Do alters ever go away???

Say you were able to work through the traumatic experience that caused your DID in the first place and you felt completely save again, would the alters that were created decide they were no longer needed and disappear? Logically speaking it would make sense that if something is created out of need that when that need is no longer present what was created would go away.... Just a thought I had....Any ideas?? Thanks

The answer depends a lot on "you". Would "you" be all the involved parts of the system, or would it be just the host?

My experience was that although long ago I worked through all the trauma I was aware of myself, my alters were not involved in that working-through and once they came to the surface we have had to do much of that work over again.

ninchen has done an incredible amount of hard trauma work - she has grown/changed, but has not gone away (i.e. I'd describe her as a brave child instead of a scared child now; she trusts our T; she is able to feel positive emotions like pride and excitement; etc). She is much more alive and innocent now; she used to know nothing other than paralyzing fear. She no longer fronts (i.e. dissociative flashbacks), but still gets triggered from time to time. I know how to take care of her now.

Jane wants to go away, but she can't. I am trying to help her. My T is trying to help her. I feel so touched by how nice and gentle our T is to her, but don't know if she was receptive to his words yet...

Niva has also changed, but not gone away; same with Sonja.

Aiden, however, is medicated away to almost nothing. He's still here, but his role (obsessing, etc) is no longer being fulfilled. Sometimes I am sad for him, but when it comes down to it, we don't need him to obsess - most of the time it did more harm than good anyways (though he was just trying to help us). He still saves us from our emotions when we can no longer tolerate them.

I ve worked on trauma for years, but it didn t make anyone go away.

I think for me, what made integration happen, was that one, I accepted every part as part of the system and as very valuable-as in, they did not NEED to go away.

Two, I gave them space and time on different levels which made them feel appreciated, wanted and needed.

Three, I genuinely liked every single one of them at one point, and still they d be there.

TIL Rob was out and realised in full he was in a female body, thus not in a male, thus not a real person as in havin a body of his own- he fully realised he was an alter just as everyone else.

It triggered a lot. No one could have foreseen this; or could have made this happen. It was entirley up to him to realise this and then to decide he was part of the system and wanted to be part of me (Minnie, host), and thus integrated.

He didn t disappear. I have his concentration now, and his view on colors and knowledge of art.

It s great to feel him inside me.

So, i think no, they won t go away, but they can become part of you in a morei ntegrated way?

Minnie

I think for me, what made integration happen, was that one, I accepted every part as part of the system and as very valuable-as in, they did not NEED to go away.

This really made me smile Absolutely true.

So, i think no, they won t go away, but they can become part of you in a morei ntegrated way?

I tend to agree. Not this black and white in reality but easily put either you are able to integrate their sense of self and experiences or you have a system that is largely "asleep" awaiting another need. I don't think alters can merely disappear.

I hope you're able to figure this out