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Post by The Lunar Crew on Nov 11, 2019 23:57:36 GMT -7
ANP's, EP's, & More -- ANP: Apparently Normal Part. Those that are ANP's are often hosts, caretakers, etc. They do not hold trauma memories, or at least they do not hold emotional attachment to trauma memories. They are as their name says- apparently normal. They are usually alters that are able to keep a clear head, calm thinking, logical, etc.
"Apparently normal part (ANP) : These dissociated states engage in normal life and are often thought of as the parts that are called the hosts. Those with DID will have at least two ANP, which is one of the criteria that differentiates DID from OSDD. [12 p.81]"
-- EP: Emotional Part. Those that are EP's are often holders of trauma memories, trauma emotions, and they are usually very emotional in general. They are usually alters that are most affected by things, can have strong emotional reactions to things, are not usually the best at staying calm, etc. They do not have to be stuck in trauma, though, and are not always stuck in trauma or a flashback.
"Emotional part: (EP, victim parts, exile) This is a dissociated part of the personality that holds essentially traumatic memories and dedicates itself to the survival of threat and to the survival of the individual, as opposed to the ANP. Enduring child EP's are usually fixated at the time of traumatization." [12] An EP is a dissociated part of self which owns a memory that is emotional because it has not been processed to the ultimate form all memories eventually reach."
-- Emotional Observing Parts: (OEP) These alters have the ability to observe and hear many alters that others alters cannot within the system. Some OEP "seem to develop more secondary elaboration, and appear highly intellectualized, non feeling, but sometimes quite insightful parts of the personality, and have much more memory than only of traumatic experience. A few do report feeling, but it is usually limited or mild." "A few OEP involve some level of care taking.." OEP "typically do not interact externally in the world, but can be quite active internally." [12 p. 68 -69, 323-324]
-- Emotional Part & ANP mixture: This is common in those that are "highly fragmented." In those with mixed parts the abuse began exceptionally early and was so extreme that "these children must alternate so quickly and frequently among emerging defensive and daily life action systems, hence their EP's and ANP's, can become mixed in quite chaotic manifestations." In a low functioning DID system the two can appear almost indistinguishable. This is only an appearance however. They are indeed distinct. [12 p.78-79]
ANP's and EP's are like male and female genders. There does not have to be a clear line where an alter or fragment is one or the other. They can have traits from both categories, just as a female can be masculine and a male can be feminine.
-- ISH: (internal self helper, inner self helper, guidance, unconscious mind, observing ego, higher self, hidden observer, inner wisdom) The ISH is a dissociated part that objectively observes. The ISH is usually unable to communicate with other alters, yet has the ability to watch and hear everything going on inside a system. The ISH will usually display little emotion or effect. Usually there is only one ISH per system. "Because the ISH is thought to have access to the memories of the person as a whole, as well as to the memories of each alter individually, (because the ISH was there and observed, not because this part can read minds) and because each alter knows a relatively small part of the real history of the patient, one of the most frequently requested clinical applications of work with the ISH involves its sharing information." [88 p.170] Those without DID also have this part of the self, and it is commonly called the hidden observer in those who do not have DID. Sometimes these parts are called managers, but label becomes confused with the parts that do perform the role of managing the system. [4 p.64]
The main difference between an Observing EP and an ISH is that Observing EP's can and are usually quite active internally even though they may not be externally active that much. ISH's tend to "stay out of the way" as much as possible, both internally and externally. They are often described as helping only when it is truly needed, and even then, helping in the smallest ways possible. They are often described as having the general view of "life being one's own journey to figure out on their own", and they usually have the view of not wanting to give "all the answers away".
-- Not to be confused with ISH's:
Gatekeeper alter: A label that is sometimes used by those with DID to refer to those alters who keep other alters from doing things, including keeping them from being the one in executive control or even coming forward. These parts often come in the form of animals, and function as the one who watches and/or remembers. [4 p.58]
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Post by The Lunar Crew on Nov 12, 2019 0:00:24 GMT -7
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Post by The Lunar Crew on Nov 12, 2019 0:10:55 GMT -7
Different Alter Types Alter (compartmentalized parts, alter ego, alternate part, alternate personality): Those with Dissociative Identity Disorder have traumatized and dissociated parts of the personality which are commonly called alters or altered states. The only disorder with alters is Dissociative Identity Disorder. No alter, including the host, is a complete self, even though each might feel as if it is. These are dissociated parts of the personality that can occur when a person is severely ab*sed in early childhood, the experience may remain separated into compartmentalized components.
Types of Alters:
-- Abuser alters: These parts are often introjects of the original abuser(s) which often injure or attempt to kill alters including the host - yet at the same time these parts often feel they are protecting the system by reducing behavior that, as a child, would have brought the wrath of the abuser(s).
-- Apparently normal part (ANP): These dissociated states engage in normal life and are often thought of as the parts that are called the hosts. Those with Dissociative Identity Disorder will have at least two ANP, which is one of the criteria that differentiates Dissociative Identity Disorder from OSDD.
-- Child alter: These are alters that are usually stuck at the time the child was subjected to trauma, and they are normally desperate for attachment. They are not a stuck state, nor are they the concept referred to as an inner child.
-- Dead alter: Some alters endured "such horrific abuse that they believed they were about to die and that they did die." If there is no one that can help the child "assimilate the experience and to recognize that they lived through it," then the part is in essence dead. An alter cannot be killed however, and can always be found and helped back to "life."
-- Emotional part: (EP, victim parts, exile) This is a dissociated part of the personality that holds essentially traumatic memories and dedicates itself to the survival of threat, and to the survival of the individual, as opposed to the ANP. Enduring child EP's are usually fixated at the time of traumatization." An EP is a dissociated part of self which owns a memory that is emotional because it has not been processed to the ultimate form all memories eventually reach.
-- Emotional Observing Parts: (OEP) These alters have the ability to observe and hear many alters that others alters cannot within the system. Some OEP "seem to develop more secondary elaboration, and appear highly intellectualized, and sometimes quite insightful parts. "A few OEP involve some level of care taking." OEP "typically do not interact externally in the world, but can be quite active internally."
-- Emotional Part & ANP mixture: This mixture is common in those that are polyfragmented. The abuse began exceptionally early in this type of structure and was so extreme that these children had to alternate rapidly and frequently among emerging defensive and daily life action systems, hence their EP's and ANP's, can become mixed in chaotic manifestations. In a low functioning Dissociative Identity Disorder system the two can appear almost indistinguishable. This is only an appearance however. They are indeed distinct.
-- Differently gendered alter: (opposite or cross gender) Alters that are the opposite gender from the body.
-- Fictive alter : A term sometimes used by people with Dissociative Identity Disorder to describe alters that are an introject of a fictional character.
-- Fragment: This type of part may be too limited to classify as an alter, but it is a dissociated part that usually holds one or two emotions or responds to a few specific situations.
-- Gatekeeper alter: A label that is sometimes used by those with Dissociative Identity Disorder to refer to those alters who keep other alters from doing things, including keeping them from being the one in executive control or even coming forward. These parts often come in the form of animals, and function as the one who watches and/or remembers.
-- Handicapped alter: Those with Dissociative Identity Disorder often have alters that are deaf, blind, missing limbs, sickly, dying, have a "broken heart" (heart disease) or other handicaps or illness.
-- Host alter: (see ANP) "The host is an alter that has the function of living daily life and has not, or not fully, realized the traumatization." There may be more than one part aiding in this function who would also be a host. It is important to understand that any alter, including the host is lacking in self awareness and functioning - they are not a complete personality. Different hosts can be in charge during various times in life and new ones can be created if needed.
-- ISH: (internal self helper, inner self helper, guidance, unconscious mind, observing ego, higher self, hidden observer, inner wisdom) The ISH is a dissociated part that objectively observes. The ISH is usually unable to communicate with other alters, yet has the ability to watch and hear everything going on inside a system. The ISH will usually display little emotion or effect. Usually there is only one ISH per system. "Because the ISH is thought to have access to the memories of the person as a whole, as well as to the memories of each alter individually, (because the ISH was there and observed, not because this part can read minds) and because each alter knows a relatively small part of the real history of the individual, one of the most frequently requested clinical applications of work with the ISH involves its sharing information." [88 p.170] Those without Dissociative Identity Disorder also have this part of the self, and it is commonly called the hidden observer in those who do not have Dissociative Identity Disorder. Sometimes these parts are called managers, but label becomes confused with the parts that do perform the role of managing the system.
-- Little alter: A term often used by those with Dissociative Identity Disorder to indicated alters that acts much like a child who is 8 years old or younger. It can be thought of as "developmental states that are encapsulated and stored inside the brain."
-- Manager alter: Some categorized managers as the ISH. (See ISH)
-- Main alter: (See host) The alter out most often.
-- Memory trace alter: An alter which has an almost complete range of memories.
-- Middle alter: A term often used by those with Dissociative Identity Disorder to describe an alter that appears to be between the ages of 8 and 12. It can be thought of as "developmental states that are encapsulated and stored inside the brain."
-- Otherkin or Animal alter: A term sometimes used by those with Dissociative Identity Disorder to described alters that have taken any form other than human.
-- Protector alter: There are three types: persecutory, fight and caretaker alters which all, in their own way, protect the system and can "dominate consciousness", leaving the host unaware of what they have done.
-- Persecutory alters: These alters defensively "protect" the system, but their idea of how to do this, once the body is no longer a child, can be damaging to the whole - in fact they can terrorize the person in the same way the original abuser did. They are often introjects of the original abuser(s) and tend to respond to both inner and external "perceived threats," harming alters inside and out the same way the original abuser did, plus they often self harm, including cutting and purging. These parts do not have skills to regulate feelings such as anger, fear, pain, shame and needs.
-- Fight alters: These alters appear almost fearless in their protection. They protect from both inside and outside abuse.
-- Caretaker alters: (soother alter) These alters are what one would think of as true protectors of the system. They act as caretakers both internally and externally but are limited to care of others and are depleted easily, lacking awareness needed for self care. They are often introjects of caring adults that were in the child's life.
-- Secret-keeper alter: A term used by some with Dissociative Identity Disorder to refer to an alter that keeps information of abuse or other information away from others in the system.
-- Sleeping alter: A term used by some with Dissociative Identity Disorder to refer to when a specific alter has no direct contact with the external world or in other words, for this alter, time passes without knowing while asleep.
-- Slider alter: A term sometimes used by those with Dissociative Identity Disorder to mean an alter does not just increase in age with time, but who's age is thought to vary. It can be thought of as "developmental states that are encapsulated and stored inside the brain."
-- Sexual alters: A term sometimes used by those with Dissociative Identity Disorder to refer to parts are often sensual and perform the job of sex and perhaps romance. Many of those involve sexual abuse of some kind. The alters created are to protect us from the trauma, but many times they become so individual and real that they feel strong sexual desires, and they long for that physical connection.
-- Suicidal alters: Often there is a least one alter in a system that will harm other alters and perhaps even attempt to kill them and that does not exclude harm to the host. They threaten and hurt others to keep parts from telling about the system or about the abuse they suffered. (See protector alters)
-- Teen alter: A part between the ages of 13 and 18. These parts can be thought of as "developmental states that are encapsulated and stored inside the brain."
-- Twin alters: Twins appear the same in many ways and may even have the same name, often, but certainly not always, one twin is good while the other is bad.
Every system is different. Not every system will have every type of alter. This is not a guide to how a system "should be". This is a reference for the different types of alters that a system can have, and there may be more possibilities than listed here. There is no limit to what is possible for an alter to be or how an alter or system can develop.
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~Kaleidoscope~
-casey