No, it’s plurality and yes we do switch out, which might be dissociation of a sort, but from our experience it’s basically someone/somemany else taking control of the body/mind.
Dissociation isn’t a problem per se though, most mental differences aren’t unless it causes harm to the individual or group. Though usually there are solutions to this without destroying the others or stopping creating more (if someone or somemany does so safely), usually a therapist trained in plurality without seeing it as something to fix, or someone well versed in other types of trauma therapy etc can be helpful for resolving the underlying problems without causing harm to the group.
Plurality is still something, sadly, wildly misunderstood and as such many, such as yourself, think it is inherently harmful. We can’t speak for every system (though we have met quite a few) but most of the problems we have come across in other systems have been nothing to do with the others existing per se but the underlying issues that sometimes caused them to either get created or for the person to want to create them.
We personally are a healthy plural group in terms of our plurality at least in terms of having no fights internally and we don’t dissociate (switch really) in ways that would be not useful or harmful in a plural way (though we do dissociate (but not switch) from certain triggers which we try to avoid and/or work on).
We hope this helps ease your concerns, though if you have other questions then please do feel free to ask.
[Genuine] What about it doesn’t sound healthy?
Putting effort into making a believable and persistent imaginary person feels like it would disassociate you. Is that not the case?
I have never had an imaginary friend, but it sounds like self-induced schizophrenia, which doesn’t sound fun.
No, it’s plurality and yes we do switch out, which might be dissociation of a sort, but from our experience it’s basically someone/somemany else taking control of the body/mind.
Dissociation isn’t a problem per se though, most mental differences aren’t unless it causes harm to the individual or group. Though usually there are solutions to this without destroying the others or stopping creating more (if someone or somemany does so safely), usually a therapist trained in plurality without seeing it as something to fix, or someone well versed in other types of trauma therapy etc can be helpful for resolving the underlying problems without causing harm to the group.
Plurality is still something, sadly, wildly misunderstood and as such many, such as yourself, think it is inherently harmful. We can’t speak for every system (though we have met quite a few) but most of the problems we have come across in other systems have been nothing to do with the others existing per se but the underlying issues that sometimes caused them to either get created or for the person to want to create them.
We personally are a healthy plural group in terms of our plurality at least in terms of having no fights internally and we don’t dissociate (switch really) in ways that would be not useful or harmful in a plural way (though we do dissociate (but not switch) from certain triggers which we try to avoid and/or work on).
We hope this helps ease your concerns, though if you have other questions then please do feel free to ask.
That’s extremely interesting. It’s very hard for me to imagine such a different experience of the world from my own! I’ll do some reading.
Here’s a good site to start on: https://morethanone.info/
Gracias!
de nada