!! This is not about kin. This is a term used in dissociative disorders. I am not in the kin communi

!! This is not about kin. This is a term used in dissociative disorders. I am not in the kin community. Replies/Reblogs turning this into a “kin” thing will be blocked. This is a post on the formation of these types of alters in a person with DID/OSDD !!Talking about that though is a whole different can of worms. Anyway! I said to myself I wouldn’t do many comics that “teach” about DID because I’m no professional and can only speak from experience. But in this case, I have a lot of experience! That doesn’t mean I’m a doctor though so my word is not gospel. This is a long post because this is a more complicated topic.Introjects (aka Introjected parts) are alters who have pulled their identity from an outside source. This can be a person, a mythical creature, a character, and sometimes even a historical figure. It all depends on what was going on at the time of this new part forming. They are not literally these characters/creatures/people. They are the mind’s interpretation meant to keep the person with DID/OSDD safe/soothed.Everyone introjects. Humans naturally mimic others to survive. In people who do not have DID/OSDD, they can introject ideas and behaviours and integrate them into their sense of self. No problem.But for people with dissociative disorders, that ability to integrate something new into our “self” (“selves” might be a better word?) is stunted. That failure to integrate is why the disorder exists to begin with. Integration, like introjection, happens almost daily in everyone. Integration is when someone incorporates information into their sense of self and personal history. When you dissociate, that’s kind of like a failure to integrate.Having said that, introjects stem from ideas and behaviours that did not fully integrate into a person with DID/OSDD’s personal history and sense of self. They may have the same name, appearance, (interpreted) behaviour, and whatnot. At the same time, they may deviate from their introjected identity and become their own person. That might be how they heal.More information below the cut? I’m sorry I wrote a book haha. ——-To reiterate introjecting, this is a defence mechanism centered around mimicking. One example of it happening in everyone would be like a young girl disciplining her brother just like how her mom does when mom isn’t around. That young girl introjected from her mom.In a more turbulent household, an introject may form in someone with DID that took their identity from an abuser. In fact, I’d say that’s pretty common.Suppose a child with DID/OSDD is told by their parent “You messed this up. You can’t do anything right!” That child introjects that reaction, and may split into new fragments or alters based on the stress building up. One of those new alters will copy that voice and can be triggered out by whatever may remind that alter of that reaction. It could be the actions of the person with DID/OSDD, or just that pressure of that stressor from the abuser happening again, just to name a few. Later, that person with DID/OSDD moves on to school or the workplace and eventually someone like a teacher or boss tells them they made a small error on an assignment. It’s very likely that this introjected part of their abusive parent will get triggered forward and begin tearing the person with DID/OSDD down by either repeating what the parent said, or worse.Suddenly, the pen is absolutely mightier than the sword.People with DID/OSDD may be inclined to shun this introjected alter because they see this part as their abuser. It can be hard for them to perhaps see that this introject of an abuser is a piece of the same person, just like everyone else in the system. They’re hurting, badly. And this process isn’t the easiest for systems to go through solely from the nature of it.Fictional introjects work somewhat in the same vein. A stressor or trauma occurs, and the person with DID/OSDD splits. In this case, the person may be like “I wish I was strong like Superman!” or “I wish a hero was here to protect me!” and that belief may cause the brain to introject from what it believes is “strong” or “protective”. Examples of this in my system can be found in my author intro post. Introjects in my system didn’t come from “This person is strong”, but they did come a belief similar to “If I’m x like the abuser wants, then this will stop and I’ll be safe.” Again, they are not literally the character. Their personality may exaggerate certain traits and understate others to build a soothing or protective alter, because accuracy to the source is most likely not what will help the person with DID/OSDD survive.Hopefully this makes sense! Again, people with DID/OSDD are encouraged to add input. I’d prefer if the input comes from only people with DID/OSDD, though. -- source link

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