inside some had names some did not. those that had names used their names when in control of the body. short version is my alters were DID type that all were alternate personalities that all functioned as separate identities from me (the host) example when Sunny was working at her job as a waitress she was the one that went out and got that job, filled out the paperwork as Sunny and her co workers called her Sunny. When Brooke was in control of the body her friends and co workers called her Brooke

caused some confusion because when I (the body person/host/one in which they all lived in) was in control of the body I never knew what the others had done, said. sometimes their friends and co workers would come up to me out in public talking to me as if they knew me. there I am standing talking to complete strangers and they acting as if they know me. very strange.

though with regular family and friends I grew up with everyone answered to the name of Amanda simply because everyone of my family and childhood friends did not know I had others inside of me and they called me Amanda so my system of alters naturally answered to my body given name.

this my name vs alter names was a bit confusing for me after I was diagnosed. you know who am I, what should I be called now that I know stuff. by my treatment provider told me this is just the dynamics of what DID is. that its a protection so of course alters answer to the body name and of course they have their own names too and of course some are so protective of the secrets that they didnt have any names.

As an adult I can continue to go by the body/birth name or any name of my alters or I can even choose a completely different name/legally changing my name through a court process.

I chose to not go by my alters names. they were their own identities, that they treasured/earned through all the pain they saved me from feeling and used when they were in control. their reasons for being in part was so that I did not have to know, associate nor feel the pain of abuse. why would I want to be known by the names associated with my abuse/traumas. every time someone called me those names after integration it was just a reminder of childhood abuse and trauma. I was ready to move on to living in the present moment where abuse and trauma didnt rule my life, didnt constantly remind me how dirty and painful I felt. I didnt want to walk through my present life constantly feeling like a victim I was as a child filled with pain/anxiety, nightmares/like I was still being abused and traumatized.

I chose to keep my birth name that was given to me by my parents named after a very special relative.

I know someone who's birth name and the alters names were just reminders of their abuse/trauma so they legally changed their name so something that was not the birth name nor the alters names. something that was special and happy for them that would enable them to move on in the present moment not constantly reminded of their trauma/abuses that they had to go through in order to be DID. even though this person is not integrated as a whole they all answer to the new non trauma filled/ trauma reminding name.