[Loose Screw x 2]

Is there a gatekeeper among your personalities? One that governs all of the others in some ways and makes sure that everything runs smoothly most of the time?
Gatekeepers do more than just keep the peace.
Here is a section from a description of internal personality types
described on a DID Research site.

Gatekeeper: A gatekeeper is an alter who controls switching or access to front, access to inside or certain areas inside, or access to certain alters or memories. The existence of a gatekeeper is highly stabilizing for a system because gatekeepers can to some extent prevent unwanted switching, failure to switch when necessary, or failure to switch to the correct alter. They can help to prevent traumatic memories from bleeding from the alters who hold them to alters who could not yet handle them. They might police the boundaries between subsystems. Because gatekeepers have control over which alters have access to front, they themselves are often or always near front and so witness everything that happens to the system. They might experience vast amounts of abuse and might present as ageless, emotionless, and nonhuman as a way to process this and cope. Gatekeepers may or may not also serve as an internal self helper.


Here is the link to the page...
http://did-research.org/did/alters/functions.html

[amandalouise]

Originally Posted by MavriforceK9r

Is there a gatekeeper among your personalities? One that governs all of the others in some ways and makes sure that everything runs smoothly most of the time?
Gatekeepers do more than just keep the peace.
Here is a section from a description of internal personality types
described on a DID Research site.

Gatekeeper: A gatekeeper is an alter who controls switching or access to front, access to inside or certain areas inside, or access to certain alters or memories. The existence of a gatekeeper is highly stabilizing for a system because gatekeepers can to some extent prevent unwanted switching, failure to switch when necessary, or failure to switch to the correct alter. They can help to prevent traumatic memories from bleeding from the alters who hold them to alters who could not yet handle them. They might police the boundaries between subsystems. Because gatekeepers have control over which alters have access to front, they themselves are often or always near front and so witness everything that happens to the system. They might experience vast amounts of abuse and might present as ageless, emotionless, and nonhuman as a way to process this and cope. Gatekeepers may or may not also serve as an internal self helper.


Here is the link to the page...
http://did-research.org/did/alters/functions.html

no I did not have gate keepers. all my alters took control and did things according to triggers and when I dissociated....

examples

if I got triggered by thunder and lightening I wold have my dissociative symptoms and then the alter who's sense of agency was to handle storms (rainy) would take control, go home, change into dry clothing, then make something to warm up with and a blanket and watch tv, go to bed and so on.

if I got triggered at work, I would have my dissociation symptoms and the alters who's sense of agency was to handle work related problems took control and took care of things.

if I got triggered by something anger related, I would have my dissociative symptoms and then Red the alter who was anger took control and took care of that problem...

because my system was trigger/ dissociation related I did not need any gatekeepers to say who does what, when and how... it was already part of my system in a more natural way called triggers/ dissociation.

there were no gatekeepers, internal self helpers and other internal family system (IFS) therapy terms for my alters. my alters just did things according to their own sense of agency that was part of what triggered me to dissociate.

[Amyjay]

I seem to have parts who have various jobs around maintaining equilibrium and keeping things in order. I do believe I have alters of this type beyond my own awareness of them too. There are things that have come through to my awareness (or written to my t) that lead me to believe this is the case. I wouldn't give them the name "gatekeeper". That seems a little too lofty to me. But I do think there are parts that have jobs related to keeping other parts in order/in line/in accordance with some rule that I don't know about yet.

[TrailRunner14]

Oh yeah!! I have a gatekeeper and it is very strong and determined.

I have named it Switch Flipper. If I get too close or something that it doesn’t think I need to have knowledge of it steps up and my mind goes completely blank or I’m “gone”/dissociate completely.

I’ve recently, I’m the past month, actually acknowledged it and I’m not strong enough just yet to try and connect with it.

[childofchaos831]

Not entirely. We have one I call the librarian. They keep track of memories. They have access to every memory and control who can access what. But they don't control who comes out and whatnot.

They have helped, at a couple points, with setting up different protections tho. Like when I needed a head and neck MRI. We needed to set up what is now called "the control room." Basically, the insiders who are needed (usually me, our medical insider and the two protectors) are in the control room, and then the others can't see or hear anything happening outside. Big, thick walls and such... so there is probably more to them than just the memory keeper stuff, but, for right now, that's mostly what they handle.

Originally Posted by MavriforceK9r

Is there a gatekeeper among your personalities? One that governs all of the others in some ways and makes sure that everything runs smoothly most of the time?
Gatekeepers do more than just keep the peace.
Here is a section from a description of internal personality types
described on a DID Research site.

Gatekeeper: A gatekeeper is an alter who controls switching or access to front, access to inside or certain areas inside, or access to certain alters or memories. The existence of a gatekeeper is highly stabilizing for a system because gatekeepers can to some extent prevent unwanted switching, failure to switch when necessary, or failure to switch to the correct alter. They can help to prevent traumatic memories from bleeding from the alters who hold them to alters who could not yet handle them. They might police the boundaries between subsystems. Because gatekeepers have control over which alters have access to front, they themselves are often or always near front and so witness everything that happens to the system. They might experience vast amounts of abuse and might present as ageless, emotionless, and nonhuman as a way to process this and cope. Gatekeepers may or may not also serve as an internal self helper.


Here is the link to the page...
http://did-research.org/did/alters/functions.html

none of our personalities can be classed as a "gatekeeper", closest we have is a protector natalie.

she tries to be anyway, she's not such a good one (though being a protector is hard work)

[Loose Screw x 2]

All very interesting answers. I think I'm starting to see now why some of us are subject to triggers only and some have almost total control. With me it's a mix. Our Gatekeeper is called "The Primary" which is something picked up from an old cop show. Officers on that show held that title if they were in charge of an investigation.
So, the Primary basically maintains order in a mind that would otherwise be chaotic. Directives are to prevent arguments between other personalities, see to it that all are content so, that there are no demands put upon the host and to help prevent unwanted shifting and to force unruly personalities back into the background. There are some personalities that are not subject to the primary's control though because they know how to conduct themselves and are very dependable. We are however still subject to some triggers and alters who are triggered are allowed to stay in place until they do something that starts to feel stressful to the host, they run their course then, fade into the background or another trigger takes place, bringing out a different alter. As the host I can also bypass the Primary to summon any alter I choose for whatever reason. As the head personality and creator of the Primary I also have the authority to banish or exile troublesome personalities from the collective or force them back into a sleep state or dormancy. DH has been banished twice in the past because he defied me and challenged my authority. We have a special place within us for alters like that. This is how at least in the past I was able to run such a tight ship in my head but, recent intense stress is making it very difficult and things are really starting to come apart. Alters are now coming and going as they please and it's starting to take myself, the Primary and sometimes even G to make them obey.
I contacted my doctor's office and requested an earlier appointment date and told them what was happening to me so, hopefully I will get some much needed one on one therapy very soon to help me to regain control.
So, that's how it's all been for me/us lately.