[MickG]

For those who have alters, do your alters struggle with your body if it does not "fit" with their image? For example, would an alter of a different age and/or sex be uncomfortable in the host's body? How is that dealt with?

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by MickG

For those who have alters, do your alters struggle with your body if it does not "fit" with their image? For example, would an alter of a different age and/or sex be uncomfortable in the host's body? How is that dealt with?

my alters had their own way of being. they didnt have a problem with the body because the body was how ever they were...example sunny's image of the body when she was in control was skinny, and normal for her, when rainy was in control of the body she saw the body from her own point of reference of who she was sad, withdrawn and blah, when the prostituting alter was in control her image of the body was sexy, beautiful.

each of my alters had their own way to be and thats the reference point they saw the body.

[toesquasher]

hi
I have that problem. One of my alters is male and can't stand the fact he's trapped in a woman's body. Unfortunately I have no advice as I'm dealing with the same questions myself.
Toe

[such is life...]

Originally Posted by MickG

For those who have alters, do your alters struggle with your body if it does not "fit" with their image? For example, would an alter of a different age and/or sex be uncomfortable in the host's body? How is that dealt with?

This confuses me also because all my alters look different, ages,gender how they feel about themselves, their jobs....sometimes it bothers us when we get a gimps of the " real body" in a mirror ( we avoid looking for this reason) ....I guess we have body dysphoric syndrome....I cant spell the name .But the alter that is out never looks like what I guess "everyday people see"....my t always wants to know the name, age and job of our alters in tx.....she jokingly says we all look alike to her.After she gets to know different alters then we don't have to state our names..... I hope this has helped you some MickG.....life

[MickG]

Thanks so very much for your replies.

[Claritytoo]

Most of my understanding of how I present is in my head. I don't usually look in the mirror because I don't recognize myself as I understand my self to be. Sometimes I think male and other times I think almost female. Most of the time I just think like a person without a gender.

Yes very much so.

Sometimes it's hard for the little ones to crawl into balls and stuff, because of the shape of our body and it makes them feel unsafe. It didn't used to be this way, but we've gained some weight. =/ Like others have said I mostly avoid looking in the mirror because sometimes I'll catch a glimpse of myself and it will send me into a panic, because it's not really how I'm "supposed" to look. =/

[such is life...]

Originally Posted by LydiaB

Sometimes it's hard for the little ones to crawl into balls and stuff, because of the shape of our body and it makes them feel unsafe. It didn't used to be this way, but we've gained some weight. =/ Like others have said I mostly avoid looking in the mirror because sometimes I'll catch a glimpse of myself and it will send me into a panic, because it's not really how I'm "supposed" to look. =/

Wow LydiaB I feel the same way about getting a " glimps " in the mirror. I still role up into the smallest ball I can and cover myself with a soft blanket....for my kid parts....they are the ones who want to curl up into a ball and disappear....for ever...I hide when were scared so my kid parts are just that little kids ((((hugs )))

[GypsyRosalie]

i have issues with stuff like this. I dont look like this body looks. the body is kinda natural toned brown-red hair, rather overweight, plain looking. thats not me and i hate it. my hair is supposed to be black or candy red, im thin, im not this. i have others issues too relating to image but stuck in this body is wrong

alex

[jeNeTeConnaisPas]

I am physically female, age 23. And I only have 2 female alters out of 60+

Some of these male alters are older men, some are little boys. I choose to dress as a male most of the time, and they still feel out of place if they arent wearing appropriate clothes for their weight/age. Im a bit overweight in the last few years so getting to look right in the mirror is a struggle everyday. I know people around me just see me as a person, all regular and what not.

But then I see myself and im like "UGH I DONT LOOK RIGHT AAAGHHH" and i melt down almost every time. But I've gotten used to accepting you cant always look how you percieve yourself.

Originally Posted by such is life...

Wow LydiaB I feel the same way about getting a " glimps " in the mirror. I still role up into the smallest ball I can and cover myself with a soft blanket....for my kid parts....they are the ones who want to curl up into a ball and disappear....for ever...I hide when were scared so my kid parts are just that little kids ((((hugs )))

I know I avoid mirrors in total because of this... my psychiatrist asked me about a month ago randomly if I avoided looking in the mirror. I was so offended. Like am I that ugly? Who just asks that. "Do you ever look in the mirror Lydia?" He's trying to learn about dissociative disorders too... and I think he was trying to get at this. Of course my answer was no... but I thought he was trying to say like it was quite obvious I didn't look in mirrors. My hair was never done and I never put on make up, etc. I was like I think I understand now and feel much better about him asking that question. It's probably fairly common among people with DID.

[Crew]

CAUTION! This MAYBE TOO WEIRD!!! Just Say'n,

At times when we look into the mirror I don't see the "body." I forget that I see me and I have been told that I brush my long brown hair and the "body has short hair that is black!" Then I get horrified when I ask my friend who took the picture I ask "who is that person in the picture?" It's you Crew and were all just horrified. So we have to keep the hair a basic way some sorta sees the body so the kinda "host" of my system, she can see the hair enough to cut it. yeah I know scary host or no host anyway, I would like to talk seriously to people who feel like a man living in a woman's body. Were called sir a lot which is enjoyed by some and hated by the girl's. Yeah were still stuck in this cause I guess it's how you judge yourself I guess. However I'm not pointing at You, I'm pointing directly at this ME in this body.

So to you all and sorry so long. It would be neat to hear people's ideas or hardships for males inside females and vice versa. Sorta like the sub groups like "the Garden and Teens Room" wouldn't know who to ask?? hmmm Just and idea....
Later, Crew

[littleme420]

I always used to wonder why I don't look like the same person in the mirror as I do in pictures. I will look good to myself in mirrors but when I see pictures from the same day I feel like I look so tired and haggard looking, I get so depressed.

[MickG]

Originally Posted by littleme420

I always used to wonder why I don't look like the same person in the mirror as I do in pictures. I will look good to myself in mirrors but when I see pictures from the same day I feel like I look so tired and haggard looking, I get so depressed.

Photos are so strange. When I was in the hospital a photo was taken of me for security reasons. I felt the photo was of the "identity" the doctors were seeing at the time. It was strange but I could see his characteristics in my face.

we rarely look in the mirror, because its never who we are expecting to see.

[littleme420]

Pictures really didn't bother me until here recently a little coaxing and I would eventually give in, now for some reason I am scared to death of having my picture taken. just the thought of having my picture taken is a trigger for the shaking, adrenaline & dissociating maybe I'm afraid of who I will see?

[Inhabitants]

We hate mirrors. The first reaction is always "who is that??" Then we have to remind ourself that's us. It's just always such a surprise, what the mirror shows. I never expect any of us to look like what we see.

[UnhingedHick]

Originally Posted by MickG

For those who have alters, do your alters struggle with your body if it does not "fit" with their image? For example, would an alter of a different age and/or sex be uncomfortable in the host's body? How is that dealt with?

All of us are male.. But out alters have very different style and t gets very upesetting when theres not the right cloths for all of them. They all dress very differently. :/