How did your multiples become known?

[Shadow]

.....

[Ryles]

Glenn's always been here, and I think she's older than me, genderqueer but on the female edge of things. Then, I can be pretty immature so who knows how old I am. Layz showed up mid June of '08 and acts older than he is so we don't know how old he is- but I can tell you his birthday is april 25. Boy doesn't know his name, race, or anything else but does know when he's supposed to get presents and cake- I'd call that prioritizing.

The others have come and gone since then. I don't remember when Lark came, I just remember the first day she was there I couldn't talk to her properly because I was having dinner with my parents that night, I think she's an adult, I'm pretty sure she's a teacher. People would come in and comment on the conversation and leave before, but that was it, didn't realize they were people.

[EJA]

Jay appeared when I was like 11 or something. He was always around 16 or 17, and as I got older he got stronger, though stayed the same age. He started out pretty nice (but still edgy) while younger, but he seemed to get meaner as I got older for some reason, and especially so after Andy came. Andy appeared when I was 15 and he was around the same age, though his personality made him seem younger at times. He's very philosophical but with a childish personality.

Jay sort of.."faded in", if that's phrased right. It's hard to remember since he appeared so long ago. Andy was more sudden. Just a voice in my head one day - one I didn't recognize - and after some questioning and conversation, he told me his name and I just got to know him better.

They're both gone now, but...that's our story.

[static nonsense]

We're kind of an odd case. We're a trauma based system but some of the members weren't actually established in response to trauma. It's kind of weird. Unlike most our system is a result of a mental disorder that creates a predisposition to dissociation and is characterized by social isolation. Usually they aren't a result of another mental disorder.

The little kid (err, who is about 4) was the first one to develop from what we can remember. He didn't express himself in the body until several years later, but he was present since about 13, possibly even earlier. He's a result of a childish sort of loneliness and isolation. The host would "see" him outside of the body and the emotional atmosphere for her seemed to change. It was as if his loneliness became hers, and hers became his.

Not too long after that an individual that she called Genya developed. She was a very cynical and hostile individual that we're pretty sure resulted from resentment for the people harming us. She never seemed to want to hurt people maliciously, but she was very protective in a scary sort of way. Our host wasn't very comfortable with her.

That person sort of split off into two during early high school. The aggressive and hostile nature became error, who we estimate is about 17, and the cynical perspective of an outsider became Zero, who we estimate is about 25. Genya's presentation filtered into Zero's far more - you can't see the resemblance in error at all outside of personality. Unlike her error is (mildly) more forgiving and reacts in a more "injured animal" approach instead of assuming the position of justice. He doesn't trust people, but when that trust develops for someone he can be a really likable guy. You just have to get past the rough exterior with him. That attitude has faded a bit more since we've graduated, his hostility is now more of just his personality instead of a subconscious attempt to defend himself against invisible attackers.

Genya's protective nature developed Zero's sense of responsibility for people, the need to care for those he loves and a very dominant personality. Instead of hostility he takes the outsider looking in approach and tries to help those that he cares for. He will get defensive (or offensive depending on the situation) if his loved ones (or us) are threatened, but it's less common.

We're... not sure about me yet. I only came around in the last year and a half or so. My traits were there but like err I didn't really express myself (or even know that I was there) until later, about a year ago. I feel around 20 or 21, and unlike error and Zero I have a much more passive and submissive personality. I don't act outward when I feel threatened, I withdraw inward or I go elsewhere until the situation blows over. In terms of personality I'm probably the closest to the host other than herself. We don't know if I developed earlier in life and stayed dormant or if I developed in response to recent trauma that caused our responses to splinter. Because of our mental disorder we have things that we call "flares", which cause our emotional responses to elevate into extremes. So error's aggressive manner went into full tilt but the innate nature of our host was still there. They've always been there but it was only recently extreme enough to actually draw me out into the world.

Other than slight fluctuation due to the simple nature of plurality not being concrete, our ages are pretty much static. Our host also hasn't aged since she withdrew, so she's sort of stuck at 15. error did age a bit, but it was because he was the primary fronter for years. He was unaware of being plural and thought he was the host and primary owner of the body. Aging for us seems to be dependent on how much time we spend out running the body.

The method of development does have an impact on the nature of the person in the system, yes. There will always be that difference, but one should recognize that a difference in cause is not necessarily bad. One is not better than the other. It's just something that one should be aware of in order to better understand the person that "resulted" from it, so to speak. Such things can have a serious impact on their personality and how they respond to people, including the people within your system. It's the same way with any other person in the world, their experiences shape who they are.

Kay

[Shadow]

....

[static nonsense]

We're kind of an odd case. We're a trauma based system but some of the members weren't actually established in response to trauma. It's kind of weird. Unlike most our system is a result of a mental disorder that creates a predisposition to dissociation and is characterized by social isolation. Usually they aren't a result of another mental disorder.

This seems to be how some of us developed; it's been a (quiet) fear of ours that we weren't a normal trauma system since some of Xander and Alex weren't created through any trauma, but we wouldn't be considered any other "normal" type of multiple system since Alejandra was. It's... reassuring to know we're not the only ones, thank you.

Welcome. It's kind of an odd road because it doesn't seem to be very common. Most systems we've met have been either one or the other, and there tends to be a bit of unease between them. Makes things complicated when you try to find something outside of that.

Kay

[Ryles]

This seems to be how some of us developed; it's been a (quiet) fear of ours that we weren't a normal trauma system since some of Xander and Alex weren't created through any trauma, but we wouldn't be considered any other "normal" type of multiple system since Alejandra was. It's... reassuring to know we're not the only ones, thank you.

No two multiple systems are the same. It's like gender- there are set categories (Male, Female, Neutrois, Androgyne, Bigender, etc) but you don't have to fit them. They're just there because they give the gender set up a bit more definition. Yes, there are people with trauma based splits, people with non-trauma based splits, people with no splits, medians, gateways, etc. And, more importantly, there are mixes. Yeah, some systems, maybe most, feel they fit into those easily, but that doesn't mean you have to be to be multiple.

You shouldn't be afraid that you aren't a "normal" system, it's fine if you are a bit different from others and there's nothing wrong with it. Everyone has things that make them special, don't worry if this is one of them.

Welcome. It's kind of an odd road because it doesn't seem to be very common. Most systems we've met have been either one or the other, and there tends to be a bit of unease between them. Makes things complicated when you try to find something outside of that.

I realize I'm kind of ignorant about, well, everything, but what unease is there?

[static nonsense]

Welcome. It's kind of an odd road because it doesn't seem to be very common. Most systems we've met have been either one or the other, and there tends to be a bit of unease between them. Makes things complicated when you try to find something outside of that.

I realize I'm kind of ignorant about, well, everything, but what unease is there?

Some plural systems feel that their system is better because it's "natural" instead of "created by 'artificial' means".

Zero

[Yorrick]

The short version is this. From what we've been able to piece together, the initial divisions occurred due to some very early abuse. After some abuse later in life, those pieces began coalescing into separate consciousness and working behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly. I only become aware of them about 200 days ago, precipitated by some stress and a multiple friend who helped me wrap my head around the concept, but they had some awareness of each other before that.

Not sure if that's what you were asking but there you go...

[vampyre_smiles]

I think I (the original personality of the body), have always had relatively "open mental borders". I've had some members in the system since I was young, all of those have left by now with a few exceptions. And those aren't very vocal personalities.

The current group have shaped my stories, and I draw a lot of inspiration (with permission) for things I'm writing from their memories. But they just "showed up", and some won't leave even if I wanted them to...

[Cassandra]

First I gotta ask...what defines bein' a multiple? Is it multiple personality, multiple identity...do they have to be really different? What if you made them - like someone mentioned - but 'cause they were sorta-kinda always there, you just needed to give 'em their space?

[Asylum Crew]

we were created through trauma ( abuse ) from when the body was 2 years old ..that went to adulthood of the body .

Ella