can someone have a real celebrity as an alter

Dec 30, 2016, 10:08 AM

more to the point, a dead celebrity

I've been talking to this girl who's convinced she knows steve jobs (the apple founder who died in 2011)

she's created a backstory, like for example.. she says she didn't die in 2011, he was unconcious and when the news was spread of his death, he went in to isolation

she also claims to speak to him every night and offers an email to contact him on

so can people do that if they are DID?. have a dead celebrity as an alter

Luce · Dec 30, 2016, 03:29 PM

If a person can have an alter that thinks itself to be an animal, then I assume it is within the realm of possibility for a person to have an alter that is modelled on a celebrity, de or alive.
The whole back story and fantasy around seems a little more suspect though. One would have to wonder how such an alter would serve the system... what job would it have? What need would it fulfil? Because alters aren't made just for fun.

finding_my_way · Dec 30, 2016, 04:44 PM

i don't find it likely.

the reason i say that is because: a) DID is developed in early childhood due to abuse/trauma, etc. b) usually, a person with DID doesn't just randomly create/develop new alters in adulthood. there can be ones that were hidden that were created/developed in childhood during trauma, etc. that can appear at any time though (i recently had that happen.)

it is possible for those with DID to have introjects of various types, abusers, characters from TV/books, etc. which could include celebrities, but i would think those would more likely those they actually heard about/watched, etc. in childhood when their DID developed. otherwise, it doesn't really add up to me how they could have ended up with them in adulthood if they didn't see/hear about them and they didn't exist in childhood as it's a childhood trauma disorder that a child's mind develops to cope.

some say it's possible for adults to develop DID, but i would say that is very rare because it kind of throws out the theory that it's a developmental trauma disorder as adults (unless they already have DID) tend to have more of a sense of self, an integrated personality, etc. (unless they have borderline personality disorder where it can be more split but doesn't include alters even if it does include dissociation).

a lot of things disorder wise look similar and overlap with symptoms, and i could go on and on about all that but won't because i'll just confuse things.

so, no, i personally don't believe this person has DID based on that alone. it might be more of a thought/delusional type disorder, but they'd have to see a professional to figure that out.

amandalouise · Dec 30, 2016, 06:45 PM

not making a diagnosis or anything but this sounds like this friend of yours may have more than one mental disorder.

heres why I am guessing that...

dissociative alters are not created out of the blue complete with a back story. and doesnt happen just because a celebrity dies and a person doesnt want to believe the celebrity is gone.

there is so much involved in the mechanics of the creation of alters associated with DID. it isnt a situation where a person wants to be friends with a celebrity and so they incorporate that celebrity into their mind with a back story. in fact the diagnostic criteria for america is that this kind of alter rules out having DID.

that said some people that I know do have alters that are dead celebrities. these people that I know have psychosis, psychotic type mental disorders and others just wanted to have an invisible friend.

my suggestion would be to contact your treatment providers they will be able to help you to understand the mechanics (how the brain works physically and mentally) and all the different elements that have to come together in order for a dissociative type alter with DID to be created. its things like brain waves, age of the child, type of abuse, the childs culture and many other things have to line up completely before an alter with DID is created.

Lost_in_the_woods · Dec 30, 2016, 07:49 PM

Shattered, you just won the weird award for the week! J/k lol

This thread did make me do a double take for a sec.
I would have to say that No. Steve Jobs is not an "alter". A part that call him self Steve Jobs very possible. A couple of our parts use names of people that they feel a connection to in some way or another...or we might call them the name of some one they remind us of either just for personal ID mapping lists or may be even to poke fun a bit...I guess.
Other than that, if the person believes that they are actually the "embodiment of the soul of Steve Jobs"...not DID by the dsm standard...either psychotic or they have religious/cultural beliefs involving possession. Idk...Why Steve Jobs?? I guess I what I'm most curious about? Genius probably...Jackbag...definitely! Imho. Not your friend the actual Former Mr. Jobs I mean.