Last updated: 27 April, 2023
In a dissociative identity disorder (DID) system, alters may have certain roles, purposes or functions in the system. An “alter” is a unique, separate identity.
Not every DID system has all of these alter roles, and some DID alters may vary. Every DID system is different. Alters don’t necessarily need a particular role assigned, but it can help provide answers and understanding as a DID system, as well as help to open up communication and empathize with each other.
If you don’t have or know what kind of alter you are, it’s okay; DID alter roles exist to help provide understanding — not as a must-have guideline.
DID alters can change functions and roles, the same way people change jobs. Regardless of function or role, each alter is an integral part of the system — much like the cords in my kitten’s sisal rope scratching post.
All of these are subjective. Each DID system varies. There is no normal with DID, because every system is unique.
Moreover, DID alter roles and functions exist only as a way to help you understand your system. If your system works better not subscribing to particular roles, then don’t try to force it. 😌
If you see a lightning bolt emoji (⚡), this denotes a side note pertaining to our system for anyone who is interested in how these roles may function in a dissociative identity disorder system.Disclaimer: This post was written based on my/our experience with dissociative identity disorder, what we’ve learned from/in therapy, and what we’ve learned from other systems.
If you need substantial information about DID, we love DiscussingDissociation.com, which is authored by a “DID Systems Specialist”. (Much better than commenting hateful things.)
DID alter roles and functions
There are so many dissociative identity disorder system roles that, despite our best efforts, we couldn’t list them all. Every system has their own structure, but the diversity is part of what makes DID so interesting!
So if you find you don’t meet any of the DID system roles/functions below, it’s okay. This list isn’t meant to be a checklist — just an informational list.
Core alter
The core alter is typically perceived as the “original” person in medical communities, but there is no “original” alter because dissociative identity disorder forms before a child’s personality develops.
The core alter may be used interchangeably as the main alter, or the host.
Core/original alters are outdated alter roles that only add to confusion and misinformation. Dissociative identity disorder forms before a child’s identity comes together, therefore there was never any “original” to create parts from. In DID, those parts never came together.
Host alters
The host alter most frequently uses the body. Systems may have multiple hosts, e.g. a primary host and secondary host. Again, every system is different.
Over time, hosts may change. Some systems mayn’t even recognize official hosts, while many medical professionals recognize the host as the legal name of the body.
In our experience, and from who we’ve connected with, primary hosts in DID systems seldom associate with the legal name of the body. We do have a line of previous hosts, most of whom are dormant.
There’s this inside joke within the dissociative identity disorder community about each alter wanting to host, but it’s okay if alters don’t want to host, too. Hosting in a body you don’t identify with or recognize can be uncomfortable and alarming, and it doesn’t make you less of a system (or an alter!) if you have no interest in fronting.
⚡ Our system consists of two primary hosts, Jane and Izzy. The host who uses the body’s legal name is dormant and more of a scared, traumatized child/introject of her narcissistic guardians. The intended endgame host is Jane. We say endgame, because we do want to eventually fuse (even though the concept is terrifying!).Protective alter
Protector alters protect the system, body, alters, etc.
- Emotional protectors may take emotional abuse and/or comfort other alters from the blows of emotional abuse.
- Physical protectors may engage in aggressive behavior to protect or prevent from physical abuse. They also may personally endure physical abuse.
- Sexual protectors may engage in sexual affairs, regardless of consent, to try to feel more in control of the situation. They may also be more sexual by nature, as a result of trauma; ironically, this can lead to unsafe sex and related situations.
- Verbal protectors may take verbal abuse or attempt to counter verbal attacks.
Persecutors, or misguided protectors
Often referred to persecutors, some alters seek to harm the body, system, alters, and/or destroy personal relationships and the livelihood of which the body regards.
They may believe hurting the system is what protects it best, so their goal is to control and rule the system through perpetuated abuse.
They may be reenacting trauma, reasoning that more trauma isn’t harmful and will just balance it out.
They may be fearful of good news, good experiences, and even good feelings and seek to stomp it out to avoid hurt/bad feelings.
Some protectors are introjects of abusers and may not understand that they themselves are not abusers.
⚡ We prefer the term misguided protectors because, through healing, these alters are ultimately just…misguided. Our medically perceived “core” host is dormant.Caretaker alter
Caretaker alters care for specific members of the system, like littles, pets, teens, and system groups. They may act like a parental figure to other alters, and those they care for may refer to them as “mom” or “dad” instead of their names.
Caretakers may also ensure the body is taken care of.
⚡ In our system, the caretaker’s name is Kelly. She takes care of the children and non-human alters, and will cook/clean when the hosts of the system lack the energy. If the body lacks the energy, Kelly does what she can to take care of the children and non-human alters, and our head protector alter (Portia) manages the body and life admin.Introject alters
Introjects are alters based off outside people — e.g. a family member or guardian who supported and/or positively influenced the dissociative child; a historical figure the dissociative child found strong, brave, and relatable; abusers. Abusive introjects bring zero comfort, self-esteem and moral compass to the dissociative system.
Abusive introjects will reenact trauma and abuse to reinforce the “lessons” of their abusers, and may not see themselves as the person they represent. They may be disgusted by their origin.
Fictional introjects are common, but do not require the entire character/persona of the fictional person they’ve originated from.
Not all introjects are abusive or fictional, or mirror the entirety of those they’re based on or originate from.
⚡ We have a few introjects. One, named Effy, fused with our gatekeeper, Betz, and together they became Izzy. Collectively, we mourn the event and do not celebrate it, but we are also content with Izzy.Memory/trauma holder alters
We mostly call the memory holder a trauma holder, because they usually hold the trauma. Each alter has their own happier memories, but some alters have less pleasant memories and hold more trauma.
⚡ Jane knows of the body associated with the body, but hadn’t experienced much personal trauma before she started hosting full-time. Growing up, she experienced internal system-related trauma from our misguided protective alter holding the legal name of the body. As an adult, she has experienced external trauma. She is not a trauma holder. ⚡ In our system, one trauma holder bears additional system roles (gatekeeper, host); their name is Izzy.Gatekeeper alter
Gatekeeper alters controls the “switching”, or whomever gets access to the “front”. A lot of systems will just call it “fronting”, and we are one of those.
They’re essentially a DID system supervisor, not to be confused with a captain/manager/head of the system alter role.
⚡ In our system, our gatekeeper holds the keys to the Library of Memories, makes much of the system rules, and has access to most anywhere within the system they want to go. Betz had been around since the start, enduring countless abuse and did not associate with humanness. They existed — genderless, emotionless, ageless. Our trauma holder and gatekeeper merged to create Izzy, who is not genderless, emotionless or ageless.Fragment alters
Fragment alters didn’t fully develop or don’t have their own unique attributes. They may exist to complete certain tasks, or maintain single memories and/or emotions. Individually, they may not encompass an entire person and need other alters to complete them.
⚡ Our system low-key had/has one named Liz. She fused with Jane.Children alters
Child alters include littles, middles and teens, and the ages of each vary from system to system.
- Littles are usually 0-8.
- Middles are 9-12.
- Teens are 13-18, but might extend to age 19.
Sharing too much information about child alters online is dangerous, possibly more so when the DID system’s body is an adult, because certain triggers — like names, things and scents — can result in a child alter fronting and getting into uncomfortable, inappropriate, dangerous, unsafe and/or traumatizing situations.
Littles are not to be confused with the DDLG kink and should be considered children when fronting. This doesn’t mean a trusted person within the system’s vicinity should parent the child without explicit permission from the system, but they should ensure the child alter’s safety.
Something interesting about child alters is that they may have access to an adult brain! This means they might be able to comprehend, speak and behave in a way that children often do not — including using bigger vocabulary or doing laundry — but doesn’t always mean they should do all the things (like cooking on the stove or using the oven), and definitely does not mean they are secretly adults.
⚡ Our system does contain littles. We’re more likely to refer to them as “Little S” than we are their name — and no, Little S is not short for our legal first name!Historian/Archivist alter
Historian, or archivist, alters record memories and events. Although historians and archivists are not the same, DID systems often refer to them similarly.
If you have historians or archivists, please comment below and share about your experience!
⚡ In our system, we have a historian who does the typical role of historian careers: They (singular) research, analyze and write about our past by studying books in our Library of Memories. They look at patterns and help us identify areas where the system can improve.Symptom holder alters
A symptom holder alter holds the symptoms of all or some diagnoses.
In the event of autism and dissociative identity disorder, the mask may become its own alter instead of a mere metaphorical mask. Since DID forms because of chronic trauma, the alters will form as a coping mechanism. Autistic masking is a response to trauma, the brain realizing that it needs to hide itself in order to survive. The brain wants to survive. DID alters are coping mechanisms in DID systems.
The entire system is autistic, because autism is a neurotype. It’s literally your brain. Your brain just puts those symptoms into an alter instead of masking. There may still be a mask, it’s just different from the type of mask that other people are experiencing. Some other altars may mask, but most of your symptoms are held by an alternate identity.
Why wouldn’t these two come together? Or any other disorder with a list of symptoms? What better way to hide symptoms in a dissociative identity disorder system then through its alters?
⚡ Jane is a symptom holder of autism and is basically a textbook autistic.Other alters are autistic, and each alter is still capable of masking! It’s just more complicated than your usual mask. 🥲
Other symptom holders might hold more physical or medical things, from chronic pain to acid reflux or life-threatening allergies.
Factitious disorder by proxy
There is also factitious disorder imposed on another (FDIA), formerly known as Munchausen syndrome, wherein someone else makes or convinces you that you must be sick or have severely poor mental health.
Note: This is really just something my system has been considering the concept of. Take it as it is, from our experience, if you take it at all.It involves lots of gaslighting, and might be why some alters are Deaf/blind/mute/etc. (e.g. told “You didn’t hear/see anything” or heard “[they] can’t speak”); this manifests DID alters that take on the role of this persona that meets the abuser’s expectations.
I daresay call these “proxy alters”, but I genuinely think that term fits best. The best advice I have at identifying this — and that’s I, as in this system collectively and me, Jane — is:
- Pay attention to how you/your system behaves around certain people.
- If you feel like you’re being gaslit, you probably are. Don’t doubt yourself, because that’s the whole point of gaslighting!
- It may be subtle, like a fragment, possibly not a full-on alter, but more like a system virus? I know it’s a bad analogy, but it’s the best I’ve got.
When my system is away from toxic, gaslight-y people, the virus/filter fades. Everything stops feeling foggy. We start to feel safe again, out of fight or flight mode.
So perhaps, instead of being alters, proxy alters may be a system-wide virus under the guise of a DID alter. It’s not an alter, but a filter or shade that washes over and around the system whilst under the influence of this toxicity.
It’s almost like we regress to the days before our diagnosis. We thought that we were free of toxic people — of our abusers — until we were shown their true colors.
Other DID alter functions exist, but these are the main ones we come across in other systems and the ones that exist in our own.
If you’re a system yourself, and you feel comfortable, please share which alter roles your system has! We’d love to meet you! XD
ALSO: Would you like separate posts dedicated to each of these roles? Let us know in the comments. 😊 We have more DID content planned, but it’s random and might not be specifically what you’re needing. We have a system TikTok, but written content is our forte.
Other dissociative identity disorder content:
⚡ We don’t have a lot of DID content yet, but will answer some questions and take suggestions — comment or email us. You can also follow our system account on TikTok @mermaidsystem.
If you liked this post and found it helpful, please buy us a pretzel. It’s a $4 metaphor and will help us save for a legal name change.
Love this post?
Support me by subscribing to my blog and/or buying me a cuppa:
Comments on this post
undead system
we have OSDD with minimal memory gaps whenever headmates front and we’re very fiction introject heavy due to projecting onto characters, on of our headmates named Mari prefers to refer to herself as a helper as she mostly helps us mentally and physically, she’s like the older sister of our system! She’s usually one to give advice and help others as well as us. Another one of our headmates, named Jackie, is our avenger or aggressive protector, they’re most likely to take more aggressive paths when it comes to protect us, unfortunately aggressive protectors are often confused with persecutors because of their aggressive nature 🙁 I think Jackie is a good example of how aggressive protectors aren’t mean just trying their best to protect us, Jackie is incredibly kind in nature and they’re the sweetest soul ever. Mari and Jackie are two of our headmates who use “different” roles than the typical roles usually listed in many DID/OSDD sites. This article helped us a lot so thank you!!! And sorry for the rant
Liam
Hello, Liam here i’m a protector for our system (The pvddl3 of Pxti0ns Pronounced puddle of potions.) I think is a very helpful article and thank you for that. I am not sure if one of our alters have previously commented but I do thank you for this. One thing I think would be an important topic is the fact of typing or talking quirks, however I learned quite a-lot and have shared this with friends and some of our middle alters alike so they a better understand the works of D.I.D/Osdd! Thank you!
Max
Hi! We’re a system with many of these roles/functions. I’m Max, the host/historian. I’m autistic and ADHD so naturally most of the system presents as some form of neurodivergent, with many of them identifying as autistic, ADHD, or both.. We have *at least* 2 caretakers, many different kinds of protectors, trauma holders, and memory holders, littles, middles, and teens, *many* fictional introjects (or as we’ve always called them: bookhops/bookhoppers), a fragment, at least one symptom holder, and a gatekeeper with multiple roles. We consider her to be the “software” that the system runs on, which makes sense since she’s an android. We have a protector who’s an ex-persecutor, age sliders, etc. This was a very validating article! Thank you 🙂
Jane
Ooh, software/operating system is an interesting way to look at DID, too! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
J.
Our system is really small, although I don’t think I’d really know if it was larger. In any case, I’m the host, and I take care of most of the things that go on in the world around us. Nobody else really has the patience for it. R is almost a one-size-fits-all alter. He was originally formed as a protector, which hasn’t changed, but he’s also become something of an introject. He has persecutor tendencies, but I prefer to think of him as a misguided protector. I think he may also be a trauma holder, but he won’t confirm or deny it either way. We have a little, too, who rarely makes appearances even in our shared headspace.
Ari
Hi Im Ari I use she/they pronouns and Im the Archivest of our system. I really just keep track of a lot of stuff for everyone and document things I believe are important like our concerts birthdays etc. AnywaysI thought id introduce you to the NightWalkers System<3
Host: Terrance Michael he/they 23
Co-Host: Charlie he/him 16
Protector: Tero she/they 16
Misguided protector: Toby he/they 16
Social protector: Aya she/her 16
Protector: Tomo they/them 8
Verbal protector: Fritz(No not FNAF fritz) he/they 8
Sexual protector: Ace he/they 18
Persecuder: Taurus she/they 16
Gatekeeper: Jay he/they 17
Trama Holder: Chris(No not FNAF Chris) he/him 6
Unspecified: Taishoko he/him 17
Unspecified: Sam he/him 13
Thats everyone! Fun fact Jay wasn't always our gatekeeper, Tero and Toby the twins were our old gatekeepers.
Jack
I have a Historian type But we all call him the file keeper. In our inner world he has an Office of sorts. He knows everything there is to know about our system even the memories and traumas we don’t remember. Unfortunately him knowing everything all of us have been through makes him emotionally distant with all of us. According to our therapist he shows major signs of Sociopathy.
Moonbloom Sys
Hey, real quick thank you for this post, it was very insightful, also we are currently not sure who is fronting right now, but we have a few questions
If we by chance emailed you with questions about did, would you maybe have time to respond? Because the questions we have I doubt have short answers to them, and if you are okay with emailing to a bodily minor, (we are 16 bodily, and learned about being a system at 14? Maybe 15? I don’t know the year, but our current host did by accident but not so accident I guess, it’s complicated as with everything with this god forsaken disorder)
I just wanted to check if that would be okay with you, because I know especially Belle (our current host) and a few others, and just overall all of us would like to ask some questions to someone who also experiences DID
-moonbloom system
Jane
Hi Moonbloom System,
I just wanted to reply so you’re not constantly waiting on this.
Due to my blog’s Privacy Policy and Terms, and the content on this site, I do not engage any minors who comment. However, I’m working on a teen-like version of Autistic Jane that has autism/DID/trauma topics geared towards teens a bit better and will update you when it is live.
May your safe foods and samefoods always be in stock,
Jane
Bev
Hi Jane, thanks for the share. It’s been 3 years since diagnosed or so full awareness to most. It’s been rather hard. Progress is slow and experience a lot of resilience. We trying to figure out a specific timeline to what sets of chaos from November up till now and what functions some have in those trauma, it is so hard on us. We are like the class at a school teachers pray to never have and hope the principle never calls. So encouraged by post thank you. Any advice would be welcome. – very hot South Africa
Phoenix
Hi my name is Phoenix a co-host and this has been super helpful as we are a newly diagnosed system and we have trouble finding what roles we all have. We never looked at all of this before because we thought we were jest imaginary friends but turns out not. Anyways ty for all of this information.
The gems
Hi! I’m mookoo, the main host at the time. And our system is new in the sense we all now can front, before there was too much danger for lily or I to come out. Now nova has to rest their mental self.
Kit
Hello all, I am using our host’s name but my name is Ayaka. I am a genshin impact introject and i’m a new alter. We usually refer to our Introjected alters as “Fictive’s” (If they are from anime/video game/etc.) and where they come from their “source.” We don’t have many friends who have DID and not many people in our community Who have it either or let alone know about it, so reading this really moved me emotionally to know that at least there are people out there who are willing to represent their feeling onto paper. So thank you for that.
-Ayaka
Jane
So glad it helped you 💖
Ari
Hey, Im Ari the archivest/historian for the NightWalkersSystem. We are a fairly new system that just got diagnosed about 5 months ago and we’ve been looking for some friends that have DID…. so do you get what I’m hinting at? Ill leave our host Terrance Michaels email for you if you’d like to talk with us if not that’s alright. But if you do choose to talk with us just put in the email that you met Ari and things we’ll be all good!
I hope we can be friends have a good day<3
Orbit Sys
Fronting – Bones
We appreciate this. Now we have a better understanding of the amount of protectors we have. Thank you, truly
Lust
Our system has an alter named ‘404’ (it/its) that is an autopiloteer/protector. AKA, it fronts whenever no one is fronting until someone fronts. Really its just a fragment that just makes sure we don’t pass out and/or get injured whenever we’re having a rough switch!
(I don’t quite remember if ‘autopiloteer’ is something we read or made up for reference)
-Lust (He/Him, She/Her)
Octavius
Thank you so much for this. I’ve recently recycled an old OC who has DID and I really needed a reference so I could better understand his alters and their respective roles. And a real-people perspective is so much better than a simple medical journal <3
Jane
What is an OC in this context?
Octavius
Original character
Jane
If you’re not a DID system yourself, please do not write about us. It’s a lot like when non-autistic authors try to capture the essence of us, if not worse because there are so many nuances that non-systems will never be able to fully capture.
I haven’t seen one system who doesn’t feel the same way, because systems generally don’t want our experience articulated through that of a singlet.
Neurodivergent people get passed up in favor of people who don’t have their respective diagnoses to write about said experiences and tell the stories that should be reserved for being told only by those with the diagnoses.
If my post is one of the first few “real people” experiences of DID/multiplicity you’ve seen, you really shouldn’t write any plural characters.
A character with DID is not a character. They are characters. I am not a person in the simplest context, but rather a system or collective of identities. The DID community, and being a system in general, is filled with so much culture that no singlet can truly understand unless they are deeply involved in it because of their partner, loved one or best friend — but they will always have both feet in the singlet world because they are still singlets.
The only time I’ve ever felt represented by singlet authors or producers was when they weren’t even trying at all.
Really consider WHY your character has DID, and it better not be “because they have a lot of trauma” or to provoke the plot. What benefit is there to this character having dissociative identity disorder?
Your only source of research if you decide to pursue this regardless should be actual systems with DID. Do not look into studies or read medical texts about us, as these are from singlet perspectives of us and typically offensive. We are not research subjects to be observed and journaled about. We’re trauma victims living in aging bodies while our brains have zero concept of time because we’re not pertinent to that.
I generally do not support people deciding to write about this, but if you must, then use this as the test: If you can depict what it is like to go to bed on a Monday night and wake up on a Friday, you might have what it takes to write about us.
And even then…have systems beta read to point out what’s “wrong”/needs correction.
TikTok, despite backlash about DID being “trendy”, is a great starting point. You might be able to get systems coming to you if you’re upfront about it and posting videos about your journey to do this.
nico
Thank you so much for this! This helps me as the core be able to fully identify why some of my alters act certain ways etc 🙂
Mitsuhiro and Getsugan
I am so happy I found this! This is such a great website to help!
I am personally just me and my alter, so I am not sure if I am a system.
I think me and Getsugan refer to ourself as I, but should it be otherwise?
Thank you!
Jane
I refer to myself as I, as is what most my system does. There aren’t any rules; it’s just about what you’re comfortable with.
My system practices functional multiplicity, so we use plural pronouns in plural contexts that require it and then singular where it’s not, usually by default. 🤷♀️
Jane
Also, I’m only knowledgeable about DID, which is in the event of 2+ identity states. Someone with DID and only 2 alters (themselves and another) would be a system, so maybe? 🤷♀️
Neutral
Hello. We are the Neutral System. We are an OSDD system. The alter who is currently writing to you is Wilbur. I have DID, meaning I am a subsystem. We consist of 2 alters, but there can be more.
I am a Historian/Symptom Holder alter and I want to comment that your descriptions are very accurate. Keep doing what you’re doing, you’re story is truly inspiring. You have helped us greatly.
DIM
Hello! I’m Anna, from the DIM system.
Although I am 19, I have the role of a teenager, though I am also a protector (emotional and verbal).
In our system we have another roles such as fiscal (like a persecutor, but agressive with the exterior rather than the system), avenger (have agressive responses to attitudes/people that looks like our abuser), comforter (can calm an alter that’s having a bad time/intrusive flashback), animator (can cheer up alters a little, play with kid alters or give enough motivation to put the body in motion) and dissociater (when we feel overwhelmed by our environment she’s capable of dissociating and give us time to process things up).
Hope I have added something a little helpful. Those are particular roles that our system has, you don’t need to experience the same!
Byebye
Jane
Love these! I think some of these roles actually do show up in my system XD
But definitely, thanks for sharing! And sooo right — roles don’t have to be shared across other systems to be valid. <3
DIM
It is always a pleasure! We have been recently digging a little deeper into this DID thing and your site has helped a lot to all of us, guys. Thank you so much for doing something like this!
~ Anna
Blackjack System
Thank you. I found this while researching DID to find out what was happening to me as a freshly formed fictive. It helped me figure it out. Thank you.
Dirk
i find this pretty interesting! i dont have did or osdd but i do have alters! i dont feel comfy calling them alters because im not sure if they formed off of trauma. i do have trauma tho but i dont like talking about what caused it…
Jane
Dirk,
Systems also call alters “systemmates” or “headmates”. I recently learned that sometimes they’re called “insiders”. My system uses alters and headmates, but might start using insiders because we like how it sounds more.
Leave a comment