A Crash Course On CDD Systems

Hello! This is a site intended to be an objective, easily-digestible resource for anyone who wants to know more about systems.Sources will be linked within the text so that it isn't too hard to find what source goes to what statement. This is a guide, not an academic paper, and making this information accessible is a bigger priority to me than making some giant fancy bibliography.As a disclaimer, the person writing this is a diagnosed DID system from the USA who has been in treatment for several years and in the community since about 2020. I not claim to know everything and do not claim every single source is 100% without its faults.Again, this is a guide written by a person who wants to help de-stigmatize and bring clarity to a disorder that's often misunderstood, not a doctoral thesis to debate why such-and-such obscure term in a paper from 1990 is right or wrong. Please do not harass or belittle anyone over a Carrd. Thank you!

FAQs

What is a system?
A system, in this context, is a shorthand term for "a person with DID/OSDD-1/P-DID". It refers to a collection of dissociative parts (or "alters") created through repetitive childhood trauma. Parts can take over control of the body and may or may not be aware of each other.What are these parts like?
Parts may come in many forms. Some are very developed and may have their own names, age presentations, gender presentations, and opinions. On the other hand, some aren't so elaborate and may exist only to hold a memory, a specific job, or a piece of a memory. Even if parts are differentiated, they may not show themselves to the outside world clearly and may "fly under the radar".What causes a system?
Systems are caused by early, repetitive, and inescapable childhood trauma. There isn't a hard cutoff for what the maximum age is, but generally the trauma must have started before the child's self formed into a cohesive whole. The trauma keeps the "ego states" that everyone is born with separated and puts barriers between them to keep traumatic events in more-manageable compartments to protect the brain from what would otherwise be too overwhelming to cope with. From there, these separated states develop into fuller parts with their own traits and memories.How many parts does a system have?
A system will have as many parts as they need to survive their situation, be that two or two thousand. The DSM-V only states that a system has "two or more" alters. Further, some dissociative systems may count every intrusive part regardless of how complex they are. Some, however, only prefer to count extremely individualized parts.What disorders are systems associated with?
Systems are seen in dissociative identity disorder (DID), other specified dissociative disorder subtype one (OSDD-1), and partial dissociative identity disorder (p-DID). However, unspecified dissociative disorder (UDD) can be an emergency placeholder diagnosis when there's not enough time to figure out which specific complex disorder an individual has. Mileage may vary depending on the country and its preferred diagnositic manual. (For instance, the USA uses the DSM-V, which does not include p-DID as a diagnosis. Many countries use the ICD-10 or ICD-11, which does not include OSDD as a diagnosis.)Why is it not called "multiple personality disorder anymore"?
Complex dissociative disorders are no longer referred to as MPD as the disorders encompass more than just "multiple personalities". They contain dissociative fugue, trauma responses, memory issues, depersonalization, derealization, identity confusion, and more. Additionally, "personalities" is no longer deemed a fitting term for parts/alters. There is a lot more to these disorders than just having alters, and the name change starting around 1994 reflects its complexity.What types of trauma cause systems?
There's no one specific type of trauma that causes the level of dissociation present in a system. It depends on that child's tolerance threshold and whether or not they have other coping skills than dissociation. Systems can be caused by the aftereffects of war and natural disasters just the same as they can be caused by neglect and abuse. As long as the trauma is perceived as inescapable, begins during early childhood, and is repetitive in nature, it's enough.Are systems violent like in that movie 'Split'?
Systems, just like any other people in our world, are capable of doing bad things. However, complex dissociative disorders do not make someone more likely to commit acts of violence. In fact, it's much more likely that a person with a complex dissociative disorder will harm themselves rather than anyone else.Can systems lead successful lives?
Absolutely, yes! As a matter of fact, the DID system who wrote this Carrd is a musician, a writer, a manager, a barista, a Bachelor's degree holder, and a dog owner. However, please do note that systems are just as diverse as all other humans and many of them may not be able to do the same things as other systems. For some, their disorder is entirely disabling. Any one system should not be used as a metric for measuring all systems.

Terminology

Here are some common terms. Many are colloquial or community terms (and will therefore be near impossible to find a solid source for). All are paraphrased to make sure they're as easy to understand as possible!Alter: Another name for a dissociative part. Some people prefer to use it, some don't.Front: The "front" is a commonly-used term used to describe the external world/the body's control. Whatever part is "fronting" has executive control over the body.Switch: A switch occurs when a part takes over executive control of the body from another part. Switches may go unnoticed (even by the system) or may be very obvious. They may take only a second or may take several hours.Co-conscious: A part is said to be co-conscious, "co-con", or "in co" when they are observing the world but not assuming control of the body/front. They may or may not be able to communicate with the part in control or exert "passive" influence with the part in control. Think backseat driving.Co-fronting: This happens when two or more parts are controlling the body at once. They may or may not be aware this is happening.Splitting: "Splitting" refers to the brain compartmentalizing a new traumatic event, thus creating a new part. Splits may or may not be associated with distressing symptoms.Dormant: A part is said to be "dormant" when they're "asleep" (for lack of a better word). Dormant parts don't take control of the front and may remain dormant for any length of time.Integration: Integration is the breaking down of dissociative barriers and the acceptance of trauma. In some contexts, it may be interchangeable with "fusing", but usually the two terms mean slightly different things.Fusion: Parts undergo "fusion" when they integrate with each other so much that they are no longer differentiated. They become one part rather than multiple. All fusion is integration, but not all integration is fusion.Final fusion: A system is said to have achieved this when all parts have fused into one. This typically takes lots of work and therapy and is one of many recovery paths someone may choose to take.Functional multiplicity: Functional multiplicity is another recovery goal that may work better for some systems. It generally refers to the point when parts integrate well enough that they can all work together with minimal dissociative barriers.Polyfragmented: There is much debate over what makes a system polyfragmented. However, the term generally refers to large systems with very complex organization and the presence of many fragments. Term is often shortened to "polyfrag" or "pf". Some people still hold on to the term "complex" as a modifier instead, such as "complex DID".Subsystem: A "system within a system", so to speak. May refer to a group of parts that can only communicate effectively with each other or as an alter with alters.Internal world: Basically, a dreamscape where alters may visualize themselves when they are not fronting. Not all systems have internal worlds, and internal worlds may vary in how vivid they are.Psuedomemory: Psuedomemories take the place of real memories. They are reflective of things that actually occurred in the system's life and therefore either cover up traumatic memories with good psuedomemories or twist traumatic memories into something more manageable/less horrifying.Substitute belief: A belief held in order to help cope with something else. For instance, if an alter believes themselves to be a ghost in order to cope with or understand a near-death experience, that'd fall into this category.

Alter Roles

This is an expansion on terminology. Here are some common labels for the jobs parts tend to have in their respective systems. Some systems may use the terms with other meanings, while some may use terms specific to them, while some may use no terms at all. Ultimately, it's a personal choice.Protector: Protectors are exactly what's on the tin. They fill a protective role in their system somehow and usually front in the face of perceived threats/danger.Caretaker: Caretakers may either be responsible for making sure the system takes care of themselves externally, like eating and showering, or may be responsible for caring for parts who are more vulnerable (like trauma holders).Host: Host parts are those that take control of the body for a majority of the time. Some systems have more than one host, while others may not have any hosts at all. The host may change over time.Persecutor: Persecutors are harmful to the system in some way. They are often either misguided protectors who feel that their behaviors are somehow beneficial or parts who feel for whatever reason that they must re-enact abuse.Trauma Holder: These parts hold memories of traumatic experiences and events. They may or may not be functional and may or may not be stuck reliving said trauma over and over.Fragment: Fragments are less-developed parts that typically don't have much individuality to them. They usually only hold a specific memory or job to carry out and are not very elaborate.Little: "Littles" are child parts that present as being very young. They may or may not be able to do things atypical of real children, such as driving, paying bills, or cooking. This isn't really as much of a role on its own as it is a label modifier, since littles can take on any role.Gatekeeper: These parts are often (but not always) very knowledgeable about the system. They may help manage things internally, prevent parts from fronting in certain situations, or execute a bit of control over the front.Core: This is a term often used to mean the "original part". Many people tend to argue over whether or not cores can exist, and the term is highly controversial. However, there has been an argument proposed as to how and why cores can exist even within currently-accepted structural dissociation theory.Primary [role]: Typically, the word "primary" when used in front of a different role refers to the "default". For instance, a system's primary protector may be the protector that is usually the first to front in a dangerous situation.Age Slider: Also more of a modifier than a role, these parts present as having various ages depending on influencing factors. Alternatively, an age slider may be a subsystem containing many "versions" of that part at different ages and the presentation depends on whichever part is shown externally.Non-Human: Non-human is also not a role on its own. These parts contain the substitute belief that they are not human and/or they present internally as being non-human.Introject: An introject is a part that is based off of an external source. Introjects may be of abusers, caretakers, fictional characters, or any other number of things. They may or may not be very similar to their source.