Beginner's guide to systems
All the basics, plus some extras ;)
What is a System?Systems are bodies that contain multiple beings.These beings are commonly called alters or headmates, though some systems prefer to call them parts, or other things entirely.
Disordered SystemsA disordered system is one that experiences significant distress and/or dysfunction as a result of being a system.There are also several dissociative disorders that are or can be plural in nature, which we'll list below.Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is characterised by distinct headmates and high amnesia.Partial Dissociative Identity Disorder (P-DID) is characterised by distinct headmates , and one headmate being almost always aware of what's happening in the body, whether fronting or co conscious.Otherwise Specified Dissociative Disorder Type 1B (OSDD-1B) is characterised by distinct headmates and low amnesia.Otherwise Specified Dissociative Disorder Type 1A (OSDD-1A) is characterised by indistinct headmates.Unspecified Dissociative Disorder (UDD) is characterised by some combination of dissociative traits that cannot be identified as another dissociate disorder, and can be plural in nature, but is not inherently.
Types of SystemNote - these terms are not mutually exclusive, systems may be any combination of these
PSA's and Etiquette- When in doubt ask.
- Respect systems and headmates, and treat them as they wish to be treated.
- Don't ask traumagenic systems about their trauma/why they formed.
- Different headmates will have different opinions of things, including people. One headmate disliking you doesn't represent the entire system.
- In the same vein, you do not need to adore every member of a system, you only need to treat them with respect.
- Introjects are not their sources, and while they may identify with their sources, do not treat them like they are identical to their source.
- If something happens that causes a defence mechanism to happen (e.g. protector fronting), do not blame the system. Systems cannot control switches, nor can headmates control their roles.
- As a general rule, there is no 'original' or 'main' headmate.
- Things that may change from headmate to headmate; names, pronouns, likes/dislikes, species, gender/attraction, age, accent, appearance, boundaries, triggers, personality, political/social opinions, and more.
Terminology
EndogenicAn endogenic system is one that formed due to something other than trauma.There are a great many types of system formation that are included under this umbrella, including systems formed for spiritual reasons, systems that formed due to mental illness or neurodivergency, from-birth systems, intentionally created systems, and more.
TraumagenicA traumagenic system is one that formed due to trauma.Often these systems have PTSD or similar symptoms, and many have dissociative disorders like DID.
Headmate Roles
Headmates may have any number of roles, including none.
There may be multiple headmates with the same role within a system.
This is not a complete list of roles, just the most common ones.Host.
Fronts for daily/regular tasks.Protector.
Keeps the system safe from danger or harm.Gatekeeper.
Controls access to things. Knowledge of trauma, memories, knowledge of the inner world or existence of headmates, for example.Little.
Child headmate, ages that classify as a little vary. Generally under 12.
Sometimes called syskids.Middle.
Child headmate, often tweens or teens. Age ranges vary.
Sometimes called syskids or systeens.Avenger.
Headmate that seeks revenge on those that hurt the system.Caretaker.
Looks after things, commonly the system, body, or specific headmates.
Can also look after external things like pets or children, or categories of tasks/issues like medical.Soother.
Helps calm distress.Persecutor.
Headmate that tries to help the system but ends up hurting them instead.Holder.
Headmate responsible for containing something to protect the rest of the system.
E.g. trauma/memories, emotions, symptomsIntroject.
Headmate based on things from outside the system.Fragment.
Headmate that is not 'fully formed'. Generally speaking, if an headmate could not survive without the system, they are acknowledged as a fragment.
System Terms
Integration.
Lowering the dissociative barriers between headmates. This can help with communication, memory sharing, switching and more.
Sometimes when people say integration, they mean fusion :)Fusion.
When two or more headmates merge/fuse together.Final Fusion.
A healing goal, commonly for disordered systems, that aims to fuse all headmates into a single cohesive identity.Functional Multiplicity.
A healing goal, commonly for disordered systems, that aims to increase integration and allow the system to continue existing as plural in a more functional/less disordered way.Splitting.
The process of gaining a new headmate.Fronting.
Being in control of the body.Co Fronting.
When multiple headmates are in control of the body at the same time.Frontstuck.
Being unable to stop fronting.Switching.
When the headmate/s in control of the body changes.Polyfragmentation.
Descriptor of a system as a whole.
There are certain common characteristics used to identify polyfrag systems. Those are:
high headmate count (generally seen as 100+), low split threshhold (splitting easily or splitting more than one headmate at once), complex or large inner world, presence of subsystemsInnerworld.
Also known as headspace/brainspace. A place that headmates can visit or exist within, that allows headmates to interact with each other outside of front.
Not all systems have one, and having one is not exclusive to systems.Outer World.
The world the body resides in.Subsystem.
A system within a system.Sidesystem.
A separate group of headmates/innerworld areas, most often existing in parallel to other sidesystems within a system as a whole.
Adjacent TermsFlashback.
Specific to PTSD, a flashback is when a person remembers their trauma so vividly that they feel as if they are reliving it in some aspect.
The most well know type of flashback is what we call holistic flashbacks; where you feel like you're back in that moment and you are immersed in the memory.
Emotional, somatic, and dissociative flashbacks are all also common, along with approximately squillions of other types.Trigger.
Stimuli that activates or aggravates existing symptoms of trauma or other mental health issues. Originally used specifically for PTSD, the meaning has since been broadened.Amnesia.
Forgetting things. In system spaces it's often used to refer to dissociative amnesia, where you dissociate so strongly that you lose access to memories or information; and amnesic barriers, which restricts an headmate's access to memories and information.
A common example of this is headmates not knowing what happened in the body when the weren't fronting.Dissociation.
The experience of disconnecting from your thoughts, feelings, self, and/or surroundings.
Some small level of dissociation is normal, but it can quickly become a maladaptive response.
Non DisorderedA non disordered system is one that experiences little to no distress or dysfunction due to being a system.
IntrojectsAn introject is a headmate whose identity, traits, and memories are partially or entirely based off of something external.This external base is known as a 'source', and as such introjects may also be known as 'outsourced' or simply 'sourced' headmates.The two most well known introject subterms are:Fictive.
Headmate with a fictional source.Factive.
Headmate with a non-fictional source.There are many subterms describing particular types of introject beyond these two, as well.