WRITTEN BY BUTTERNUT / SHRIMP SYSTEM + NIGHTSHADE SYSTEM⛧

What is a polyfragmented system?

A polyfragmented system is a DID system with many alters, but more specifically, a lot of fragments, which are alters with one very specific job. Polyfragmented systems can have a complex system structure, which can include a complex innerworld with layers, an equally complex splitting pattern, at least one subsystem, and a history of trauma that can be chaotic and long lasting, or possibly trauma caused by multiple parties in a short period of time, such as ritualistic abuse or sadistic abuse. If all of that is a bit confusing, simply put, a polyfragmented system is a system with many fragments, and way more complex experiences than in regular DID.

How do polyfragmented systems form?

There is a variety of reasons a polyfragmented system can form. It could be from RAMCOA (Ritualistic abuse, Mind control, and Organized abuse,) but polyfragmentation could also be caused and/or influenced by a few other things, including chaotic families, and/or abuse that starts young that continues on into adolescence and/or even adulthood.

How are programmed systems different and similar to regular polyfragmented systems?

Programmed systems (which you can learn more about in <#1139635922175000616> at your own discretion,) are polyfragmented systems who are formed by abusers who are aware of DID and use it to manipulate and control the victim. Programming always includes RAMCOA, non-programmed polyfrag doesn't have to but can. Programming is very intentional, whereas non-programmed polyfrag isn't intentionally created the way it is.

What is a fragment?

A fragment is seen as "lesser" than a full alter. For example, an alter who is not a fragment that is considered a caretaker may take on a broad variety of tasks, such as hygiene, chores, being supportive, etc. Whereas, a fragment alter who may fall under the caretaker umbrella may only have one of these tasks. Fragments barely ever front unless something that reminds them of their experiences triggers them to front. In short, fragments are alters with specific memories and/or specific jobs, and may not front unless something relating to their specific trauma or job comes up. One more important thing to mention about fragments is that they can occur in systems that are not polyfragmented. Polyfragmented means many fragments, so a polyfragmented system is one with many fragments, not fragments period.

Polyfragmented systems and introjects

In polyfragmented systems who compare their traumas and stressors to fictional media, alters may often split from those fictional medias. This can also happen with any other sort of media, too, of course, fictional or otherwise. Since polyfragmented systems split so much, as well, this can lead to many alters from medias. Even more on this, systems who are autistic and/or have other neurodivergencies are more prone to latching onto their interests, which can be fictional media. In this case, it makes it even more easy to split introjects, especially when heavily traumatized, as trauma can cause you to latch more heavily onto the media as an escape from trauma.

What else is there to note about polyfragmented systems?

• When rapid switching, alters may act differently depending on who they front before or after. Alter A may act differently when fronting after Alter B as opposed to how they would act when fronting after Alter C. Their demeanor and personality may not be as clear as it would be when not rapid switching.
• In polyfragmented DID, it is more common to have more elaborate, big and/or complex headspaces where alters can interact amongst themselves to an extent far beyond the norm of DID. Sometimes, polyfragmented systems can have alters that solely are meant to fill roles within the innerworld.
• Polyfragmented systems typically have complex splitting patterns, sometimes splitting multiple new alters each time trauma or stress occurs instead of one. Sometimes, alters will split off their own alters, making them have a system within a system, which is a type of subsystem. Other times, big clusters of alters will form another type of subsystem, a group of alters that all deal with different aspects of different types of trauma.

Polyfragmentation in OSDD

Polyfragmented OSDD is something that is often believed cannot occur due to OSDD having lower amnesia than DID, as OSDD is categorized under secondary structural dissociation where DID is tertiary. The reason amnesia has any part in this is because polyfragmentation is usually only found in victims of trauma caused by multiple parties in a short period of time and/or chaotic, long lasting trauma. This causes more amnesia because of how much trauma had occurred to the victim and how long the traumas lasted. In OSDD, there is less amnesia due to how much the child relies on dissociation and/or the age the trauma(s) occured. In polyfragmented systems, the child relies on dissociation heavily. There has been some documentation of people with OSDD who display symptoms of being polyfragmented (you can find this in <#1024820637547634689>), but that doesn't necessarily make them polyfragmented.

What is a subsystem?

Subsystems are not exclusive to Polyfragmentation, however, Polyfragmented systems will always have at least one subsystem. A subsystem is a group of alters that manage the same type of trauma or specific trauma event. Alters all in the same subsystem will often times have better communication within their subsystem than outside of it. There are a few common types of subsystems you will see: