Discussion Discussion/Venting DissociaDID and other channels about DID

[DoNotLet2]

Hello
I am singular but I watch DissociaDID. It's a smart channel. Ok it doesn't have proper subtitles for the Deaf but otherwise it's really good. Without it I would have never learnt that Dissociative Identity Disorder exists. What's the problem? People are hating the channels about this disorder. Not only DissociaDID there are other smaller channels too. The hate is so strong that the youtubers can't deal with it. It's not just one rude comment here and there, it's really a wave of bad messages. Some channels have claimed not to post anything more on Youtube...

So I'm posing a simple question - why? Why the people are destroying the EDUCATIONAL channels? The channels that are helping? Does anyone of you know? Maybe I'm missing something? If DissociaDID is right there are many people with this disorder that are suffering and we should be aware of that. How are we supposed to be aware if no one tells us?

What do you guys think?

 

[BitterlyAlive]

Hello
I am singular but I watch DissociaDID. It's a smart channel. Ok it doesn't have proper subtitles for the Deaf but otherwise it's really good. Without it I would have never learnt that Dissociative Identity Disorder exists. What's the problem? People are hating the channels about this disorder. Not only DissociaDID there are other smaller channels too. The hate is so strong that the youtubers can't deal with it. It's not just one rude comment here and there, it's really a wave of bad messages. Some channels have claimed not to post anything more on Youtube...

So I'm posing a simple question - why? Why the people are destroying the EDUCATIONAL channels? The channels that are helping? Does anyone of you know? Maybe I'm missing something? If DissociaDID is right there are many people with this disorder that are suffering and we should be aware of that. How are we supposed to be aware if no one tells us?

What do you guys think?

People can be so awful. The only thing that I can think of is the gross misrepresentation of DID in the media - such as Kevin in the movie Split (although that one kind of romanticizes it a bit).

I haven't watched any educational videos about DID, but do they talk about how DID (seems to) mainly come from severe trauma? It's not like people just decide to form alters one day; alters form as a defense mechanism to protect the individual. I don't understand how someone can learn about the reality of DID and still be so critical about it. But people are sick, so I guess it's not too surprising.

 

[DoNotLet2]

People can be so awful. The only thing that I can think of is the gross misrepresentation of DID in the media - such as Kevin in the movie Split (although that one kind of romanticizes it a bit).

I haven't watched any educational videos about DID, but do they talk about how DID (seems to) mainly come from severe trauma? It's not like people just decide to form alters one day; alters form as a defense mechanism to protect the individual. I don't understand how someone can learn about the reality of DID and still be so critical about it. But people are sick, so I guess it's not too surprising.

Do you know about DID from other sources?
DissociaDID is a very scientific channel the other channels are mostly about how DID looks like when you live with it. DissociaDID said that there are 3 causes of DID which must occur at the same time (or that's what I understood):
1. an ability to dissociate to a high level (not sure what it means).
2. unstable(?) connection with a primary caregiver.
3. repeated trauma before the age of 7-9.

Yes, she said that it's a survival mechanism. She also said that there are different types of alters like protectors and persecutors.

 

[KiraLittleOwl]

DID has more stigma than BPD
People just think it's faking for attention

 

[BitterlyAlive]

Do you know about DID from other sources?
DissociaDID is a very scientific channel the other channels are mostly about how DID looks like when you live with it. DissociaDID said that there are 3 causes of DID which must occur at the same time (or that's what I understood):
1. an ability to dissociate to a high level (not sure what it means).
2. unstable(?) connection with a primary caregiver.
3. repeated trauma before the age of 7-9.

Yes, she said that it's a survival mechanism. She also said that there are different types of alters like protectors and persecutors.

I suppose it's a personal interest.

Dissociation is something that people can do that operates on a scale. It can be harmless, a symptom of severe anxiety/depression/PTSD, or it can be pathological all on its own (depersonalization/derealization disorder or DID).

At its mildest levels, it's when people "zone out" doing things like driving or reading a book; time goes by quickly and they're less aware of their surroundings...such as not remembering the drive itself or not hearing what's going on around you as you read.

Sometimes it's transient, or temporary, in a person with a mental illness such as anxiety. The person is overwhelmed and their brain simply "takes a break". The person may suffer symptoms such as not feeling in their body, not recognizing themselves or others, feeling like nothing is real, etc. But it eventually fades.

As you go down the scale, dissociation becomes more pervasive. Someone may suffer from a dissociative fugue and wander far away, forgetting details about themselves such as who they are. If I remember right, there was one case where a man suffered from it for months. He ended up wandering states away and couldn't remember anything about himself or his life. He ended up on a talk show and told the host he wanted to know who he was. He was reconnected with his family soon after. He didn't remember them, but he "remembered their heart" and knew he was home.

Depersonalization/derealization disorder is like the transient symptoms one with anxiety etc may have, but this is long-term, chronic, and pervasive. It affects the person's day-to-day life. If I remember right, according to diagnostic criteria the disorder cannot be a symptom of another condition or due to outside factors such as drugs.

Then, at the end of the spectrum is DID. This is an extreme form of dissociation. You...already know about it, so I won't add any details aside from your question mark next to an "unstable attachment" to the caregiver. This may be referring to disorganized attachment, which is incredibly common in those who were abused as children. The primary caregiver is supposed to be nurturing and a source at the child can turn to in times of need. This would be a secure attachment. The child feels safe and comfortable with the caregiver. In disorganized attachment, the caregiver is a source of fear, terror, and/or danger. This generally stems from outright abuse, but can happen if the caregiver has unresolved trauma themselves. The child is terrified of the caregiver but has no choice but to rely on them for "safety" and "security". They have to depend on the caregiver. In order to do so, oftentimes coping mechanisms such as dissociation occur in the child. They have to learn to do this in order to survive.

I hope I didn't say too much. Lol. Got a bit into this post here!

 

[Aap]

I don't think the research is settled to be able to make such a strong causative statement, though childhood trauma certainly seems to be a strongly correlated factor. Part of the lack of understanding is that it is rare and formerly had the unfortunate name of multiple personality disorder, causing no end of popular confusion or confusion of people who actually have several diagnosed personality disorders.

 

[DoNotLet2]

@BitterlyAlive No no no, thank you for your post. Yeah I thought it was some kind of a bad relationship with a parent but I wasn't sure. It must a be a very hard disorder to live with which makes me even more sad that people are hating instead of supporting.
@Aap but DissociaDID said it's not very rare it's 1-2% of population if I remember well.

 

[Aap]

I don't know if accepted medical science would support the 2% figure or anything orders of magnitude close to it. If you wanted to learn more about the topic of inducing dissasociative states, a book called "Chaos" by Tom O'Neill might be of interest indirectly.

It is terrifyingly well researched. The primary intent of the book was researching the Manson murders, but in doing so the author had to veer into documented research the US govt did into mind control. It just happens to be, by a huge margin, the most well researched work into both of those topics.

 

[DoNotLet2]

@Aap oh. Now I don't know what I should trust. Maybe you're right I'm not sure. Anyway I don't like the stigma around DID. It's very harsh and I see it.

 

[Aap]

Hey, being open minded and curious is a great place to be in! You might want to look at pubmed to do a few searches. While most papers are only abstracts available to view, it might be a great resource to learn more. I certainly agree that mental issues in general, especially when they are secondary to extreme trauma, are very often poorly handled and sometimes greatly misunderstood.

 

[BridgeJumper]

Probably because of their skewed perception of DID as something theyve seen in the movies when they were young. A normal, docile person suddenly turning a vicious murderer and not remembering anything they did afterwards. But its not how it really works. I also came by people simply not believing that alters exist, claiming that the person hosting the channel is just pretending to act different for the camera - which shows their ignorance
Its kind of like pro life people vs. suicidal people

 

[foreverbroken28]

Hello
I am singular but I watch DissociaDID. It's a smart channel. Ok it doesn't have proper subtitles for the Deaf but otherwise it's really good. Without it I would have never learnt that Dissociative Identity Disorder exists. What's the problem? People are hating the channels about this disorder. Not only DissociaDID there are other smaller channels too. The hate is so strong that the youtubers can't deal with it. It's not just one rude comment here and there, it's really a wave of bad messages. Some channels have claimed not to post anything more on Youtube...

So I'm posing a simple question - why? Why the people are destroying the EDUCATIONAL channels? The channels that are helping? Does anyone of you know? Maybe I'm missing something? If DissociaDID is right there are many people with this disorder that are suffering and we should be aware of that. How are we supposed to be aware if no one tells us?

What do you guys think?

Note: I only read the first post of this thread. Perhaps the answers to my questions lay in the responses so please don't bite my head off yet.

Okay, so hopefully this won't be offensive but these DID "Meet My Alters" are coming across very fake & "trendy" like. I'm no doctor so please correct me where I am ignorant but I thought Dissociating meant to not have much recollection of the things that happened while you were dissociated. (?)

So why is it then, that all of these "educational" DID channels treating their DID like some sort of acting class where they are pretending to be different characters?

I have dissociated MANY times and could barely remember what the heck happened. I also have split personality and if I chose to name each of them and identify them as separate entities, it would be no different than what these folks are doing.

It seems to me like these DID channels are getting famous and popular from these "Meet My Alters" videos instead of actively seeking treatment. If you are being treated, why treat it like some trendy aesthetic? If one was being successfully treated, they wouldn't be able to get revenue on their YT channels, anymore.

I'm not sure if others view these channels like I do but that's my reason for rolling my eyes at them. It's like do you have no sense of identity and switch whatever character benefits you at the time or are you *actually* dissociating?? ..Because it makes no sense to me how all the "alters" are aware of one another.

Borderlines change hair color, taste in food, partners, genders, preferences & etc. DID channels seem the same except they name each lifestyle change(?)...

The other thing I've noticed is the sudden crop up of all of these DID channels and "Meet My alters" videos. I don't remember many being uploaded before Autum Asphodel's. This is another thing that makes it all seem fishy. Video cameras have been around awhile, vlogs, YouTube since 2006. Why did this just suddenly start up in the 2010s?

I apologize if I am offensive but I am just showing you the raw state of someone on the other side of the spectrum..

Ps -- And with that said, I will also be doing more research. I've never said a nasty comment to anyone about this just in case I am wrong.

 

[DoNotLet2]

Note: I only read the first post of this thread. Perhaps the answers to my questions lay in the responses so please don't bite my head off yet.

Okay, so hopefully this won't be offensive but these DID "Meet My Alters" are coming across very fake & "trendy" like. I'm no doctor so please correct me where I am ignorant but I thought Dissociating meant to not have much recollection of the things that happened while you were dissociated. (?)

So why is it then, that all of these "educational" DID channels treating their DID like some sort of acting class where they are pretending to be different characters?

I have dissociated MANY times and could barely remember what the heck happened. I also have split personality and if I chose to name each of them and identify them as separate entities, it would be no different than what these folks are doing.

It seems to me like these DID channels are getting famous and popular from these "Meet My Alters" videos instead of actively seeking treatment. If you are being treated, why treat it like some trendy aesthetic? If one was being successfully treated, they wouldn't be able to get revenue on their YT channels, anymore.

I'm not sure if others view these channels like I do but that's my reason for rolling my eyes at them. It's like do you have no sense of identity and switch whatever character benefits you at the time or are you *actually* dissociating?? ..Because it makes no sense to me how all the "alters" are aware of one another.

Borderlines change hair color, taste in food, partners, genders, preferences & etc. DID channels seem the same except they name each lifestyle change(?)...

The other thing I've noticed is the sudden crop up of all of these DID channels and "Meet My alters" videos. I don't remember many being uploaded before Autum Asphodel's. This is another thing that makes it all seem fishy. Video cameras have been around awhile, vlogs, YouTube since 2006. Why did this just suddenly start up in the 2010s?

I apologize if I am offensive but I am just showing you the raw state of someone on the other side of the spectrum..

Ps -- And with that said, I will also be doing more research. I've never said a nasty comment to anyone about this just in case I am wrong.

I understand the words from your comment but I don't understand what it is the meaning of the whole statement. It's a serious disorder, people are trying to spread the awareness about it. What's wrong with "meet my alters"? It is good because it's not just host talking about the DID. The videos give an actual example of how DID looks/might look. And it's not host giving names to alters. Alters have names themselves, they are actually separate people. Imagine like you or I didn't have a name. Or anyone you know. It wouldn't make sense right?

EDIT: @BridgeJumper1994 I think I agree. They lack awareness but it's still really shocking for me. It's like hating the physicists because of not knowing anything about physics.

EDIT 2: I think many videos that are meant to quickly spread awareness are not very precise, smart, high quality or whatever. They are supposed to get many views, climb up the Youtube and make people subscribe. If they subscribe they will probably watch high quality content. I don't think that if someone made a half an hour long video describing precisely alters and their behavior and traits it would get many views. The point of those videos is to be spread to as many people as possible. If you watch a DID channel you will probably see a "meet my alters" but it will be next to much better videos.

 

[foreverbroken28]

I understand the words from your comment but I don't understand what it is the meaning of the whole statement. It's a serious disorder, people are trying to spread the awareness about it.

- I don't doubt the seriousness of the disorder. I'm having a hard time understanding the people on YouTube's claims because of the reasons I named.

I did a little "research" after I made that post but I'm still confused as to how they have such excellent memories if the key word here is "dissociated" (?)

And the fact the "Meet My Alters" videos didn't start popping up until after Autumn Asphodel makes it look sketchy.

I heard this disorder is rare and moments when I was dissociated, I could barely remember a thing. So, I'm baffled at how well their memories are and I also see a lot of overlap with the youtubers and BPD identify disturbance.

I watched another documentary about DID and the lady had no recollection of most of what she did. She isn't a youtuber and her dissociation didn't seem to manifest like the Youtubers.

Like, I said - I never told anyone claiming to have DID these things just in case I'm wrong but it appears sketchy. So, I was just giving reasons why some people might look at it sideways. However, I don't think it is ethical to comment rude stuff to anyone.

 

[DoNotLet2]

You're posing tough questions.
I might be wrong but once the host gets hidden the other alter comes out and gets the memories. They also might be told by someone "oh you did that and that".
I mean Youtube is not a very serious website.
EDIT: Maybe someone with DID could speak here?
Btw tell me precisely (please) what youtubers and videos you mean.

 

[Broken Chimera]

I'll start with the main reason. People with DID/OSDD get targeted mainly because they're different. Then you have fakes in the group that make people feel like they're all fake. Then you have the people who knows Sybil was fake and think that the disorder needs to be taken out of the DSM. Probably many more reasons but I'll go into why she got hate recently.

With Dissociadid it's always been some hate, but after the Anthony Padilla video it got worse. Trisha Peytas made a video on her calling her crazy and putting her down. Dissociadid made a video to clear up the misinformation. After a while someone found out that her ex fiance posted sneeze fetish pictures on her old account with aged down characters.

After that someone found drawings by this same person that was child porn (I haven't seen those so idk). During all of this she had a suicide attempt and was getting even more hate because of that. And before I forget she also got hate for having a alter who identified as native american. Idk if she's fake or not, but she gave a lot of info to try to educate people about the condition and to remove the stigma but after all of that she's off of YouTube and probably not coming back.

And the fact the "Meet My Alters" videos didn't start popping up until after Autumn Asphodel makes it look sketchy.

They know if they put that in the title they'll get views, that's mainly why they do it. Autumn admitted she was faking. That's another reason why the community gets hate.

I didn't expect this to be this long but those are the main reasons why she and other systems get hate.

 

[DoNotLet2]

No, long comments are welcome!

The people who faked it should be somehow punished. Idk if by law, but for sure they should be banned from Youtube.
I'm ignorant but what's wrong with saying "one of my alters is a native American"? I don't want to be intolerant so I'm asking.
It's sad that she's unlikely to come back... Youtube lost a good youtuber. I hope she will overcome it somehow after all.
I'm weird but I wonder what if she is here on SS? Don't mind me saying that I'm just wondering.

 

[BridgeJumper]

Borderlines change hair color, taste in food, partners, genders, preferences & etc

Im borderline and I dont change my hair colour, gender, hobby, taste in food or whatever else. Im also single
Not every person with a specific disorder (BPD, DID, anything) can be measured on the same scale

 

[Broken Chimera]

I'm ignorant but what's wrong with saying "one of my alters is a native American"?

People get mad because they see it as cultural appropriation. That and that the alter hasn't lived that life so they shouldn't have the right to claim to be that. I think it's ridiculous that people want to attack people for that. Alters don't create themselves. The whole condition is made so a child can protect themselves from trauma.

 

[ssaaahmo]

people can be ridiculous and not understand how what they say could affect others

 

[DoNotLet2]

People get mad because they see it as cultural appropriation. That and that the alter hasn't lived that life so they shouldn't have the right to claim to be that. I think it's ridiculous that people want to attack people for that. Alters don't create themselves. The whole condition is made so a child can protect themselves from trauma.

I mean here in Poland (almost) everybody's white so I don't get why race is such a big problem. That's why I'm shocked. I think actually hating that person with DID makes it worse for people of color (I think that's the way to call non white people not sure though) than not saying anything at all about that incident. Because people like me will never understand the problem unless someone explain to them very clearly just like you do. We're getting offtopic but I want to say it.

Here in Poland when someone from LGBTQ+ (the same goes for any majority I think) does something very wrong to defend themselves from discrimination like assaulting someone people get real angry not at the discriminator but at the assaulter. So hating someone because they claimed to be non-white when being white is a very bad idea. People will think "you can't really talk to people of color cause they gonna get incensed easily". And it creates further discrimination. And that's something I don't like because you shouldn't be hated because of your skin color.
I'm not saying the person with DID didn't discriminate. I say that it was counterproductive to hate her for that.

@foreverbroken28 I mean what's wrong with changing hair color? And you don't really change your gender.

 

[CyanideSoup]

Ive been watching DissociaDID for a year now and I think the awareness she has brought to the DID and mental health communities has been so important. Unfortunately people like Trisha Paytas like to mock these communities for views and clout. It's disgusting. DID is such a complex and misunderstood disorder and I can't imagine how hard it must be to live with day to day. Sending hugs to all the systems here who are struggling

 

[Broken Chimera]

@DoNotLet2 I'll be honest, idc what race an alter is. Mainly because idc what race a regular person is. People who want to start fights over that just want a reason to put someone down. It was just a really stupid thing to fight over. And yeah people shouldn't be hated because of a skin color, but in America it seems like it's getting worse thanks to what's been going on. Thanks to recent events.

My problem is why is other systems having problems with it. Of all people systems should be the least judgemental. But that came from other systems in the community. I don't get it.

Ive been watching DissociaDID for a year now and I think the awareness she has brought to the DID and me

The sad thing is that all of the work that the community has done to remove stigma is gone. Plenty of systems are hiding now because of that drama. It's sad to see vulnerable people have to go through stigma on top of the trauma that made them like that in the first place.

 

[DoNotLet2]

@Broken Chimera oh actually I feel relatable. I'm autistic and I got too much hate from other autistic people. There was no reason to hate me lol. Maybe it's the lack of unity? Maybe these communities aren't united well?

Yeah! That's why I'm venting. It's not fair that the work is gone. And it's like being assaulted twice. Once by abusers and secondly by haters. It's very bad. Chimera, you seem to know a lot. Can you tell me where you know it all from?

 

[Broken Chimera]

@DoNotLet2 About Dissociadid? There are plenty of videos talking about that drama. It was hard not to find it. They bring it up a lot on her subreddit.

Why would you get hate from other autistic people?

 

[foreverbroken28]

Im borderline and I dont change my hair colour, gender, hobby, taste in food or whatever else. Im also single
Not every person with a specific disorder (BPD, DID, anything) can be measured on the same scale

I'm aware "not all borderlines" have identity disturbance. Im referring to a trait found in BPD as a whole. The point was that some Borderline have identity disturbances but don't name them.

The term dissociation I thought meant, someone is completely detached from their normal state and someone with DID is living in another state of cognition and is a totally different person. So how is it that they're all aware of one another?

It seems like the people on YouTube are purposefully switching off into characters they created in order to try on different personalities. That is why I am a skeptic and cringe at it. I would never want to be nasty to someone with a real disorder, so I don't say anything but our thoughts were asked for and I wanted to give mine from the angle of someone who is skeptical of Youtubers.

I do think people use the Meet my Alters for views but the way alters are described on YouTube as a whole seems shady to me for the reasons I named. I don't understand how you're dissociated and can switch off characters so fast and have them all remember one another.

And what gave Autumn Asphodek away is that all of her alters seemingly enjoyed the same eyebrows.

I don't think alters are unrealistic or invalid. The way youtubers go about it seems shady and unrealistic according to what dissociative means in medical terms. I'm BPD among other things + have a split personality & I'm always forgetting the things I've said and etc. It only makes sense to me that someone with a dissociative issue would forget the other alters.

I know I'm in the minority here but I can't find any reason for any of the "meet the alters" videos. I have an idea that these videos are not informational of real DID but of an issue with a group of people with an identity disturbance that is not dissociative.

 

[BridgeJumper]

I understand now. Thanks

 

[foreverbroken28]

You're posing tough questions.
I might be wrong but once the host gets hidden the other alter comes out and gets the memories. They also might be told by someone "oh you did that and that".
I mean Youtube is not a very serious website.
EDIT: Maybe someone with DID could speak here?
Btw tell me precisely (please) what youtubers and videos you mean.

I don't condone harassment or bullying nor spewing off random opinions at others when there is no proof. I believe in asking questions.

Whether or not I believe that DissociaDID person actually is dissociative does not mean anyone should be rude and drive her off the internet. I'm not saying she is faking but even if she was, that would mean she is still dealing with something that is causing her to have these alternative personalities.

I understand why you're so into this because of your viewpoint on it all.

 

[noaccount]

It is the same as bullying gay people or anything else. People used to being considered "normal" don't want to give up that power, when people who've been considered outcasts start taking charge of their own lives and telling their own stories.

Many people never report their dissociative identities to doctors or anything - for good reason! So I do not think medical experts really know that much about DID. PEOPLE WITH DID are the experts on DID.

Some people consider their multiple identities "a disorder" - other people don't. Both are fine. Some people say they have dissociative identities naturally, not because of trauma. If that's how someone understands their own life, that's their own business. Honestly, even if someone is "faking," if they're not hurting anyone and it helps them cope, I don't really care.

Being Native American, though, is NOT a Psychological or Emotional state - it is a Heritage, a Lineage that one is BORN INTO. An ethnicity, a culture, and a social/political legacy of many generations resisting Euro colonialism. So if you are not Of That Heritage, you can't have a "different part of yourself that is Native American."

I would ask anyone in Poland, Eastern Europe, etc, to look at ongoing racial violence against Jewish, Rromani, and other people there.

 

[foreverbroken28]

@foreverbroken28 I mean what's wrong with changing hair color? And you don't really change your gender.
[/QUOTE]

There is nothing wrong with changing hair color at all. I wasn't making a point or a judgment about the hair color in particular. (I'm an unnatural redhead.)

The point was that some of us with BPd will change our entire persona and personality, morals & etc on a weekly basis because of identity disturbance but we are not necessarily dissociated from one reality or the other.

So I was just saying, this seems similar to what the Youtubers do with "Meet the Alters" videos except they name their identity disturbances.

I watched a documentary where a lady had DID and none of her alters knew one another and she had no recollection of what she did. That to me seems a lot different than the alters the Youtubers explain.

Sorry for writing so much, I just want to be clear so I don't confuse anyone.

When I mentioned a change in gender, I was referring to identifying as fluid one day, a one-woman the next & a whole man, the next. Some Borderlines do that. (I've come close.)

I never comment my opinion on these people's videos. I pretty much keep them to myself but this thread asked for thoughts. The Youtubers not only come to YouTube and make their DID everyones business but they then post videos about the everyday lives of the alters, (that sometimes has nothing to do with DID itself.)

I get they want to educate, (although I think there is another motive here) but they do make it other people's busineess. The issue is that people don't know how to have civilized conversation or be civilized and end up being bullies or people take things as an attack because they are too emotional.

DID has been around for awhile because there are old documentaries on it - those documentaries though are very different than these Youtubers, though. The YouTube "meet my alters" thingy just started cropping up in the 2010s after that Autumn chick. (Who later admitted to doing exactly what I'm skeptical some of the others are doing.)

People who were skeptical of Autumn posted their opinions they thought she was fake under her videos and they were called mean for it just for her to come back later on and say the skeptics were correct in the assessments.

Really, it is more harmful to the ones who truly do have the disorder. It reminds me of the struggle between Histrionics misdiagnosed as Borderline.