Multiplicity as something cognitive-behavioural?

[silence1986.livejournal.com]

Hi all,
I'm new to this community. I'm Astrid, aged 19 and have had people in my mind since I was about 11 I think. though I fantasized about being "someone else" and all that long before. I used to think that I was sort of mid-continuum, in that I have people in my mind on whose perspectives I will act (which I can't influence) but that I don''t lose time or important personal information, ie. I'll always remember that my name is Astrid and I'm 19, etc.

However, over the past couple of months I've realized more and more that my insiders are an identity issue rather than anything personality-related, ie. I'm not at all multiple but just can't see that all these people are actually one and the same. (Of course, the psychiatric model also says that it's an identity disorder, but the way therapists treat DID is usually as if it were a personality thing, ie. the insiders/alters truly being separate. I btw don't have DID.) This got me to think about my insiders from a cognitive-behavioural viewpoint, thinking that in many ways it's something about rationally seeing that I can "integrate" the insiders instead of looking at it from a more traditional, psychodynamic viewpoint.

This is at once helpful to me, ie. if it's cognitive-behavioural and I rationally know this, I should be able to throw away the system right away, but at once it's confusing, since if I know I created the others because I couldn't see that this is all one person, why can't I just shut down the system, now that I know this? Why can I say, rationally, that I'm one, but still feel that I'm nine? Am I analysing too much? People who don't know too much about my system say so, and it makes me feel as if I'm making it up. I don't have DID, cause I know that my "multiplicity" is not dissociation, but it's not just my thoughts/feelings that have gotten names, and neither am I a natural multiple or someone claiming she likes being multiple (I would love to be "fully" singlet). Or am I just an adolescent who's confused about who she is and is taking this a little too far? This is at least partly true, but does that mean I'm overreacting? I'm sort of confused and any comments would be appreciated.

What's in a name?

[merlyn-drakonis.livejournal.com]

 Greetings from Clan Morningstarr.

  First, we just wanted to say, thank you, you wonderful, wonderful, beings. Second; after much thought and debate, we have chosen the name Clan Morningstarr. In the weeks to come, we hope to make more friends like us. We'er overjoyed to know that we aren't alone.

 You have already met, Sabrina, one of our others. In the weeks to fallow, We'ld like to introduce the rest of us.

 

 Safe Journey to you all.

                          Matthew Talonhawk.

                  Gatekeeper of Clan Morningstarr.

Added to our bio:

[vinik.livejournal.com]

We decided that we should get a quote about our new system name and what it means not just for when/if we make any more sites, but for personal use. Enjoy! :) (This will be posted in plural communities as well as our journal.)

The Definition of Vinik: "The Maya, another Mesoamerican people, have a word vinik, that, while originally translated as 'individual' by early Spanish observers, turned out on closer inspection to have a different and more subtle set of references. In 1699 a Spanish priest and linguist, Father Francisco Varea, pointed out that the word vinik 'does not mean person...there is no word in this language to say "my person" or "your person"...(it means rather) people of my nation...'"
-John Monaghan and Peter Just, "Social & Cultural Anthropology, A Very Short Introduction", Oxford University Press, 2000