The Dragonheart Collective's Primer To Plurality
Introduction:
So you want to know what plurality is.
The answer is fairly simple; plurality is the state of being 'more than one' entity in a body.
This is a thing that trips people up a lot despite being quite simple of a definition.
Being 'more than one' means different things to different people, and there are a wide range of experiences under the plural umbrella because of it.
We would like to note that this isn't an exhaustive look at plurality. This is a quick FAQ that is meant to be supplemented with further research should you like to know more.
There are many words people use alongside this term to define certain concepts. For a glossary of these terms, look [HERE]!
Plurality? What about DID?
DID is a specific psychiatric diagnosis. It is a Complex Dissociative Disorder(CDD) alongside several other disorders like P-DID (ICD only), OSDD, and UDD.
Some plural folks meet the criteria of a CDD, but many do not, as these disorders have very specific criteria- and experiencing 'more than one' experiences of various kinds is only one of those.
Critically, experiencing clinically significant distress or dysfunction surrounding the symptoms is required for all of them. This is a hard-won addition to the diagnostic manuals, as it prevents the pathologization of 'odd' experiences that are not harmful.
DID is the most well-known example of 'more than one' experiences and the one that has the most research and clinical records, but it is NOT the only type, despite what some people may tell you.
What is 'The Plural Community'?
The Plural Community is everyone who identifies as plural.
Not everyone who has 'more than one' experiences claims the label plural, for various reasons. Notably, many people who have dissociative disorders with 'more than one' experiences do not identify as plural.
The word 'plural' is similar to the word 'neurodiverse', in that both words are a bit political with their intentional step away from pathologized terms and frameworks. Its a neutral and inclusive way of stating how we are different and a radical way of asserting our identities.
What is it like being plural?
The plural experience is highly varied, and one system's experience can be wildly different from another's, which makes answering this difficult.
There are things that are common, just as [switching control] of the body, having memory or perspective weirdness when you aren't 'at the wheel', or being able to communicate mentally, but these aren't guaranteed either. Many people will also describe similar experiences in different ways because they have different frameworks they are using.
Some systems are more indistinct and the those in them are blurry, and others are very separate. Some systems have a lot of dysfunction, others have very little or none. Some systems consider themselves all separate people, others consider themselves all states of the same person.
The only thing we all share is being 'more than one'.
What causes plurality?
Science is not sure what causes plurality as a whole exactly. There are theories, but many have strong criticisms and none of them can be ethically proven.
Trauma is a very common narrative- particularly in those who are disorderly in presentation. It is also fair to say a headmate may be intentionally created, as tulpamancers have reported, but there are also those who believe in other causes for their existence- such as inherent neurodiversity or spiritual causes. Some systems also have mixed origins, and others may not know nor care why they are the way they are.
So I think I might be plural?
We have a document for this! Refer to this page [HERE].
So I want to write a plural character...
We have a guide just for you! [LINK] TLDR- Research and then research some more, read things by plurals, and consider a sensitivity reader or several.
What should I as a singlet do to support the systems in my life?
Believe people about their experiences and ask people how they want to be treated. That is the single most important thing you can do. Avoid just assuming there is a specific way to treat every single system and avoid passing judgements on who is 'allowed' to be plural. Its not for you to decide and is ultimately unhelpful.
Myths:
In order to be plural you must have experienced severe repeated trauma, usually sexual abuse, before a specific cutoff age.
There is no requirement for trauma -much les a specific kind of trauma- to identify as plural or be diagnosed with a dissociative disorder.
Trauma is very common, but not required, and any kind trauma is 'enough'. SA is not a requirement by any means- common yes, because SA is a unfortunately common experience in general, but not a requirement.
There are strong theories that frequent adverse childhood experiences is what may lead to specific kinds of plurality, but these theories are not proven to be the only way plurality can be caused.
Many people self-report no trauma history, or having been plural prior to their trauma history. In particular, Tulpamancers show that its possible to intentionally cause it in at least a portion of the population in adulthood.
Plurals are dangerous and most systems have violent alters.
No, this is a movie thing. Plurals are much more likely to experience abuse than to abuse others. Some systems have aggressive headmates, but some singlets are also violent. Should all singlets be considered dangerous to others by this metric?
Plurals are never aware that they are plural, or when they are, they have full memory blanks when others are in control of the body.
Both the ICD and DSM have diagnoses that mention that the system in question may not have amnesia, so even by strict-medical standards this is wrong.
They may not have the language to know what is going on or may repress it, but many plurals learn they are plural before a therapist discovers their plurality and tells them.
The community is one tool through which people learn the language for their experiences.
Integration is required to be healthy and every system is capable of becoming singlet again.
No and no. Full Integration/Final Fusion/Unification is just one method to help lead a functioning life. It is the only officially endorsed method by the psychiatric industry, but its not the only total method.
In addition, the rate of Final Fusion working after 10 years of therapy is just 12.8%. Many systems cannot integrate, or would be worse off if their system integrated.
Not all systems want integration and autonomy should be respected no matter the healing path the system chooses.
DID/OSDD is the only valid kind of plurality, everyone else is faking!
Not only does the DSM and ICD that this thinking worships flat out disagree in multiple ways, but using these manuals, and to that extent an industry that abuses and ignores the voices of the neurodiverse quite often, as the end-all-be-all of experience isn't a good look. This sort of thinking has grown more and more common in certain corners of the internet, and it is still wrong. Respectability politics historically do not solve problems.
Alters/Headmates are never seperate people, and are just dissociated bits of emotion.
Some headmates are indeed their own separate people if they wish to claim the term. Even stereotypical 'fragments' have the potential to become full people.
Respecting the personhood of others is a fairly basic measure of kindness, and treating someone as Not A Person by default is mathematically more possible harm than treating an entity that might not be a person as a person.
If you treat an entity that may or may not be a person like a person, at worst you look silly(neutral) and at best you affirm their personhood(positive). If you treat that entity as NOT like a person, then at best you have guessed correctly(neutral), and at worse you are contributing to their dehumanization(negative).
If a headmate says they are a separate person- ergo it is the best choice to simply believe them and treat them as such.
Only women or people who are afab have DID/DID is a women's disease!
Untrue! One can be plural or have a CDD regardless of assigned sex at birth or gender identity.
DID is diagnosed more in women, but this has confirmation bias and sexism at play in the same way autism being diagnosed mostly in young boys is. It is not a gender exclusive neurotype.
Common Rude Questions:
There are a lot of questions that are really rude to ask a plural person, either because they are very invasive or come off as dehumanizing. Never fear, we will answer them for you.
“Who is the real one?/Are you the 'real one'?”
Every member of the system is 'the real one'. Every headmate is real. If you mean whoever existed first, many systems do not have a headmate like this, or may not have one anymore. This kind of headmate isn't always the one that uses the body the most, if they exist at all.
“How did you get your alters under control?”
Its not about control, its about being aware of each other and the separate wants, needs, and troubles of everyone in the system and then functioning like any other group of people by communicating, compromising, and working together.
“How do you have sex/go to the bathroom/take a shower/etc?”
Various systems handle this variously. Many systems have no functional privacy from the others in the system in a way that no one involved has any choice over. Because of this, many systems find it normal to share activities that are considered private, or as least something to not make a huge deal over 'walking in' on.
“Are you dangerous?”
Only as dangerous as anyone else.
“Do you want to be one person?”
Different systems feel different ways about this and one's relationship to this question can be highly personal. This is a question that is further complicated by pressure and abuse by the psychiatic industry and lack of community support. There are those who wish to unify into one being and become a singlet, and there are those that wish to stay plural and never do that. There are those that enjoy being plural and find it helps them, and there are those who do not and find it actively harmful.
"Do you want to be split into seperate bodies?"
This is again something that different systems feel different ways about. Some systems would prefer this, especially with caveats like having shared telepathy or the ability to recombine, but many others would not. Some would even find that this may be actively detrimental for them.
“Do you have a paper diagnosis?”
Someone's medical information is not your business. Diagnosis status is highly personal(and highly expensive to obtain) and it can strongly effect your life in negative ways to pursue it even if you qualify for it. Diagnosis is not the end all be all of anything. It can be helpful to receive care or accomodations should you need it, but its not something every system needs or wants.
"What made you like this?"
Someone's trauma history or lack thereof is not your business- and the person you are asking may not know the answer besides.
“Can you prove you're plural?”
Can you prove you're singlet?