Life as a System

Common Vocab/ Types of Alters (Part 1)

Trigger warning: mention of abuse (physical, mental, and sexual)

I will place a * next to alters/words that involve a triggering topic. It doesn't go into detail, simply states the trauma occurred and what type it was! (keep in mind that I will be saying "this was caused from trauma" or something like that for almost everything, but I don't go into details and that's why there isn't a star)

Also, Kenzie wrote this chapter! So when it says "my system" or uses "I" it is referring to Kenzie. She does this because she sometimes has a hard time including alters and believes that it is her body that others are using. (she's still figuring this out just like everyone else so don't hate on her for doing so)

Common Vocab Terms: (I will more than likely be adding to this list as I write the chapters, so feel free to refer to this list as many times as needed)

Alter: A personality in a system that behaves like a separate person, and can front to take control over the body/actions of the body.

Fronting: When an alter comes to the front of the mind/the conscious and can experience the outside world through the body

DID: This stands for Dissociative Identity Disorder and is the most common type of system that has alters. This type of system is formed from reoccurring traumas, also called a traumagenic system, that resulted in the personality of a child to never fully develop, creating alters. 

*ES: This is my abbreviation for Endogenic System. This is a type of non-traumagenic system, which means it wasn't formed from reoccurring traumas, but alters are still present in the mind. Scientists still don't have a common reason throughout all ES's as to why they are formed. My system was formed because of constant pressures growing up, understanding strong topics from as early as the age of 2 that most 9 year olds can't understand, and a large traumatic experience that sent me into a spiral. This traumatic experience was reoccurring and it did happen during the time when a child's personality is coming out of development. That is the reason I, Kenzie, believe my alters were created, but other alters disagree and believe it was something else. However, this does not apply for all ES's, because they are formed from different things. (I will go into more detail about the events of how some of my alters were created later, if we are comfortable)

**Trauma: (in this case, we are talking about psychological traumas/events that affected the brains) An experience that is disturbing and causes great distress to an individual. For this book, trauma is used as a blanket term for many different distressing forms of harm to the body/brain. There can be physical traumas, such as abuse. Mental traumas, a stressful event that left someone feeling hopeless or broken, like the death of a loved one. Finally, there is sexual trauma, which would be the rape of an individual. Trauma is different in every system, but it should be treated and respected in the same way. Nobody's trauma is worse or better than someone else's! This is not a competition to see who has it worse, so love and support each other while learning to accept the other's experiences. Every person's brain processes events differently, and some are more sensitive to a specific type of trauma compared to another person! 

Co-con: This is short for Co-Consciousness and it is a state where an alter can go and witness everything happening to the physical body. Thee can hear/see everything and communicate with the "main alter" or that is fully fronting at that time.

Types of Alters in a System:

Host: The host is the main/most typical alter that fronts. It is the alter that was originally born into the body, and they normally spend the most time fronting. If the host was previously unaware of the existence of other alters or traumas they have faced, this alter may have difficulties accepting their personalities. This can result in them being more separated from the other alters, because they are uncomfortable/confused with the presence of others using the body. When the host doesn't know they have alters, a key role in realizing they have multiple personalities/proof they aren't making it up, is when they forget large portions of their daily life. The forgotten part of their day can sometimes be a routine or occur in a pattern.