Some indicators that a switch may be about to occur include the following: feeling "spacey", depersonalized, or derealized; blurred vision; feeling distanced or slowed down; feeling an alter's presence; or feeling like time is beginning to jump (indicating minor episodes of time loss).
They may appear to have fazed out temporarily and put it down to tiredness or not concentrating; or they may appear disoriented and confused. For many people with DID, switching unintentionally like this in front of other people is experienced as intensely shameful and often they will do their best to hide it.
For people with DID, switching is described as the process of changing from one alter or personality to another. People with DID have varying levels of awareness about their switching. Often people will experience some kind of physical symptom, like headaches, just before or after switching occurs.
Switching between headmates is usually involuntary, and can cause a great amount of distress with the alter. Every DID system is unique. Some people with DID have more control over their switching than other people with DID.
The different identities, referred to as alters, may exhibit differences in speech, mannerisms, attitudes, thoughts and gender orientation. The alters may even present physical differences, such as allergies, right-or-left handedness or the need for eyeglass prescriptions.
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.
Individuals faking or mimicking DID due to factitious disorder will typically exaggerate symptoms (particularly when observed), lie, blame bad behavior on symptoms and often show little distress regarding their apparent diagnosis.
Family members can usually tell when a person “switches.” The transitions can be sudden and startling. The person may go from being fearful, dependent and excessively apologetic to being angry and domineering. He or she may report not remembering something they said or did just minutes earlier.
We do not necessarily hear real voices in our head, but experience more like vivid thoughts. The manner in which we experience these thoughts depends on how severely we are dissociated from our "self." As a result, we with DID who hear voices are actually hearing dissociated thoughts.
The names of the alters often have a symbolic meaning. For example, Melody might be the name of a personality who expresses herself through music. Or the personality could be given the name of its function, such as “The Protector” or “The Perpetrator”.
For those with co-conscious alters, communication is similar to talking with any other person, just without the presence of a separate physical body. It may be difficult, however, when you have alters or parts of you that you are not conscious of.
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.
People very close to you might notice some changes in your behavior or speech. But, then again, these differences are often subtle, so they may not notice anything at all. You may not notice, either. And not everyone experiences DID in the same way.
Most people with DID rarely show noticeable signs of the condition. Friends and family of people with DID may not even notice the switching—the sudden shifting in behavior and affect—that can occur in the condition.
You might find that your behaviour changes depending on which identity has control. You might also have some difficulty remembering things that have happened as you switch between identities. Some people with DID are aware of their different identities, while others are not.
You might have imposter syndrome if you find yourself consistently experiencing self-doubt, even in areas where you typically excel. 1 Imposter syndrome may feel like restlessness and nervousness, and it may manifest as negative self-talk. Symptoms of anxiety and depression often accompany imposter syndrome.
This is a normal process that everyone has experienced. Examples of mild, common dissociation include daydreaming, highway hypnosis or “getting lost” in a book or movie, all of which involve “losing touch” with awareness of one's immediate surroundings.
Gatekeepers are people or policies acting as a go-between, controlling access from one point to another. They may refuse, control or delay access to services. Alternatively, they may also be used to oversee how work is being done and whether it meets certain standards.
Each alter holds different memories and roles within the system - depending on what the system needs to cope or survive. While some alters are fully aware that they are alters, others (such as the host) may have completely no idea.
Some DID alters communicate with each other, others keep to themselves. Some alters communicate with the host and others do not. Alters generally communicate with each other internally, by sharing thoughts with each other (they are all part of the same brain!).
While the host is aware of the person's body, the alters are not always aware that they share the same body as the host, which can lead to belief that suicide would have no effect on the host.
When it comes to love and DID, differences can also arise. It is possible for the host or an alter to be friends with a person that another alter does not like. I have a very good friend that I have known and trusted for years. One of my alters does not like this friend at all.
Of course, they do. Alter is very similar to a whole human being even being a part of it. The tricky thing is that different alters may differ in their preferences.