WRITTEN BY BUTTERNUT / SHRIMP SYSTEM

How do I tell someone I'm a system?

• Assess if it is safe to tell this person you are a system. Would they tell someone you don't trust? Would they be supportive?
• If they are safe to tell, why do you want to tell them about this? Do you need their help? Maybe they are your therapist. Do you want them to understand you better? Maybe they are a loved one. Figure out what the purpose in telling them is.
• Bring it up! Maybe something along the lines of "Hey, I wanted to let you know that I am a system, which means [insert your explanation of being a system]. I wanted to tell you this because [reason.]"
• Remember, you do not owe anyone any information about your trauma, and it's not your place to educate anyone. If someone wants to know your trauma and you aren't comfortable sharing, then don't. If someone wants to be more educated on something and they only come to you, you don't have to answer their questions. You can tell them to look into it, or provide them resources to research.

Figuring out who you are as an alter

A few things you can do to go about figuring out your identity as an alter could be things such as very simple basic questions to ask yourself. Name, pronouns, age, gender, sexuality, system role, appearance, interests. These are all good starts.

What if an alter doesn't fit a specific role?

This is completely normal! Not every alter will fit into a role, especially not immediately. If one of the more known system roles doesn't fit you, you can either look in <#1001200996615209010> for one that our system has coined, or you could make your own to suit you better!

Am I a system?/I think I may be a system.

If you think you may be a system, I would start by doing a lot of research, as well as pinpointing your experiences. If you have no sense of what you're experiencing, and you also have no information on CDDs, then how can you figure it out? After you've done some reading up, try to find a professional to talk to, or if you have one, talk to your therapist (if it's safe, affordable, etc.) It's also important to note that, while labels are very helpful, they are not required. They are just tools to help you help and describe yourself.

How can I learn more about my system friend(s)?

Short answer, just talk to them! Ask them questions about their system, their experiences, etc. It never hurts to ask questions.

Age regression, Syskids/System littles, and how to treat them.

• A system little, or sometimes referred to as a syskid, is an alter who presents as roughly 0-10 years old. This range can vary from system to system, but that's the general consensus. System littles, unlike alters that present as older than the body, can mentally actually be the age they present as, because the body has been said age before and has that experience.
• Age regression littles are different from system littles, because singlets can also age regress. People who consider themselves age regressors are people who sometimes mentally regress to a younger age. They may or may not be completely stuck in that mental age while regressing. Sometimes the age you feel can be fluid. When interacting with a little alter, you should always ask them what they're okay with, as well as talk to other alters about what is and isn't okay to talk about in front of littles. Typically, littles don't like to hear about NSFW, substances, or profanity, but of course this can vary.

Grounding techniques

Grounding techniques are used for situations where you aren't quite grounded in reality, whether that's dissociation, overthinking, a panic attack, etc. Grounding techniques are incredibly helpful for many people. Here is a list of some I have compiled: