Original/Core

Hello! This may sound rather silly to ask, but is it possible for the original or core personality to be a protector? Or is that like saying penguins can fly in the air? I'm not sure if my system has a core or original but if I were to have one, would it be a little personality or could it be another one of my older alters?

- H

We can only speak for ourselves. We don't know what "core" means because we are all equals or try to be, but we believe Heather is Original AND protector. She didn't even FRONT much, but has recently taken more of a host type role.
Terrin

That's cool how you try to be all equal. That sounds nice. I hope me saying that is alright.
I kind of suspect that my main protector might be the original/core, but he's protected me from so much and taken a lot of trauma for me growing up that I'm not sure if he could be. Me and my body are also female, so that's another reason I'm not sure about it. I appreciate your response though, thanks.

- H

Sorry, I don't think I have a direct answer to your question but I can tell you what happens with us. It is my understanding that an 'original' is the person born into the body. If this is so, she is nowhere to be found because none of us feel our biological, not even close. Daria seems to 'front', if that is the right word, most of the time? But that even might be wrong. A lot of time our body feels sort of like a vehicle. I don't think I'm explaining myself well. Sorry.

we never understood why something like an original would be important. we never found any practical use of knowing. i think that some of the concept is based on a misunderstanding of DID. but anyway...

protector, like host or achiever or caretaker, are just roles. I guess an original could take any role.
most people I have seen claim they found an original said it was a child though.

I've been thinking a lot about this and reached the conclusion that in us, there is no core. We've taken turns hosting throughout our life and if there is an original is our 3yo, that goes by a name we used to be called back then. Right now, I, the current host, feel like a vessel more than a personality. Trying to learn more about myself.

It's a very anarchic system, ours is

Hi H

It does appear that Anarchy tends to rule our System too.

None of the Alters ever claimed to be the Core. Even the Host in therapy admitted that she didn't think she was the Core. We originally thought that it might be the youngest Little, Meisie, but she was already an Alter personality when she manifested as a child.

After some intense therapy work, and a lot of dysfunctional behavior on the part of one Alter, Mirrischka, we decided that she was the Core. What she remembered was closest to what her adoptive mother remembered. Her continuity of childhood events leading up to the age of 7 was stronger than any of the others. We took that to mean that the Alter personalities had split from her. It was also the only Alter that used her birth-given name.

She presented very strongly for a while, as a very anti-social, abusive Alter. Unfortunately during one of these episodes she was abducted and terrorized. She realized that she was not capable of resuming ownership of the System and she became very reclusive. She will Present vary rarely at home, when she feels safe and only for a short period of time... to say 'Hi' to me.

At one time it was important for the System to know who the Core was. Not anymore. Now we have more pressing matters trying to deal with the present. Strangely enough the System still refers to M*** as the Host yet she Presents perhaps 5% of the time, and every time she does, she has an emotional breakdown. The other Alters (lots of them) have to try and take turns and keep the System focused. This is very difficult for her and those of us interacting with her.

Stay well... Brett

Wow, I didn't expect so many replies! I'm still trying to figure out who is who in my system, so all this information is pretty helpful I think. Thank you for taking the time to answer my question!

- H

We don't know for sure who the original is, but we think it's related to an incident where the first alter was formed and the original was very hurt and has "Gone deep inside." That what our ISH says, I call her the really little one. It happened somewhere between 9 months and 18 months. I've asked our protector about working with her and he says, Absolutely not. The system and she are not ready. I'll let you know when it's time.

We don't have either.

Our view is that once our first insiders individuated, there could no longer be an "original," if one ever existed.

Current psychology states that children are born with identities that are still forming, and that this sense of identity does not fully evolve until about age seven, commonly known as the "age of reason." This is in keeping with the idea that trauma-based multiple systems develop from prolonged, severe trauma experienced during this early time frame.

MDs