Median System / Facets

Alright, so I know that Multiple Systems are bodies who have more than one person inside, filled with different alters and such. They're their own separate individuals with their own ideas and opinions. I've learned a lot of this through close friends of mine and people who blog with.

Recently I read someone talking about Facets, which says "Facets are sometimes considered a more minor variety of alters. While alters are entirely separate people with their own thoughts and memories, facets are more like distinct personalities within the same person." (I can't post links yet, so I can't post where I got this. Sorry.)

Sometimes I can feel the opinions, wants, and personality of someone who sort of isn't me influencing my actions and behaviour. I can't "hear" any "words" but I can feel the urging. It's like I'm driving in a car, and someone from the backseat is yelling at me.

Not only that, but I can physically feel it in the back of my chest. While I can sense the influence in the back of my head, I can feel it on me too. Whenever I think about him more (the facet I'm referring to) the pressure on my upper back increases. Although, it might just be anxiety.

I asked a lot of people who have alters, are systems, or who have DID and they said it very well could be a Facet, a start of an alter, or even a hallucination. But it's weird, since I've never had hallucinations.

Talking to these people helps, since they know me and more to the story, but perhaps some more feedback would be nice.

Thank you for reading.

you stated you read blogs could it be that when you read the word facets the person writing the blog was using is as slang or their own description of how they describe their own alternate personalities...

the reason i ask is i am also here in New york and there is no psychological term called facets for DID insiders. the term facets in the english language refers to gems (diamonds, rubies and such and how they are cut (their shapes) for example diamonds can have up to 58 facets.

there are many slang ways people describe having alternate personalities (parts, insiders, aspects, protectors, children, comedy factory, facets, the gang, the whole kit and kaboodle, ....) that doesnt mean they are different or more separated, more functional, or more developed. its just that each person with DID has their own way in which they perceive having alternate personalities.

the DSM5 now calls all that reside within a person with DID "distinct personality states" thats the psychological term now for all alters that are dissociative type alters with in the USA. though like already stated each person with DID calls their alters by what ever they feel fits them.

me I called my insiders according to their job, purpose reason for being created, or their name they came with when referring to one off them (ie the protector, the suicidal one, red, thelma, sunny, rainy, .....) when I was referring to all of them I called them the Chaotic Crew because for me having DID was just a life of chaos.

Hi dirkstrider, welcome to PC!

I've never heard of the term "facets", but instead "fragments" which about means the same thing, I guess. Those that can identify with poly-fragmentation (hundreds to thousands of alters) uses them terms. Alter fragments are one dimensional, created to hold a trauma memory, or a bit of emotion. There are also more layers and sub layer, according to others.

Those suffering from RA are most likely to be poly-fragmented, programmed to do things that they don't want to do from birth.

Alters do interact and influence each other. I know when one is trying to make a decision a voice would come out of no where and say "pick the other one!" Or a strong urge would happen. Usually we put it to a group vote.

The complexity of it all is incredible.

I kind of guessed that the term might not be popular. It got pretty well known on the online community I'm in to the point where people understood what it meant, or at least the general idea of it. The person tried to explain facets as being slightly different from alters, though.

I'm just kind of thinking about it because it doesn't feel like this other guy is individual enough to be called an own alter, but is separate enough from me for me to notice that it's not just me.

Thank you for replying.

As I said before, I'm beginning to think that this term is only popular on the internet platform I and my friends are on, since they all seem to sort of get that term a bit more. But fragments is also interesting, I'd like to hear more about it.

The thing is, I don't hear a voice. I just get urges that I know aren't mine and personality that I feel that's sort of weird. I have wants that I don't think that I'd have else wise. And I guess I can just feel it? I really don't know how to put in the words what my feeling is.

The other dissociative disorder instead of DID is Other Specified Dissocative Disorder (OSDD) that recognizes alters that aren't fully developed or don't meet the criteria to be DID.

Are you seeing a therapist? In my signature is a dissociative interview test (MID) to get an idea. Without a professional, I wouldn't call it definitive.

here in the USA we do have a psychological term for what you describe. its called being co conscious with an alter...

co consciousness is when alters and hosts or alter and alter share things...memories or feelings or a connection of some kind.

with co consciousness it isnt a matter of how developed or on their own an alter is. its just that sometimes thats how a persons system is made up where the dissociative type alters dont always do things on their own...

a great example of this is I know of a few people who have alters that are so connected to each other that they seem like halves of each other. kind of like conjoined twins in a physical sense are connected. well mental side of things too a person can have a mental connection where alters or alters and hosts can be like halves of each other by way of co consciousness.

my suggestion is talk with your treatment providers, trying to figure out mental disorders and where one fits in, through online can be confusing and many if not most times leads one to the wrong conclusions.

there are psychological tests available in the USA through treatment providers that can diagnose what mental disorders a person has and how severe and what kind of alters they have (dissociative disorders is not the only mental disorder that can have similar alters for example some schizophrenics have alters, some people with bipolar disorder have a type of alters so do some people with physical health problems) the only way to know for sure what your mental disorder is and what type of alter you have is by contacting a treatment provider.

if you dont have a treatment provider....here in america everyone now has to have basic health insurance plans for physical, mental and dental health insurance. some people get it all in one package and others pay for three separate insurance plans. if you cant afford insurance contact your social services office and sign up for your states medicaid program, its specifically for low income people but most states have expanded to include those that are not low income. Once you have your insurance set up you can a call treatment provider,

I use to be able to go to my school's psychology center and see a social worker / therapist, but I recently graduated and I'm not in a position to go to therapy. (Money and parent problems...)

But thank you so much! I appreciate you!

Ah. I've heard about facets before and I use that term to describe some of the others within me. What you describe, with being influenced by yours sort of sounds like mine, but they sometimes do talk to me.

I use the term facet to describe them because we are generally connected, and they don't have full control of the body. I also call myself a median system for that reason.

As someone else has stated, it could be OSDD.

Since you are unable to see a therapist, one thing I recommend is talking to people who have things similar to what you are describing, and maybe trying to document the other personality if you can.

Sometimes I feel like he might be talking to me, but then I get paranoid and think "maybe I'm thinking too hard about this". I don't think I hear him talking at all. Who knows.

That's a good way to use it and it helps me understand it better. I know he doesn't have control over my body but he does have control over some of my thoughts and behaviour, as I stated.

Yeah. OSDD is something I'm considering, although my friend who has DID said it might be a hallucination.

I have been talking to many people who have them. Perhaps about? Three or four people, not including feedback from this forum. And I have the personality documented, he's actually what one would call a "fictive" I guess. An alter based on a fictional character, which I guess is based on my own identity.

May I suggest keeping a journal?

I've been often compelled to do things until it became clear that I'm not the one doing things.

The thing I got out of all this is if I weren't being bugged about all this, my biggest problem would be dealing with the stock market, not this....so..

I just wrote a thread about alters that mimics others.

In your hearts of hearts you know what's happening. I'm co-conscience and aware...but I'm also like dominated, but...

Dissociation is a spectrum stretching from PTSD to poly-fragmentation.

Far be it for someone else to off the cuff DX you. IMHO.

In my signature is an actual dissociative interview test called the MID. It works on a spreadsheet and line graphs the results. It's really kewl.

Good luck