Thread by @CosmoFaenyx, CW: Mental IllnessHey there's a thing I've danced around for a while.I [...]

CW: Mental Illness

Hey there& #39;s a thing I& #39;ve danced around for a while.
I have Dissociative Identity Disorder, and based on the average person& #39;s perception, I& #39;m here to tell you it& #39;s not what you think it is. It& #39;s time I use the privilege of being known to talk about it. 1/

DID (the shorthand I& #39;ll be using) is a frustrating and scary disorder FOR US to have. We are depicted as monsters, unstable, unpredictable, unfaithful, inhuman, etc. A lot of awful things. Think about how popular movies like Split were. That& #39;s what people think of immediately. 2/

But gods that stuff is so far from the truth. People lump together a handful of disorders, like DID, schizophrenia, and Borderline, as the & #39;scary& #39; and & #39;dangerous& #39; mental illnesses, the ones that don& #39;t deserve their patience and empathy. Which hurts, bad. 3/

We& #39;re more likely to be the victims of violence rather than the perpetrators. Why? A lot of reasons, but one big one is because people have already decided we& #39;re dangerous and evil. Representation for things like this is so important because all we get is the bad. 4/

You never see a lead-up, so anyone telling you that these villains are evil and just & #39;happen& #39; to have these mental illnesses, I dare you to re-write that script and remove the mental illness. You can& #39;t, without changing large fundamental elements, because it& #39;s on purpose. 5/

Now, a lot of people would question me having DID, and I always love hearing why, and I& #39;ll share with you some of the reasons it gets disputed in a moment. I& #39;ll probably lose some followers over this thread and if that& #39;s the case? Y& #39;all were never really following ME. 6/

So, reasons I "obviously" couldn& #39;t have DID:

I am...
-kind
-& #39;well adjusted& #39; (whatever that means)
-empathetic
-understanding
-quiet
-patient
-honest
-loyal
-dedicated to my partner
-strong-willed
-non-binary (I can& #39;t even with that one)
-never noticeably someone else
7/

Also because I...
-take my medication
-strive to be a good person
-speak openly about my mental health
-have not been PHYSICALLY attacked because of it
-have not lost relationships/friendships/etc over it (false, btw, because I have)
-don& #39;t use it as an excuse for my behavior
8/

I could honestly go on for ages with that list.

But another thing to note is that goals for folx with DID can vary wildly depending on the person/system/group. Some seek re-integration, which most folx without DID assume is the only reasonable and healthy goal. 9/

That& #39;s not the only outcome though, and it& #39;s not always the healthiest or most comfortable. A lot of us have come to terms with DID and what it does for our lives. Some of us know that re-integration is unlikely, or is an uncomfortable thought. That is VALID. 10/

Some of us take medication, some of us don& #39;t. Some of us have known most of our lives, some of us are very new to this world. A big commonality, though, is how hard it is to make progress when we feel like we can& #39;t talk to people about it. Well, I have some interesting news. 11/

Everyone has parts. Mental disorders are mental patterns that have become disordered. Everyone gets anxiety, but some of us have anxiety disorders where it is beyond the norm and doesn& #39;t follow standard rules. Same with OCD. Same with all this shit. You have parts. 12/

Yes you! You reading this right now. You& #39;ve got parts. How separate they are, I can& #39;t judge. You hear people talk about how you & #39;see a new side& #39; of someone? Yes. We are all gems, faceted, but all one stone. DID folx had theirs hit with a hammer, so pieces broke apart. 13/

When you look at us with concern, and fear, just remember that we& #39;re far more afraid of you than you should be of us. We& #39;re trying to live our lives, heal from trauma, and be ourselves, meanwhile folx are celebrating films that use a caricature of us as a fear tactic. 14/

Think carefully about the media you consume and the things you say. We hear you when you say someone that& #39;s unstable or erratic has & #39;multiple personalities or something.& #39; You likely know someone that has DID, even if you aren& #39;t aware. I still might delete this out of fear. 15/15

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