Ok, this is how it has been explained to me...
A child is raped, stuck with pins, sliced with knives in sensitive places, sodomized, locked in coffins, whatever...and, obviously, these things are way too HORRID FOR ANYONE to endure, and especially a 3 year old or child of any age, so, in their mind, due to the pain and fear, they begin attributing these feelings to other parts of themselves, that can then remain separate during the abuse.
The problem is, although this spares the child during the torment, as an adult, these "alters' can switch from one to the other, causing confusion in the adult, or behaviors that are not healthy.
When a person's alters are switching, severe headaches can occur, flashbacks that the person has no recollection of, since the alters were the "beings" that went through those experiences, rather than the original child.
Further, a person with alters can often feel depressed or anxious yet have no visible reason why, until someone gets closer during "switching" times.
The other problem this causes, is that, as an adult, the 'alters" are living 'for" the actual person, so the actual person is never really seen in life, and it's as though fantasy creatures are doing, feeling, acting on
behalf of the person.
In the book I read, during integration, the lady, Karen, realized that SHE was not the one who raised her own children...an alter did, so she had to get to KNOW her own children over time again (after 20 plus years had passed). She also was not the one who worked at her job, so, certain skills that she used there, the actual PERSON did not have; the alter did, and there were some things Karen did not have the ability to do, that the alters had been doing. (writing with left and right hands)
that's how it is, and that's why adults should not still be living with alters, whether they have taken over or not. Yes, it kept them safe and spared from feeling things as children, but now, as adults, it's time to fully "live" "feel" "act" on your own, as the original person you are.
I get in a lot of battles with adults over this topic, because they will almost fight like they have a "right" to keep their alters, but what i believe it is, is a fear of living, feeling, doing, having to learn things they don't know that the alters do.
~Laura
