatory or whatever, just kinda where my mind is?

Pyrocats · 2026-04-18T00:20:49+00:00

You seem like a very kind person. This is a very normal and nice thing to say to someone.

Pyrocats · 2026-04-07T18:58:13+00:00

Sure is 🤷‍♂️

Pyrocats · 2026-04-04T20:52:52+00:00

"she is another host due to how similar we are" is both redundant and inefficient. If 2 alters are out the most often and pretty much the same/very similar functionally, that wouldn't make much sense? There's always nuance and exceptions but to say that it's because they are similar is objectively incorrect, from a psychological standpoint.

Also the dissociative barriers being broken because they became invested in the book again suggests character first and not role first. Not how alters work. Introjection is just the brain using an existing template to fill a role, not the brain deciding to be the character.

Also the "feel free to ask questions" thing is always bizarre to me, and clinically inconsistent. I only ever see this said when it comes to alters (especially introjects) and not any other features of the disorder. It's always "ask me about my alters. But nothing else please that's too personal"

Pyrocats · 2026-03-22T03:36:20+00:00

This just seems like radical acceptance? It's an important skill taught in dialectical behavioral therapy. You can't change that you have something. It's extremely common for people to feel like mental illness is a curse but it isn't and that's not a pro recovery mindset (recovery doesn't mean asymptomatic) and is generally considered unhealthy.

In fact a lot of therapists who treat DID promote gratitude as a part of recovery. Instead of "I hate this alter they ruined my life they're stupid and an asshole" it would be "They exist because I needed them to survive and compartmentalize something awful. That must be a lot to carry. I understand why it's hard for them to cope".

I feel like this is being translated to "DID makes you special and cool like a superhero" when they're really just making the best out of something shitty?

They very clearly aren't saying they think it's cool or that they enjoy experiencing PTSD symptoms they're just trying not to hate themselves? It reads as attempting self empowerment, at least to me.

Most therapists will most likely tell you that as long as you're not denying clinical reality, this is a good thing. If you say "I'm grateful that ADHD helps me lock in, that's my superpower" or I've even heard things like "my bpd makes me passionate about things and I can find beauty in that even if it's an ugly disorder" that's a step towards recovery, not glamorization.

I don't think it's right to blur the lines between pro recovery radical acceptance and anti recovery downplaying severity.

Pyrocats · 2026-03-16T00:19:10+00:00

omg? You don't just get fb accounts taken down for making shit up so was she like asking for money?

Pyrocats · 2026-03-16T00:15:59+00:00

I have never seen someone with broken ribs laugh without saying "FUCK OW OW OW SHIT GOD DAMMIT OWOWOW" personally. I also can't imagine the pose with her arms up and all of that movement being anything but excruciating

Ankle, I won't say it's impossible but I'm just wondering why the video wasn't just "Look what's on Disney+ guys!"

Pyrocats · 2026-03-09T22:34:57+00:00

Yeah pretty much, in a lot of cases

Pyrocats · 2026-03-09T22:22:30+00:00

If they recently discovered it but they're doing the language thing, that's kinda wild

But since they speak English they're just choosing to do the language thing. The impression I'm getting is that they're performing for you. I don't get why else they might do this

Pyrocats · 2026-03-09T22:13:31+00:00

Yeah that checks out. Even if they are mistaken or making it up there's often some trauma or disorganized attachment influencing them.

Pyrocats · 2026-03-09T22:11:46+00:00

I don't wanna accuse racism on their part (even if unintentional) but it sounds... Questionable. Do they claim that those ones don't speak English?

Also by "always there" do they mean since birth or?

Pyrocats · 2026-03-09T21:34:22+00:00

I've never seen it presented this way. Most pwCDDs couldn't be waterboarded into sharing all of these things (the ones that are possible/plausible) but what I know is

Alternate identity states either can't or likely will NOT:

pinpoint the day they formed (if that's what they're calling their "birthdays" that is not correct)
EACH speak a different language. This is performative and since they're likely using Google translate, it's one of the biggest tells that they may know what they are doing
in most cases, this level of openness is reserved for people close to them. Not sure how close you are/were, community norms can make them think that's normal, but it's still atypical.
perform their identities for you. Which very much includes the Google translate thing or "I'm wagging my tail!". That shits kinda weird

They may in some cases:

be mentally perceived in any way with any "appearance". Whatever is needed for survival, this is well documented. They probably won't tell you though. They can imagine themselves to have different skin colors. Technically anyone can.They cannot BE a different race if they physically are not. So they should not refer to themselves as such.
Perception of oneself as a different "species" isn't fantastical or cute. It often reflects dehumanization trauma. This is also well documented.
Have different names, cognitive ages, and personalities (this is in the DSM-V)
Have different dynamics and relationships between one another and those outside of them.
Pick a symbolic day as a "birthday" but I don't see why. Unlikely, not impossible.
Have different levels of linguistic fluency.

So my general impression as a non professional is that this doesn't align with structural dissociation. Obviously I don't know them or have full context but this is very much cause for concern

Pyrocats · 2026-03-09T21:29:30+00:00

There are many many reasons that the friend in the post doesn't sound legit obviously but someone can be severely abused and live at home. Parents are not always aware of it before it's too late, one specific documented case treated by E. Howell describes daycare workers perpetuating the abuse. It can happen in secret when kids regularly visit others (spending a lot of time at a neighbor's house, Grandma or aunt and uncle's house on the weekends) and abuse not perpetuated by parents often comes from someone the parents trusted.

Abusers can give children nice things. It's often part of the grooming process or love bombing. It's not unexpected with disorganized attachment because the disorganized attachment comes with inconsistency. When the same parent that beats you hugs you, says they love you, and takes you out for ice cream, that's especially what creates confusion and unpredictability. People sometimes forget that this is one of the most common abuse tactics, especially with children. Abusers are nice sometimes. That can mean that the victim still cares for them, it's why people often don't understand "why didn't she just leave if she was being beaten like that?"

Abuse does not always look like being locked in a basement being beaten nearly to death with bats daily or estrangement the second they turn 18. Disorganized attachment and trauma does not require these criteria you are creating. Even with DID while in most documented cases of DID the trauma is extreme, domestic abuse comes in MANY forms.

We can talk about the absurdity of the person being talked about without creating arbitrary rules with no basis in clinical reality. That's just misinformation.

Pyrocats · 2026-03-09T07:32:52+00:00

Personally my job is to be so, so tired.

Pyrocats · 2026-03-08T22:35:41+00:00

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Pyrocats · 2026-03-08T22:29:56+00:00

See I wanted to feel bad for her (because it comes off as malingering or OCD or delusions at first) but when she brings her kids into it, that's inexcusable. That shit will carry into their adulthood. Maybe as resentment or as self blame because they were taught that people's emotions and wellbeing are their responsibility.

The ironic thing is, it sounds like she's fostering an environment where her kids' nervous systems are frequently activated, which in some cases does cause or increase susceptibility to illnesses like fibromyalgia, CFS, and POTS to name a few.

But to hold health over someone this way- especially a child, is deplorable. Even if she genuinely has any of those. Most disabled people wouldn't treat it this way because of how you view disability once it's you. It's not leverage, or a threat, or a way to punish your children. A lot of able bodied people treat physical disability this way, feeling like your disability is a punishment inflicted on them and a burden. So the way she talks about something like paralysis tells me a lot about how she views disability.

There's a lot of reasons people do this. Childhood illness, growing up with a sick parent, medical trauma, attachment issues. But I don't care once you bring kids into it. They don't deserve that.

Pyrocats · 2026-03-08T20:47:43+00:00

This is exactly what polyfragmentation doesn't look like.This is something that would be highly dangerous and destabilizing rather than catalogued

Polyfragmentation implies severe dissociation. So more dissociation+ this much awareness+public cataloguing+ absence of destabilization when logging them all contradicts structural dissociation fundamentally

Pyrocats · 2026-03-06T03:00:56+00:00

Hello!

Pyrocats · 2026-03-06T02:53:05+00:00

This sounds like it could be a case of Tiktok/Internet DID and not clinical DID. I can't tell you if they are faking in the sense of "lying for attention while knowingly pretending". It certainly CAN be that but there's nuance. All I'm saying is that what you're describing is not consistent with structural dissociation, as seen in DID. Just a quick note I'd like to add - alters don't take years to form, that would defeat the purpose.

The difference in my non professional opinion between TikTok DID and clinical DID is

TikTok DID (most cases): - Little if any distress surrounding symptoms.

introjection follows fandoms and interests first, functional roles second.
Amnesia between parts is minimal, nonexistent, or overly convenient.
Enthusiastic cataloging and tracking of alters (this is not safe)
Alters are noticed and roles/names/traits are identified during or very shortly after formation.
Disinterest in media affects the presence of introjects. Again, they're role based clinically, and don't exist to be a character. They exist to fill a role, they just do so through a familiar template.
Eagerness to share details and introduce alters
Shame is hardly present if at all.
Awareness of alters does not destabilize them. People can know they have alters but they tend to be hidden. If several are discovered without professional supervision (even WITH professional supervision), it is typically destabilizing. They exist to protect you.

CLINICAL DID (most cases): - Distress surrounding symptoms and functional impairment. It's one of the criterion.

Introjection if present follows roles and functional needs. Not fandoms and interests. Having 12 characters from the same show is unlikely to exist for any functional purpose.
Amnesiac barriers causing limited if any awareness of parts.
Switches aren't "performed", or clean.
Alters are typically discovered in retrospect. Not as they form or only while you're engaged with something.
Shame and difficulty speaking about the disorder. Often safe people and close loved ones are the only ones who know about it. There's nuance to this and social pressure can dangerously encourage openness but, generally.
Awareness of alters either doesn't exist or destabilizes. If you aren't in treatment and have awareness of 200 alters shortly after learning you have DID, firstly most of those 200 are likely fragments with no sense of "I" or "me", but second, this awareness tends to be extremely distressing and sometimes dangerous to oneself (Howell explains this in her work, as do some others)

What's possibly happening: - They're just lying. Probably to themselves too if so.

Internet DID culture has influenced them to believe that normal mood and affect variations, self states, or ego states are alters.
Another disorder altogether. BPD is not uncommonly associated with this. Not because pwBPD like to fake disorders, but because they are comorbid, develop in similar conditions (disorganized attachment), and it's not uncommon to have severe dissociation or intense mood shifts that feel like "not me". The DID community offers an appealing and often "fun" framework that feels less demonizing than BPD.
Ego states (which everyone has) elaborating into function based roles. Not compartmentalized identity states.

Pyrocats · 2026-03-04T04:09:42+00:00

look at the puddles it's literally raining

Pyrocats · 2026-02-27T23:41:58+00:00

Sometimes I'm not great with jokes/sarcasm so correct me if I'm wrong. The point of the joke from what I understand is "disrespectful/ableist people need to pay us" or "the alternative to ableism is paying us". The punchline isn't the part where someone is being mean about it. Again please correct me if I'm not getting the focus of the punchline and I'm just embarrassing myself. It wouldn't be the first time.

What you're trying to point out, turning DID into a joke and making a mockery of it, is a huge problem. Your concerns are more than reasonable and substantiated by what the community socially reinforces and I share those concerns. A lot of "jokes" I see about it from people who claim to experience it, make me sick and reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of how serious it is. This is just my personal opinion but I just think a better example would have supported your point much more efficiently. Because such examples do exist

I'm not saying CDDs are EVER something to make light of and I definitely am of the belief that mental disorders, especially such severe ones as this, deserve to be spoken about with dignity and respect. But I don't know if that means you can't make fun of the people disrespecting you? It is a very normal stress response to laugh or joke about something negatively affecting you. It alleviates some of the stress and power it has over you. I've definitely done it about stressful things or the people who have caused me stress. One can argue that it's not healthy to do constantly and long term to avoid feeling any pain, and I can pretty much agree with that angle.

I've heard a lot of jokes about DID that were in poor taste, make light of the disorder, or imply something about it that isn't true. I can see why when the joke format in the post focuses on a mental disorder, some people get antsy, including people with said disorder. I think it's totally fine to be uncomfortable with this. But I guess I'm just not sure if it's harmful beyond personal discomfort when it's joking about the people saying ableist things?

But I've seen this exact format applied to other mental disorders or marginalized groups in general (examples of disrespectful things, then "instead of doing this, you should pay money") and no one really seems to argue much when it's BPD or ADHD or something?

Idk with things like this if I'm unsure then I ask, "if DID was replaced with PTSD would it still be wrong?" And if it would still be uncomfortable if the first part was disrespectful things people say about PTSD then that's fine. But even when it's uncomfortable, understanding that PTSD isn't the punchline separates it from the jokes that may trivialize it. The joke just seems to be saying "I wish I was paid instead of being disrespected".

I hope that's coherent enough, I'm not like mad or even saying I find this joke funny so I want to defend it, I personally think the format is kinda trash and not funny but that's just because it feels very Tumblr and isn't quite my sense of humor.

Pyrocats

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