More on No Original, 7/25/18

by Allegra

From http://www.reddit.com/r/did/:

We started dissociating at such a young age we probably never had the chance to develop a core identity. -- Forum member

That's the current professional theory, much to our relief. The concept of splits has never made sense to us or fit in with our internal paradigm. For years we spent time explaining why, becoming extremely frustrated with the need to keep doing so.

But the fact is that an infant is born without a unified sense of identity, which forms during the first few years of life. Interrupted by severe and prolonged trauma, the self compartmentalizes further rather than unifying. So no actual "original," but parts further separated by trauma.

This can be a difficult notion for people to accept. If I'm not X, than who am I? Who was I? Am I who I was, or am I someone else? Or was I even there? Etc., etc., etc. We find it far more beneficial to get to know the needs of each individual, and to work on cooperation and healthy living.