for me, they just come and go...sometimes randomly..sometimes not for months or years...there is no real 'system' to how mine work. it's just a free for all. even when i 'think' i should be dissociating more, it doesn't always happen, so i don't even understand how it works for me since there is zero pattern, no way of knowing when it will happen or even why. i can be calm with nothing happening in my life and not even triggers i know of that can cause things to increase or have a lot of chaos and not be dissociating. it's frustrating sometimes.

but in saying that, i don't have total black out periods, although i do end up not remembering after the dissociation lessens and i come back 100%. i kind of blend with them..or rather they blend with me and each other..sometimes can be a few at once..i can feel them and get confused between who they are and who i am...it's....strange..and i still cannot put it into words or explain it. there are so many variations for how it is for me. it also has changed over the years.