Myths

This is an idea that's caught on with popular media, but it could not be further from the truth. Systems are not inherently more dangerous than other types of people. We're simply plural, and that's all there is to it. In fact, some studies involving mental health have found that those who suffer from mental illnesses such as DID and OSDD are more likely to be the victims of crimes and abuse rather than perpetrators. Systems are no more dangerous to be around than singlets, and this stigma places many plurals at risk.

This is where the previous myth seems to have come from, but once again, it isn't true. Popular media has sensationalized the idea of 'evil alters' in which a member of a system is a serial killer or otherwise violent. This is nothing more than a stereotype though. Systems are not inherently violent, and even temperamental members of a system are not going to lash out with violence simply for the thrill of it as claimed in media. Even member roles that have gained a bad reputation--such as persecutors, prosecutors, and avengers--are not serial killers or otherwise violent to a murderous degree. Systems are still no more likely to harm others than singlets are. Media such as "Split" has spread this unfortunate stereotype, and it paints plurals in a negative light for the sake of drama even though systems are not inherently dangerous, and the so-called 'bad ones' are not mindless murderers the way that media portrays them to be.

DID is widely suggested to exist in roughly 1-3% of the population of the world. This is a similar comparison number wise to autism or OCD. 1% of the world's population is greater than the population of Thailand. 3% of the population is greater than the population of Brazil. Plurality is much more common than people realize, even under the 1-3% demographic. This number only grows when you factor in those who are OSDD systems since they are not included in the 1-3% statistic. Undiagnosed systems bump the number higher, as do those who do not use clinical terms to describe their experiences with plurality. Plurals are far from being in the majority, but they most certainly do exist in much larger numbers than most people realize. Chances are that you have met a system in the past and simply didn't notice because they were masking, or hiding their plurality.

Many systems live out their days the same as singlets, but they mask their plurality because of stigma surrounding it. In the case of most traumagenic systems, plurality was developed as a coping mechanism, and as such, it keeps itself as hidden as possible from both the world at large and those within the system. Those within systems are incredible at keeping their mask maintained when around others. Members of a system know how to keep themselves hidden, and they do a strikingly impressive job of ensuring that those who are not meant to know the truth do not become aware of it. All members of a system wear the same face, and switches are not as blatant as you may imagine. Systems know how to keep their plurality a secret, and chances are that you've met a masking system and not even realized it.

There is no medication that can get rid of plurality. In many medical instances, the idea of 'curing' plurality comes in the form of final fusion in which all members of a system merge together to become one cohesive identity. However, this is not something that all systems want. In many cases, systems prefer functional multiplicity in which all members of the system work together to improve functioning in their daily lives. Individual systems can decide for themselves if they wish to fuse or not, but it is not a choice for others to make. Fully fused systems are still not singlets by any stretch of the imagination though; their plural history remains, and they are still plural even after undergoing final fusion. In other words, final fusion isn't the so-called 'cure' that many uninformed medical professionals believe it to be.

There is scientific evidence to show that this is a true way of living. DID and OSDD have been in the DSM for years, and MPD existed before that. Even outside of medical contexts, systems are most certainly real, and there are many people who have cited plural experiences and a plural way of life over decades of history. The specific plural knows their own experiences better than anyone else, but no matter what, their past is real and valid. There are many who believe that it's made up as a way of escaping accountability or to describe mood swings, but this is not the case in the slightest. Plural systems exist, plain and simple, and they should be respected for their existence as well.

Some would like to pass off plurality as being a recent 'trend', but this is not the case. The plural identity has existed for well over a century, even if it didn't go by that name. Communities within the plural umbrella have lived for decades as well, and there is even evidence of newspapers and support groups run solely by systems. Awareness has risen as of late thanks to the internet offering easy access to information, but plurality has existed for much longer than that. More systems feel comfortable with revealing themselves as well thanks to plural spaces appearing online, but this doesn't mean that it's something new. Even before conditions such as autism and depression were named and identified, they still existed, and the same applies to plurality.