WARNING: this carrd will go into topics such as trauma, csa, and abuse.Dissociative Identity Disorder:
formerly and outdatedly known as multiple personality disorder —is a dissociative disorder based on the existence of two or more "altered states of consciousness" called alters / parts / headmates that have the ability to take executive control, followed by memory gaps or amnesia. But DID is not a disorder or illness is more of a trauma response/self-defense mechanismDID most commonly forms around the ages of 6 to 9 not usually formed after the age of 10.What causes DID?
DID is by childhood trauma of all sorts such as -- physical, emotional, or sexual abuse of a child by the hands of their caregiver, or isn't caused by direct abuse; growing up in unstable conditions such as warzones, repeated natural disasters, medical trauma, and human trafficking.What are Alters?
alters are dissociated parts of a system that can take executive control of the body, or "front" but not all alters will front, some can front continuously while others never will it ranges from alter to alter.Common vocab!
Note that not all alters will have a role it's important to know.First the body is the physical body that the system inhabits.system commonly used as another term for somebody with DID or OSDD1a/b. Refers to all of the alters within one body.innerworld/headspace is technically an imaginary space in a systems brain where alters can go and live when they arent fronting, it’s different for every system and many systems do not have this !
The innerworld often reflects on trauma or wishes for the future of the system and holds symbolism.fronting means being in control of the body and able to interact with the world and/or other people.switching is an alter taking control of the body, the way a system shows a switch can vary.co-conscious is when an alter is aware of outside events at the time of them happening, but is not actively fronting. May or may not be giving passive influence to the fronters.passive influence is when an alter who is not fronting's traits or abilities are temporarily influencing the alter that is fronting. May take the form of gaining or losing abilities.black-out is the complete unawareness of the events that have occured while another alter was fronting. Often accompanied by extreme time loss.gray-out is partial amnesia of the events that have occured while another alter was fronting. Usually results in knowing the basic timeline of events, but not the details or emotional aspects of what has happened.dissociation is a break in how the mind processes and handles information. Can cause a disconnect from one's surroundings, thoughts, or feelings. Often will impact your sense of identity and time.professional diagnosis also commonly referred to as prof-dx.
Can range from a verbal confirmation of an individual's suspected disorder to an official diagnosis confirmed by a team of therapists.self diagnosis also commonly referred to as self-dx.
This is when a person is suspecting that they might have a disorder, but they have not seen a professional yet or are still working out possibilities with their professional.ANP, known fully as an apparently normal part.
Deals with daily life and remains grounded. These parts typically handle social interaction and handling of bodily functions.EP, known fully as an emotional part. Does not deal with daily life and cannot handle the stressors therewithin. These parts typically hold trauma in some way, and may be stuck in a flashback.mixed ANP/EP, these parts are more commonly found in systems where abuse did not stop at any time during childhood and bled over into everyday life. They may present as EPs who are more mature or grounded, or ANPs that have trauma memories or more severe PTSD symptoms than typically seen in ANPs.frontstuck is pretty self explanitory. It's when an alter is stuck in front. That alter is usually (but not always) alone in front (without someone co con) and can not switch out with anybody. This can happen for a variety of reasons but the most common seems to be stress.Dormancy refers to when an alter lies dormant. A dormant alter may not be able to be seen in the headspace, and may not be able to communicate with other alters in any way, and will not front. Alters can not "die" and can only integrate, fuse, or go dormant. An alter may lie dormant for years before resurfacing, and an alter may lie 'dormant' forever. But a dormant alter always has the chance to come back.blurry a community term. When one or more alters/parts are fronting, but are unsure who they are due to a lack of distinct barriers between identities.Integration is the opposite of dissociation. Information and emotions being accepted and processed. Integration is a healthy process that happens to everyone, and people with complex dissociative disorders have a lowered ability to integrate information due to trauma.Fusion is two or more alters integrating. This involves the barriers between them being permanently lowered, so they are not separated from each other by dissociation and amnesia. Fusion cannot be forced, but it can happen without consciously trying.Final Fusion is all alters in a system fully integrating. This involves the barriers between them being permanently lowered, so they are not separated from each other by dissociative and amnesiac barriers. Like fusion, final fusion cannot be forced, and is typically done in later stages of therapy. It is still possible for new splits to occur after final fusion, but much less likely than before, due to a heightened ability to integrate information. Not every system chooses to pursue final fusion, but those who do should have their choice respected.Roles
host referred to as originals.
The first part of a system to emerge, and exists before all other parts. hosts are in charge of most aspects of daily life.co-host is the alter who is frequently fronting, either as much or almost as much as the host.
Could also refer to any alters that "take over" by default when the host goes dormant or becomes inactive for any reason.protector role describes an alter who protects the system from the outside. There are many types of protectors, such as physical, emotional, or passive protectors. Each have their own methods and reasoning's!Physical Protectors are alters that will try to front to handle physical abuse or confrontation. Physical Protectors may try to become aggressive in an attempt to defend the system from perceived physical threats.amnesian protector is a system member who fronts in order to facilitate forgetting bad memories. They may or may not be aware of this role.Verbal Protectors may attempt to front to take verbal abuse or lash out with harsh words in try and counter perceived verbal attacks.Emotional Protectors may front to take emotional abuse or be more of a comforter to other alters, helping to soften and lessen the effects of the abuse.Sexual Protectors will attempt to front to take any type sexual abuse and may or may not be hypersexual themselves.Pecuniary is an alter that manages money, purchases and finances.drowser is a type of headmate who has the distinct ability to lull their system into sleep. They may also use their ability to induce sleepiness in their system's brain during periods of insomnia, or when rest is direly needed and not easy to attain otherwise.Guilt holder is a system role for system members who hold guilty feelings of the system regardless of that guilt being rationalpersecutors are alters who harm the body / host / other alters / etc. persecutors often possess the peak of the host's trauma, acting out as means of self-defense or a negative outlet. do note that persecutors are not evil, don't treat them as such.prosecutor is the same concept as a persecutor, although this alter expresses outwards aggression, towards those not in the system. A prosecutor can also be a persecutor, and vice versa.Insecurity Holder is a system role for headmates who hold the feelings related to the systems insecurities, this could be considered a subset of a symptom holder role.nightwatcher is a system member that takes over front at night exclusively. They front when the rest of the system is asleep.Stim Holder is a system role for headmates who handles stimming for the system, they may help by processing things when the system is understimmed/overstimmed and making sure the system takes stim breaks when needed to stay regulated.introjects are alters that are based off of an outside person or figure. Introjects may or may not see themselves as the individual that they represent. Introjects can be based off a family member or adult caretaker who supported the system and provided a positive influence on their lifefactive is an introject of a real, living person. This person may be a close friend of the system that is a large comfort to them, or can be an introject of the systems abuser. There are a lot of reasons factives form, and why a factive formed depends on each individual system. it's important to note that most factives understand the controversy behind identifying as a real person. Most factives will do their best to not interact with who they're a factive of, and some will often take nicknames, or entirely different names, to lessen the discomfortfictive is short for fictional introject. It is an introject of some sort of fictional character, or other form of fiction. These may be video game or cartoon characters. Not all fictives act exactly like their canon counterparts, and it's considered 'rude' to treat them as if they are exactly the same.memory holders are alters that hold memories that are usually traumatic in nature so that other alters do not have to be confronted by the memories. In some cases, memory holders might hold memories of childhood innocence or of being loved by the system’s otherwise abusive or neglectful family.A fragment is an alter that is not fully differentiated or developed. Fragments may exist to carry out a single function or job, to hold a single memory or emotion, or to represent a single idea.non-human alters are alters that see themselves as animals, fantasy creatures, dead or undead creatures, or nonliving objects.
May or may not be able to still communicate effectively.
More of a modifier label than a functional label.child part is Also commonly referred to as littles, occasionally middles.
Parts that are mentally and functionally frozen in a childlike mental state. These parts often hold trauma or are clinging to the idea of living out an ideal childhood.teen part is Also commonly referred to as middles.
Might have served as an internal authority figure of sorts when the body was younger, in lieu of an external one. Also may have acted as more mature than most children to avoid danger.
May be mentally and functionally frozen in a stereotypical teenage mental state.adult part is Also commonly referred to as bigs. Might have served as an internal parental figure of sorts when the body was younger, in lieu of an external one. Also may have acted as more mature than most children to avoid danger.
May be mentally and functionally frozen in a stereotypical adult-like mental state.age-sliding part refers to alters that present with multiple ages, slide between switch between several set ages, or slide within an age range.
May or may not be a subsystem presenting as a single alter.
More of a modifier label than a functional label.ageless parts are alters that either does not identify with a set age or feel as if they are too ancient for the human perception of time to apply to them.
May or may not be a non-human alter. May or may not still identify with a broad age category.
More of a modifier label than a functional label.gatekeeper are alters that controls fronting, memory access, or inner world access.internal self helper also commonly referred to as an ISH, manager, or observer. More aware about the system, alters, and/or memories than other alters.
May or may not be a gatekeeper, or work closely alongside gatekeepers.the avenger holds the rage from childhood abuse and may seek retribution from the abuser. They tend to express the anger of the entire system and can be hostile.NPCs term means "none playable character" and is often seen in video games. As the name suggests they are not a normal alter but their role is to fill in gaps in the inner-world.There is always the possibility you may see other terms not listed here. Plenty of systems have alters with 'roles' that they assign their own name tooSo on
It is important to remember that different systems have different needs, and systems may or may not have one or more alters for each of the above jobs. In smaller systems particularly, alters might hold multiple roles, some of which may even at first seem contradictory. For example, an alter might be persecutory to the system yet strive to protect it from outsiders. Other alters might hold roles that are specific to the system and would be difficult to define or generalize_{Made by Yin Village}more

Pluralkit / Discord bots
Pluralkit is a bot designed to allow alters to speak. It uses discord webhooks to create a ‘bot’ account with its own icon, name, and other information to assist systems in communicating more easily. It can be used by all types of systems and also allows itself to be used for kintypes or role playing. Adding this (or an alternative) bot to your server is highly recommended if you think or know systems will be there, and refusing to add a bot like this when asked can be seen as quite ableist as alters deserve to be able to talk freely as themselves.
pluralkit website

common courtesyDo not assume each alter is the same
The most important thing to note is each alter is a different person. Treating an alter like another alter, is generally frowned upon and can be seen as very disrespectful, if not downright ableist.Do not call upon other alters
It is also considered a bit disrespectful to call upon another alter. being that, if you have an alter you're friends with, "A", and "B" is fronted, it's considered rude to ask "B" when "A" will be out, or to pass on messages for them. This varies from system to system, but a rule of thumb is to ask beforehand.Do not use us as a "cool thing" to talk about
Another thing that is often seen as disrespectful, is talking over us about our experiences, or inputting your "personal feelings" on things relating to being plural. We are the ones with authority over plurality, and if you are a singlet your opinions on us are, 99% of the time, not appreciated.Do not talk about how plurality is an interest of yours
We are not a specimen for you to examine. Do not talk about how our plurality is cool and interesting to you, or talk in depth about how you love searching it if you're a singlet. In most cases it comes off as extremely creepy.Acting like alters have choices in who they are
Do not tell a fictive or introject that their source is 'problematic' and that they are wrong for existing. That is cruel. We can not control where we come from and treating us as if we're evil for existing is wrong for many obvious reasons.Do not posi trigger an alter out without permission
Many alters have what is called 'posi triggers' which will trigger an alter to front. It is considered rude to do this without prior permission from the one fronted, and the alter you're going to trigger out.Do not assume systems are roleplaying
A lot of people assume that systems and plural people are simply 'roleplaying', especially involving fictives. We are not roleplaying, we are different people, and insinuating that we're just roleplaying is ableist.Do not assume that fictives want to roleplay as themselves
Some fictives are very uncomfortable with the insinuation of roleplaying as themselves. They are not simply just a character to play around with, they are a living, breathing, person.Do not assume you would know if someone is a system or not
Systems can be very covert. You can not always tell if somebody is a system, and if somebody tells you they are one, do not tell them that you would "know" if they are one or not.Do not make jokes about those using PK being 'bots'.
We've heard it a million times. It's not funny. It was never funny.

exotrauma/"pseudomemories"
Exotrauma is trauma that an alter has, that has not happened to the body itself. For example, a fictive may have trauma regarding their canon that affects them, despite the fact that trauma has never happened to the body. Exotrauma is usually alongside memories (Sometimes called Exogenic memories) that did not happen to the body. Some people refer to these memories as 'Pseudomemories' But that is often considered offensive. The definition of Pseudo being:
"not genuine; spurious or sham."
Referring to an alters memories as "pseudo memories" implies that their memories are in some way fake. While the things they remember did not happen to the body, it is polite to treat these alters memories as real, since to said alter, they are.
NOTE
Some systems may call their own memories pseudomemories. Some systems may find it beneficial and if they refer to their own memories as such, it's okay to call it that back to them. But it's recommended to not use it without prior consent.

Traumagenic Systems
Traumagenic systems are systems created via severe, typically repetitive, childhood trauma. It is typically said that a traumagenic system can form around the ages of 3-9. This occurs because as children, we do not have a set 'personality'. The full personality solidifies later. And when extreme trauma happens, we fail to actually form that full personality, creating alters. A traumagenic system is likely somebody with DID or OSDD.

Detailed splitting
Splitting refers to when a new alter in a system form. This can happen for a variety of reasons. Most typically, the system may split when under extreme stress, triggered, or otherwise facing some sort of trauma. Though depending on the [type of system] other reasons may cause splitting.
When the system splits, a new alter is formed and they may be silent, or immediately front. Some systems may experience a migraine or headache when splitting as well. Unfortunately, splitting is a very individual experience that depends on each individual system, but generally splitting is usually not a very pleasant experience. If a system you know says they're splitting, they may be dissociating or under extreme stress. The best way to handle this, would be to offer support and comfort, and be ready to possibly help this new alter navigate through things if they decide to front around you.

Misconceptions and Stereotypes
There are many misconceptions and stereotypes regarding plurality that are harmful to the plural community as a whole.Theres an "evil" or "killer" alter
This is one of the most harmful, and common, stereotypes out there. That there is an alter who is some sort of serial killer. That couldn't be further from the truth. The chance of an alter being a serial killer, is about the same as any other person being a serial killer. Alters are not inherently evil, and the insinuation that someone who is plural is dangerous is rooted in ableism.Alters can "die"
Alters can not 'die'. They can integrate or go dormant, but they can not 'die'. We're not sure where this misconception even came from, but it is simply untrue.Systemhopping
System hopping is the belief that someone from one system can "hop" into another system. This is typically rooted in more spiritual beliefs and people who engage in thoughtforms. For Traumagenic systems, system hopping is not possible and is often a controversial subject. It's generally perceived as impossible for endogenic systems as well, but some people say otherwise.Integration/fusion kills alters
Integration does not, in fact, kill the alters that integrated. It just merges the personalities of the two alters to create somebody new. They are not truly 'dead'. Just different now.
Integration/fusion "cures" plurality
Final fusion / Complete integration is often seen as the end all, be all of therapy and treatment regarding plurality. This is simply untrue. Many systems decide they never want to fully integrate or fuse, and rather go for functional plurality, where all alters co-exist and function together.Fiction kin and Fictives are the same thing
Fictives are very different from the experience of being kin. Kinshifts are very different from alters in general. Fictives are fictional introjects that're completely different people from the others in the system, while somebody who is fictionkin when in a kinshift is still themselves.Everybody is plural
This is simply not true. The closest to truth this gets, is as children everybody is technically 'plural' as a concrete personality has not been developed. But over time that will change, and a solid identity will form. Some people with various different mental illnesses may have subsets of themselves that can seem similar to alters, but it's usually quite different than plurality as a whole.Switching is super obvious
Switching can be very dramatic and obvious, but not always. You may not even notice that the system you know has switched unless they outwardly tell you. A lot of plurality, at least in regards of DID/OSDD, is very covert. It's possible for switches to occur mid sentence without the other person in the conversation noticing in the slightest.fictives are/are not their source
A fictive is, at the end of the day, a fictional introject. Some fictives are nothing like their source, and others are extremely like their source. It's rude to make assumptions about fictives. At the end of the day, a fictive is their own person and it's improper to treat a fictive like just a "character" and not their own person. But some fictives identify heavily with their source and would be very upset if treated like they're not themselves. It's best to ask a fictive their own personal comfort on this mannerEverybody has a headspace/inner world
Not every system has a headspace or inner world. While most systems do, and it's a common thing talked about, not everybody does. Some people are unable to imagine things (Aphantasia) and May not have a headspace. And they are just as valid as other systems who do have headspaces.System resets
system resets are when a system is literally "reset". all current alters get killed off/stop existing and new alters form, starting the system over. This does not happen for OSDD/DID systems, and it's unsure if possible for Endogenic systems. But the concept is generally seen as impossible.