you know how there is -

the universe has the solar system - planets that came into being? every culture has their own version how they came to be.

the digestive system - the network of bodily parts and actions that help the body to get what it needs?

the world treatment providers now know enough about the human body to know every human has their own internal mental health system - mental things like how a person thinks, what their triggers are, (things that make a person have reactions), how they react to their world and people around them, why they do the things they do, what kinds of mental disorders there are and how those are in each person.

each person has their own way they show their mental disorder, and has their own grouping of symptoms and how that mental disorder affects them.

A persons DID system is how their alters are set up so that they could survive their childhood. each alter has their own purpose /jobs to do that enables the person with the mental disorder to survive.

example

Pinky is part of my DID system. her job was to hold the memory, feelings/emotions about the time I had an allergic reaction to the herb Thyme. everytime after her creation if I had an allergic reaction she would take control, and do what was needed so that I would survive the allergy attack. I would not know about the allergy, I would not be afraid of going to the hospital and I would not have to go through the trachiotomy, allergy testing. I had no knowledge of it until she shared that information with me and pinky and I integrated.

My alter sunshine's job was to joke around and play games and show enjoyment with my abusers, while my alter rane/teers job was to cry when my abusers caused pain. this way I would know know the pain my abusers were causing and would not fear them and be able to be in the same room with them during family time.

My alter yogi's job was to sing and dance, provide me with ways to distract myself so that I would not feel certain abuse I wont write here so that I dont trigger others.

I even had alters that had self injury jobs because my abusers taught me to punish myself for wrong doing like telling about them. and another set of alters who's jobs it was to prevent self injury and prevent others from knowing those alters self injured.

the point is each alter is set up for how ever, and what ever they need to survive. for every negative type there's a positive type alter because children who are abused also love those that abuse them. I know sounds strange. but thats how it does. children love their parents or other relatives they just dont like the abuse and cant handle the abuse so they split off parts of their personalities as a way to survive.

how do alters talk to therapists, be able to do things they take control. the diagnostic criteria says every person that has DID has at least two alters that constantly take control. those that take control of the physical body can talk, walk and live separate lives than the host (person diagnosed with DID) does. they take on complete lives of their own. mine had their own clothes, things they would do, even had their own bank accounts and sometimes those in control moved around to live other places than where I lived. I would become aware and be lost and have to have the police's help in getting me back home where I felt I belonged.

Some alters that take control are very limited on what their knowledge is and others have the ability to learn. Example my alter "red" was limited to only anger where as my alter "grey" had the job and ability to adapt so that I would fit in. Though I come from a place that did not have Ipods and Mp3 players nor the internet Grey knows and had those things because she learned how to use those things so that I wouldnt stick out and have problems in the world outside out Mountain home I grew up in.

Alters are whatever and how ever each host needed in order to survive. Some can email and some cant. now that Im integrated and have all of Greys memories and knowledge its quite easy to email. Grey would email other alters, my therapist and sometimes me by placing our own email address in the send to box. that way the email would leave the composing page and appear in the "inbox" of the email account. Some of my other alters that were adaptable had their own email accounts so they could email each other and my therapist.

again alters are whatever the host needed to survive. they can do anything their purpose/jobs allow them to do.