i was a teen when i started to realize they were other parts. as a child, i remember hearing voices and knowing some of them but not knowing anything was 'wrong'. as i got older, things got scarier though, and i wasn't sure what was happening. i had met others online who had DID but wasn't sure i had it as i didn't have the black outs like they did but did clearly have very severe dissociative episodes of varying degrees.

also as a teen, some of the parts introduced themselves to me, some by name. it scared me, but some were nice too. as time went on, i was able to meet a few and get to know things about them. for years, i heard them in my head or a loud noise in my head a lot. i was able to verbally communicate inside with several of them until it stopped due to a lot of things changing in my life.

i also got to know more in dreams. i had known about them in general but was able to learn more about some in dreams. i was not sure if that was real or not, but it turns out that it was. dreams about the other parts are different than regular dreams for me. also, sometimes early in the morning right before i'm fully awake, some talk or come around. it can be unsettling and strange and confusing at times and not make much sense. i can also be aware of hearing them but not knowing what they are saying..or sometimes they have tried talking to me in a dream and then i'll wake up hearing them still trying to talk, but once i'm awake that ability to hear them in that way goes away.

sometimes they can share things image wise or feelings, so those are other ways i get to know things about them. i have also had some of them talk where i can hear the words coming from my mouth but not be in control of saying it. it doesn't happen often though. mine are more hidden, so it has taken a long time (and when they are ready) for them to share things or come around.

another time, one randomly surfaced while out in public and took control over the right side of my body. she tried to move forward to comfort a person in front of us. it was very confusing and disorienting for me.

so for me, there have been a lot of ways they have become known about.