Role of a certain alt

Hello everyone, my name's Noa and I'm new to this forum. I'm hoping I'll be able to get some insight into a question I have.

I am not a DID sufferer, but my best friend is. We only found out .. a few months ago I think. I have no idea how long it is has been, but I've been witness to all the changes that have gone on during the year and over that, I've strove to fully support her all the way to recovery. My first contact with one of her alters was with a male named Kris, and we got to know each other. I had no idea how to act then, so things were a bit awkward between us. But we're pretty much friends now. He's been a helpful insight into helping me understand everything, but we (me + best friend) aren't exactly sure on what role he plays in the system.

To describe him, he's self aware about himself (and I think one of the first alters to form), takes measures to ensure the system is safe and basically controls which alters come in and out (He's 'introduced' me to two alts already). So exactly, what role is he playing in the system? Is he a gatekeeper? I'm not entirely sure on the terms.

Thanks for your time reading this (maybe) obvious question.

What you are describing is a gatekeeper, but Kris may have other functions as well. Time will tell.

Yeah, gatekeeper.

Why is it you ask, out of curiosity?

Does it make a difference?

Bourbon

Well, I'm trying to get myself more familiar with the terms and such so I don't look ignorant or anything like that. Honestly, it doesn't make a difference, it's just for the sake of clarification.

Fair enough

You're probably less ignorant appearing when you don't label an alter to their face, or even label one alter to another. In my experiences when I tried to do that with my boyfriend's alters, Jack would jump in and insist, 'Does it make any difference if I'm Gatekeeper or the core failsafe, or Johann (the original), or just some random memory holder over here? I'm still here, aren't I? I'm still Jack.' It's good that you want to learn about them, but don't go about it in the wrong way. If you want to know just for the sake of your own knowledge that alright, but don't make the same mistake I did, haha.

Most people on this forum it appears that their gatekeepers are typically the silent and emotionless observers who chime in with something useful (or complex) when the timing seems right. Not all gatekeepers are like that though because no two systems are exactly the same. In my boyfriend's system Johnny and Jack are both Gatekeepers because they're both a split of the former Gatekeeper, HIM. Johnny is the emotional Gatekeeper, everything my boyfriend feels goes through Johnny, specifically anger, pain, and sorrow, before it reaches any of the other alters so that Johnny is taking is taking the majority of the pain or whatever so that the others can still function normally without cracking under pressure which they have a tendency to do without him. While Jack is the memory Gatekeeper; Jack has existed since my boyfriend was around six, yet unlike the other three alters who have memories that pertain to their age range, Jack's memories date back to the beginning just like the core personality's do, and Jack can determine who remembers what and which memories to hide in order to prevent the others from triggering.

On a different note, I still don't know the difference between a gatekeeper and a protector, because they seem to be the same in Johann's system (both Jack and Johnny would serve both roles), but that might not necessarily be in someone's else's.

If someone controls who is in front (in the body) or not, I guess that alter by definition is the gatekeeper: controls whether the gate opens or closes and who passes through it. Some gatekeepers are quite android-like, as Shawna mentioned, and others have a more full personality, though most all of them seem calm and rational compared to the host or other alters. It seems it's uncommon for gatekeepers to host the body but it seems clear many can when the need arises, and some at least for a time do.

Shawna, I have a gatekeeper, plus alters named Johnny (=John), Jack (duh, my account name), and Johann, and I get momentarily confused when I read your posts because the personalities don't match up and I think, wait, is she talking about us?

I appreciate the answers guys . I'm not intending to label or anything among those lines, I'm just making sure of myself, that's all.