New to OSDD-1 diagnosis, confused

Was diagnosed with Complex PTSD and depression initially. My therapist who is a specialist in PTSD and dissociative disorders tells me I have fragments though (Other Specified Dissociative Disorder-1). I guess I'm still processing this. I mean I always feel like me. I don't feel like a system. I don't have alters and I don't have amnesia between fragments. It's just that sometimes my perspective will change suddenly, and sometimes I'll know I should/shouldn't do something but just can't. (According to DID-research.org my 'symptoms' fall under OSDD-1B.)

I've been flipping back and forth between thinking OSDD-1 explains a lot about me and thinking I absolutely do not have OSDD-1 or trauma. I guess I'm confused and scared. I've been feeling pretty depersonalized though.

Are there other people with OSDD-1 on here who can relate to these reactions to being diagnosed?

Does having fragments mean I'm a median system? I mean sometimes I feel like I'm a median system but that could just be because I'm feeling stressed. Most times I don't feel like a system at all! Are there other people who have been diagnosed OSDD-1 who say they're NOT systems? (At least part of the time) ;-)

Just a thought: Maybe that 'flipping back and forth' can be a part of what it is describing. Like... maybe at times you experience the fragment parts and so think "yes, this describes what it happening to me!" but at other times you are dissociated from the experience of those fragment parts and so don't feel it applies to you at all.
Our old hosty ones felt the same way about the DID diagnosis. When the evidence was staring them in the face or they managed to connect to some of the trauma of the inside ones they felt it was real. At other times they needed to deny it.

I guess so. I'm also considering that maybe I have an atypical OCD so my 'fragments' are actually OCD symptoms!

I'm still confused about whether or not I'm technically a (median) system. I mean I'm always me, there's just a bit of complexity as to who 'me' is.

Thanks for listening and letting me process =)

I wasnt sure what you meant by median system because my location (USA) doesnt use that term associated with dissociative disorders. when I goggled it, google says a median internal system is where a person does not have alters but are not free of mood switching, kind of like having alters but not.

here in america this describes a normal person. here in America it is believed that even non dissociative people switch into parts of their self depending upon their emotions, things they are going through and who they are around. some locations in america call this kind of switching into parts as switching roles.

example as a mother I switch into being one way with my children, as a wife I switch into my wife way of being. I wouldnt switch into wife mode when playing with my children and would not switch into the mothering role when with my wife.

but in some some people this normal switching into these parts gets a bit confusing and hectic and out of whack where it affects every aspect of a persons life...

how does this (a median system) fit in with american diagnostics for OSDD it means sometimes a person switches so often into these normal parts of self that they end up with problems like questioning their identity, feelings of numbness, and other depersonalization\derealization symptoms, perception problems, sometimes some memory loss, and other problems you can read about in my dissociative link where OSDD is one of the listed disorders. and that each time the problems happen they last less than a month, sometimes only a few hours to days.

hope this has helped. ultimately only your treatment providers can say what kind of internal system you have and how your symptoms fit in with how and why they are diagnosing you the way that they are.

Hi Amanda,

Thanks for replying. I'm in the US too.

From what I gathered it sounds like people are using median system to refer to being in between a singlet and a multiple (i.e., having system dynamics but not fitting the diagnostic criteria for DID). Presumably median systems also develop in response to trauma. I think that's why I question my diagnosis. I mean people tell me that I experienced childhood trauma but I don't think I really have trauma.

Posting another to get up to 10 posts: I also thought that maybe the 'switches' are just hormones, kinda like adolescence.

OK now I can post links:

One of the sites I found that described what being a median system is was Astraea - Multiple Personality: Guest Article: Median Talk

The this-is-not-dissociative blog also has a few posts about OSDD-1 https://tmblr.co/Z4Uq6s29ZyW56 and about median systems This is Not Dissociative ? Master List

yea Ive heard of this website, the website is based in australia. and uses some terms and definitions that is different than the USA.

you will find all kinds of articles and information on the internet that may be different than the USA because the websites may not be based here in the USA.

the best place to get accurate and the correct information for you is through your own treatment providers who are the ones diagnosing you.

i find everything confusing
read,read,read, youll never catch me; because im the invisible man

keep exploring the mazes... keys are hidden throught

I can kinda relate to what you are saying. I think I've actually had the "shock" of "learning" my diagnosis more than once... I definitely have very dissociated states and "parts" of myself/understanding, but I don't meet the dx criteria for DID. I have trouble relating to aspects of my life if I'm not in that particular head-space. I also only remember/connect with my trauma during flashbacks. Other times, it simply feels like a story I've been told.

I can relate to being confused by it all. It's been a slow process trying to work through it. I guess my super-sketchy memory (sometimes to the point of completely forgetting months or years of my life) speaks to the dissociative diagnosis... I also feel like I have different "sides" to myself, each with its own understanding, but it still all feels like me (except one part, but I know she's a "vessel" I created to carry the scary stuff)...

Um, sorry about the scattered nature of this response. I really just wanted to say I can relate both to the dx and to the uncertainty of believing it or agreeing with it all the time.

Fragments can be an unprocessed traumatic memory or even bits of the traumatic memory such as only sound, a smell, image, etc. of a whole memory.

A trigger can take you back to these fragments and maybe make them real again.

The way I understand it.

Thanks. Yeah it's slowly sinking in but I'm still reeling from it all!

I could have written this 100%. In fact, wow. I literally did write this exact thing almost word-for-word a few weeks/months ago. Can I PM you? You are so not alone. I might post my thing too. Support to you. I relate to median system although that's not a working diagnosis and is not in the DSM anywhere. But it's like I am a single identity and yet I have pieces or aspects of me that bleed into my consciousness. I do that flip-flop thing too. One minute being able to recognize or recollect something and then later none of it makes any sense. And that's how it is for me too. I will depersonalize/derealize. Also I will all the sudden "be aware" I'm "no longer me". My perspective and desires and thoughts change and I'm not me anymore. I def relate to OSDD-1B too.

I just wanted to clarify something. ... there is no OSDD 1 or OSDD B....

short version its all one dissociative disorder .....OSDD


the numbers designate which diagnostic criteria the diagnosing treatment provider is using to label that person OSDD....

example....

file name...Amanda Louise
Diagnosis OSDD
specify reason for diagnosis...1
1. Chronic and recurrent syndromes of mixed dissociative symptoms: This category includes identity disturbance associated with less-than-marked discontinuities in sense of self and agency, or alterations of identity or episodes of possession in an individual who reports no dissociative amnesia.

another example...
client ...Amanda Louise
diagnosis....OSDD
Specify reason for diagnosis....2
2. Identity disturbance due to prolonged and intensive coercive persuasion: individuals who have been subjected to intensive coercive persuasion (e.g. brainwashing, thought reform, indoctrination while captive torture, long term political imprisonment, recruitment by sects/cults or by terror organizations) may present with prolonged changes in or conscious questioning of, their identity.

another example...
client ...Amanda Louise
diagnosis...OSDD
Specify reason for diagnosis...3
3. Acute Dissociative reactions to stressful events: this category is for acute transient conditions that typically last less than 1 month and sometimes only a few hours or days. These conditions are characterized by constriction of consciousness, depersonalization, derealization,perceptual disturbances (e.g. time slowing, macropsia) micro-amnesias, transient stupor; and or alterations in sensory-motor functioning (e.g. analgesia, paralysis)

another example....
client Amanda Louise
Diagnosis ....OSDD
Specify reason for diagnosis...1 and 3.

1. Chronic and recurrent syndromes of mixed dissociative symptoms: This category includes identity disturbance associated with less-than-marked discontinuities in sense of self and agency, or alterations of identity or episodes of possession in an individual who reports no dissociative amnesia.
3. Acute Dissociative reactions to stressful events: this category is for acute transient conditions that typically last less than 1 month and sometimes only a few hours or days. These conditions are characterized by constriction of consciousness, depersonalization, derealization,perceptual disturbances (e.g. time slowing, macropsia) micro-amnesias, transient stupor; and or alterations in sensory-motor functioning (e.g. analgesia, paralysis)

in other words the numbers are a short hand way of writing which .....symptoms and criteria got the person their diagnosis of OSDD.

its not that there are many different mental disorders called OSDD. its all one mental disorder. its just that treatment providers now have a way to ....document.... on the files why they are diagnosing a person with OSDD and some locations the treatment providers are now ....required .....to specify why they are diagnosing a person with OSDD by designating the number of the diagnostic criteria they are using to give the person the label of OSDD.

in my location this way of documenting also helps the treatment provider to assess whether to this was an emergency\ temporary diagnosis situation like whats done in the ER and that the regular treatment provider may need to adjust the mental disorder to another dissociative or other mental disorder that better fits the person's long term problems.

It's true that OSDD-1A and OSDD-1B are not differentiated in the DSM V, but this differentiation is used by many clinicians and researchers. This is similar to how Complex PTSD is used, even though it is not in the DSM V: it is used because it is useful.

From what I understand, there was a push from dissociation and trauma specialists to include Complex PTSD in the DSM V, and to create one category of traumatic stress disorders including the dissociative disorders and the PTSDs. This didn't happen apparently because the political implications for psychology would be too large at this time. Personally I believe dissociative disorders are under-researched and that OSDD could be broken down into different diagnoses if more were understood about dissociative disorders. The diagnostic criteria are afterall supposed to be useful, and what is considered useful changes as we learn more.

complex PTSD is in the DSM 5 just under a different name. If I remember right I posted in the complex PTSD board how one of my diagnosis was complex PTSD and that I thought it was no longer a disorder but my own treatment provider showed me that its there just under a different label for me all my complex PTSD diagnostics\symptoms are now called Acute stress disorder. your own treatment provider can look at what got you diagnosied with Complex PTSD and match that with what your complex PTSD diagnosis is now called in the DSM 5.

I think of this change like when they changed the words Multiple Personality Disorder to the words Dissociative Identity Disorder... same disorder just new name for it.

complex PTSD is still in the DSM 5 just a different name for it and more individualized to take into consideration more diverse symptoms.

and yes like I said many treatment providers are now ....required .... to include the number of what got a person diagnosed with OSDD.

Acute Stress Disorder is diagnosed when symptoms do not last a month. If symptoms persist PTSD may be diagnosed.

Complex PTSD refers to a disorder that includes the same symptoms as PTSD, as well as additional ones. Here is a short blurb from the Veteran's Administration in the Untied States about it: Complex PTSD - PTSD: National Center for PTSD

As the blurb notes, Complex PTSD was proposed by Judith Herman. It has never been in the DSM, although the dissociative subtype of PTSD in the DSM V is a nod in the direction of Complex PTSD. Complex PTSD will be in the next World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Disease (ICD) manual (ICD-11).

I forgot to include in my last post the name of a website that synthesizes much of the literature on dissociative disorders from clinicians and researchers: did-research.org. It really is a great resource- just be aware that many of the menus have sub-menus and many of the sub-menus have their own sub-menus.

here in the USA when a mental disorder diagnostics ( whether they are diagnostics for Dissociative disorders, trauma and stress related disorders or others ) state a limit on the symptoms it doesnt mean the problem is done and cured in that time frame. it means ...

every time the persons symptoms are activated the symptoms can last up to that amount of time...

example one of my Complex PTSD symptoms now called acute stress disorder symptoms was feeling a bit dissociative. the symptom lasts a about 2 weeks then goes away but later comes back again and again can last anywhere between a few hours to a couple weeks. this happens repeatedly and each time the symptoms do not last more than a month which makes the symptom fall into the Acute Stress Disorder.

yes for some people if the problem is traced back to a past trauma their acute stress disorder can be relabeled as PTSD. if you would like to discuss this more we can talk about it in the complex PTSD board so that we dont take this board off topic of dissociative disorders forum.

by the way this is the dissociative boards which is why my post is discussing my dissociation symptom that fits in the Acute Stress disorder. if you would like to discuss just cptsd maybe we should take that to the PTSD boards.. just a suggestion.

this thread is about OSDD not CPTSD so we are a bit off topic here and maybe we should let this thread get back on topic which is

OSDD has many diagnostic criteria not everyone is going to fit the same diagnostics but still get the diagnosis of OSDD and that some treatment providers are now using the numbers of the diagnostic criteria to designate what got a person diagnosed with OSDD.

there is no separate disorder called OSDD 1 or OSDD 2 its just some treatment providers are now required to designate the number as a way to differenciate which diagnostic criteria that person has fit into to receive their OSDD label. my point.....I was actually agreeing with you in your post that its not separate mental disorders and that treatment providers are using the numbers.