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DID Glossary & System FAQ

DID

[DID goes here.]

The Sandstorm System

[stuff about the system]

Terms to Know

Fronting, or being in the front, is the terminology used to describe being in-sync with the physical experiences of and exerting control over our physical body.Co-Fronting is when more than one member fronting in any given manner; this may be as minute as one member speaking while another is folding clothes, or often in our case, walking. (This is why we call Gaara our Navigator.)Other times, however, Co-Fronting can be disorienting and lead to/be the cause of Rapid Switching.

Switching is the process of one member coming to the front while another steps back from it. This can be sudden and unpredictable, slow and disorienting, and sometimes can be coordinated intentionally - A skill we are still very much working on, and are far from mastering, assuming doing so is possible.

This is how we refer to our collective active consciousness; where thoughts and internal conversations on a conscious level take place. Different members visualize what takes place here differently if they have a visual of it at all.

When under duress or in crisis of any kind, we may experience what is known as Rapid Switching. This is fairly straightforward: Two or more members of the system alternating Front in continuous rapid succession.This leads to the body experiencing a feedback loop of emotional state and rational thinking as though they were being controlled by Dracula spamming the light switch until something or someone manages to slow them down and ground them.It is this experience that directly led to our known plural friends explaining to us what they say going on, and thus discovery and self-discovery of the system.There are times when one or more member moves from being Co-Conscious to Co-Fronting and then back again. While this are also technically switches, they are either so frequent or so short that no member involved will point it out. In fact, there are times when we are completely unaware of this happening! These kinds of switches are often either unnoticed or are disorienting and disruptive. Like Rapid Switching, what we call Micro-Switching is completely normal for a dissociative system.

Usually shortened to Co-con, this is when there are members other than the individual fronting actively within the headspace, and thus hold varying degrees external awareness and influence.We have a core set of members who are always Co-co, along with members who are often around or easy to pull into the headspace.Mahad, our Gatekeeper/Security and Archivist, is always Co-con, but is often quiet and focused on observing. This doesn't mean he's inactive or part of the background; He will readily step into a conversation of no consequence when it suits him, such as to (affectionately) throw shade at Atem.Atem and other members of what we call the Four Founders, because we are exactly that kind of nerd and have no shame whatsoever, are also either constant or near-constant presences. Additionally, one of our Protectors is often present, along with our Caretaker/Internal Coordinator.

A Fronter will sometimes imitate the speech and body language of members who are Co-Con with them to facilitate easier external conversations with those members. This allows conversation between multiple parties within a smaller count of bodies to be held easily and often leads to laughter for one reason or another.This is intentional, but it should be noted that not all members are comfortable with, capable of, or want to engage in this manner. The Fronter always has the consent of members participating when they do this. Please always respect all members and their boundaries.

Due to the inherently covert nature of DID, most Fronting members can perfectly blend with little to no noticeable tells. This is typically when the Fronter is with someone unfamiliar or is stressed and does not wish to have attention placed on them. Sometimes, it's as simply as just being shy.However, we are what is known as an Open System. Sort of. With rare exception, we make no effort to intentionally disguise Fronters and encourage each member to be as open or distant as they want for their own comfort.This is why we have System accounts and individual accounts in certain places, and why we change our avatar/mini-profile on Steam to socialize.When our friends see the default name, bishoukun, they know they'll have to check Simply Plural or ask directly if they want to know who's Fronting.When they see one of our personal avatars, usually the member's visage, a friend will know who is Fronting and may decide to suggest multiplayer with them, or give them space if they know the member usually does things on their own.

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Frequently Asked Questions about the Sandstorm System

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On our Meet the Members page, we've posted visual references for the members we're able to! Some vocal references will be added in the future where possible.

Answer

Dissociative systems form when the multiple identity states of early childhood fail to integrate into a single identity. This integration typically happens when a child is approximately nine years old.We are a traumagenic dissociative system; Like many others, we formed because of the need to remain in fractured identity states for our safety in the face of childhood trauma.

It's impossible to be entirely sure because of the nature of dissociative amnesia barriers set in place to protect the system. We can make some guesses, but it's very likely that there have been fusions and splits that we are consciously unaware of.What we do know is this: Kagome, Justin, and Atem hold our earliest accessible memories. This includes the knowledge that the position of host has shifted multiple times between the three of them, along with Elizabeth being a later-childhood co-host.We are not entirely sure which form of trauma required us to remain independent personalities, and it's possible that more than one trauma through our childhood contributed.

This is an inappropriate question to ask anyone, including those without dissociative disorders or multiple identity states. If you don't understand why, please continue reading this answer.Trauma is personal; it is a life-altering invasion of heavy emotions, such as fear or grief. When people talk about truamatic memories, feelings, actions, or events, it can bring forward the same devastating and overwhelming emotions the trauma caused to begin with. This is why many people use content/trigger warnings.This may feel a little bit one-sided because sometimes trauma is voluntarily discussed, but asking about it is taboo. A major reason for this is that the person asking cannot know the present mental-emotional state of someone else, so it is far more likely to trigger a flashback and reverberate the trauma. Another major reason is the invasive and personal nature of trauma; Opening up to voluntarily isn't synonymous with prying inquieries.