alter who does not understand language

**trigger paragraph, child abuse**

We've recently brought the most traumatized alter into the fold. I've known we needed to deal with his pain but I've been terrified and he only came into the body when triggered. Any image of a baby being hurt, usually on TV, or a feeling of the body being tied down, has brought him. He is the defender of the core. We've worked out having him remain in the body as we did for Adam, who originally only returned in a flashback of trauma. I've felt he's not just a fragmentary alter because the body was traumatized hundreds of times and he actually spent a great deal of time in the body collectively. An alter of the DID mother, possibly an animal alter, did the abuse.

**end trigger**

This alter cannot speak and he believes himself to be a wolf/dog but also seems to have a sense that he is partly human. He does not appear to understand language at all. We talk to him and there is no response, other than a recognition someone else is there with him. When he's in the body, he makes non-human sounds in what seems to be an attempt to speak. But it's like Helen Keller's first attempts at talking, just strange sounds, no consonants or vowels.

Today, he did not vacate the body after he had another emotional upheaval or flashback. After a while I could tell he didn't want to go so I came in alongside him. I did a couple simple activities, including on the computer, but it was all very slow and difficult, hampered by his presence. I got the impression that he was trying to watch and learn from me. We don't have an inside that alters can disappear into anymore so if we're not out we're more or less napping. But you can also watch, unnoticed, and I think he has done this recently. When I tried to speak aloud, it was virtually impossible. I could type words and think thoughts with words but could not put words together to speak them. A very unnerving experience.

I believe he does not have language. He arrived in the body at four months old, so I suppose he just never learned how to talk though I believe he was active until age 2+. I understand now that these overwhelmed states the body gets in, with their hyper-vigilance and strong emotions that seems entirely foreign and undefinable, have been him.

Has anyone else had any experience with an alter who not only cannot speak but doesn't even have language at his disposal? From what I have experienced so far, he is much like a feral child, one raised by wolves.

It's a hard problem.

My system believes in magic inside. My animal alters all have a device around their neck that allows them to understand and even talk English.

Again - thanks to Una for the magic idea. I have used it so much in my system.

I think I suggested this before for you and it did not work though.

The mention of magic, attempting to use it is triggering. I think that came from how difficult it was to hold on to a consistent view of world reality when it was under constant assault by a DID mother and a pedophile father who was probably DDNOS. They presented two ever-changing stories about the world that we collectively knew were contrary to fact.

We've also simply tried believing and making ourselves different and that either hasn't work or has backfired. The gatekeeper states all but two alters are "too thick" (dense, large, full, experienced, time in body) to change easily.

However, it may be worth looking at some "practical magic." In our system, abilities held by the body can over time become accessible to alters who didn't previously possess them, even littles. This seems inevitable for him but maybe I can figure out how to help it transfer earlier. Build a conduit in the mind? Maybe Sphinx can do something along these lines.

We use pictures, gestures and feelings.
*may trigger*
They will hide in the darkness, or behind things, and flash pictures, like a "face" with one eye open, or a drawing inside the mindspace. I'll call out words, till they stop. So, with the one eye open, they flashed it in pairs of three, screaming, like an old fashioned film, or picture flip book. When I guess correctly, they will shake their head yes, or it will stop, then change to the next series of pictures.
((hugs if wanted))

edit to add, they will also give body sensations, like my eyes will feel swollen as if I had cried alot, and if I say, you are sad? the feeling will stop(or get worse sometimes).
Hope this helps.

Johnny-Jack wrote:Has anyone else had any experience with an alter who not only cannot speak but doesn't even have language at his disposal?

Yes we have a few of those too. We have no idea what to do about it. I just wanted to say I relate and that I'm here reading and following what you are saying. I'm sorry I don't have any practical suggestions. I'm just pitching in for moral support...

I found that all but a couple of my animal alters are actually human underneath their introjected parts. For instance, one is an (don't laugh!) of the TV show Gentle Ben. (showing my age!) This is Katherine the Bear. She might be human, but so far she disagrees. This sounds more like what you are talking about JJ. In her case magic did not help, because her true self is the Bear. Or at least this is what she thinks.

She was a mean one! Until WE found her Marc! They did not know each other existed, until I found out the type of introject she was, then asked if anyone else in the system is an introject from that show. Now they are together and very happy. Both these parts found what they needed to be happy and Kathrine no longer attacks others in the system or comes out to attack me. I know this sounds so weird, but it's what those 2 parts of me strongly believe.

I have not processed any trauma memories yet, so maybe this will change after, but for now it's keeping the peace on that front.