More Terms to Know for DID

Learning how a System works 

Every experience of dissociative identity and plurality is unique and valuable. You may have heard different definitions or labels used to describe different experiences and that is okay! The community is vibrant and fluid by nature, and we welcome different expressions or words used to describe the plural experience. Comment below if you have words you like to use to describe the experience! 

Roles: 

jobs/duties/abilities

Parts can have different roles or ways they affect the System and the communal body. These can be specific to tasks (ex. going to work), emotions (ex. anger), triggers (ex. Managing a specific fear). Roles can also be more general in nature, or even are unknown to the System. Not all parts have a role that they are active in, and parts are more than the roles and tasks they have. There are different sub-categories of roles including introjects of a caretaker or abuser, or a fictive who is based on a fictional character or concept. More on this subject later!

Fronting: 

driving/leading

To “front” means to be the alter who is currently using the body and has some level of active consciousness. Fronting can look different for different System members based on their roles in the System. An alter doesn’t need to be fronting to have an active effect on the body or be affected by outside stimuli. More than two parts can be fronting at the same time (see co-fronting). 

Co-Fronting:

co-driver/co-leading

Many Systems use driving a car as a metaphor for fronting, with all parts in the backseat of the car and a part fronting by driving the car (aka, the body). When 2+ parts are in the front seats, this is “co-fronting”. When this happens multiple parts have direct consciousness and some measure of control over the body. Both parts don’t need to have the same measure of effect on the body to be considered co-fronting. 

Co-Conciousness: 

Dual consciousness 

This is different than co-fronting, as co-conciousness does not require two or more parts to be fronting. This can be used to explain when more than one part is present with active consciousness but doesn’t have full or partial use of the body. Co-conciousness can be an active choice, or caused unintentionally (ex. via outside or internal stimuli such as a trigger).

Switching: 

shifting/taking over/moving to the “front” or “back”

This is the experience of movement between parts. This is the act of becoming a “fronting” part. This act can be subtle or include visual and audio movements to facilitate this. All Systems are different, with different ability or measures to control switching. This means some members (or whole Systems) may be able to have control over switching where others will have limited or no control.