Distinct states

Distinct personality states are the parts of the personality that attend to daily life. They are also called apparently normal parts under the theory of structural dissociation. Distinct states are parts of the personality system, which stem from structural dissociation due to a build up of unprocessed trauma events that when an individual is overwhelmed, causes a barrier, in essence dividing the personality into two parts. One part will contain the distinct states and the other holds the less than distinct states. This is not a split per say. It is a one time thing that is caused by the first build up of unprocessed trauma events that overwhelms an individual. The following mental disorders are the results of structural dissociation of the personality: complex-posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), other specified dissociative disorder (OSDD), and dissociative identity disorder (DID) structural dissociation can take place in and in borderline personality disorder (BPD), but not until after the mental disorder exists, so it does not cause the disorder. Acute stress disorder (ASD) and simple Dissociative Disorders were at least thought to be included as mental disorders caused by structural dissociation at one time, and might still be, but they have not been in recent literature.

Brief history and where we are today
The first person to report that he had observed individuals with parts that appear to be "normal" and other parts that are "emotionally distressed" was Charles Samuel Myers, (born March 13 1873, London and died October, 12 1946, Winsford in Somersetshire), who used the term "apparently normal part" to describe a distinct state, and that term is probably still the most accurate term used today. Pierre Marie Félix Janet, (born May 30, 1859, Paris, France and died February 24, 1947, Paris) is given credit for the intellectual thought that went into great depths beyond the work that Myers did. Janet developed a theory that was ignored by the vast majority of the world, that sadly is just now gaining world-wide acceptance. A couple of today's top researchers have exhumed the teaching of Janet and have added modern neurology, physiology, biology and intellectual reasoning. These two men, along with Kathy Steele, developed a modern day theory, and in 2006 wrote the Haunted Self, which described in detail what a distinct state is. They used the term provided by Charles Samuel Myers, which is "apparently normal part" (ANP). More recently other researchers, who may not use the term "apparently normal part" (ANP), do understand and support the proposal and concept, but use the term distinct state or something similar. Many concepts presented in the Haunted Self have been advanced beyond the authors primary work submitted in 2006. They and other researchers have now added to the theory of structural dissociation of the personality. In addition, neurologists, biologists and other scientists doing their own research, have come to the same conclusions that Nijenhuis, van der Hart and Steele proposed in their landmark book. The most up to date definition, which is by Lanis, Paulsen and Corrigan in simple terms says that distinct and less than distinct states are unique unto themselves with very little overlapping in the way they function, and with minor exceptions are still seen how van der Hart et al. described them in 2006 when introducing the theory of structural dissociation.

Separate self-states can be complex emotional states based in truncated defense responses and have relatively independent interpretive loops through the brainstem, the body, the spinothalamic tracts, and the cortex. At the other extreme are separate body states that have circuits through the brainstem and body with little involvement even of thalamic structures. They resemble what van der Hart et al. refer to as EP's. Other self-states are stored in cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical loops that have little affective or defensive loading. These different states resemble what van der Hart et al. (2006) describe as ANP's. These self-states are more likely separated at a subcortical level-thalamocortical loops through the basal ganglia. - U. Lanius, S. Paulsen, F. Corrigan

Distinct state in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
In the Haunted Self, the authors Onno van der Hart, Ellert Nijenhuis (pronounced Nee-An-Hoff), and Kathy Steele have described the one distinct state found in posttraumatic stress disorder as a part that engulfs the majority of the personality. That of course leaves the rest of the rest of the personality to hold the unprocessed trauma events and in doing so, those parts called, less than distinct states, are the ones that react to the unprocessed trauma events in many ways including flashbacks, hypervigilance, and hypovigilance.



Distinct state in the complex version of posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD)
In what is referred to as complex-posttraumatic stress disorder there is one distinct state and two less than distinct states, but the distinct states combined do not seem to hold any more "capacity" than what is seen in the simpler version of posttraumatic stress disorder.

Distinct state in other specified dissociative disorder (OSDD)
Other specified dissociative disorder is one of the two complex Dissociative Disorders and the distinct states in these disorders are very different from what is seen in any other version of a disorder that is caused from or has symptoms from structural dissociation. In other specified dissociative disorder there will be one distinct state and two or more less than distinct states, and the distinct state will have the unique quality of being able to act as a "front." It's typical that the distinct state in this disorder is the state that is "out" most often, but it switches rapidly when the less than distinct states are triggered. When triggered, either the whole less than distinct state takes over, or the emotions from that state influence the distinct state through passive dissociation. People with this disorder are highly triggered, unlike those with dissociative identity disorder. Individuals with dissociative identity disorder are very different in their response to a trigger. All humans have access to their inner world, but those with this disorder experience it in a more vivid way.

Distinct states in dissociative identify disorder
Dissociative identity disorder is the only mental disorder with two or more distinct states. The states are highly different from any disorder discussed so far on this page. These states are ruled, literally, by phobia of the other distinct states, which is what makes this disorder easily identifiable from other specified dissociative disorder. In dissociative identity disorder the affects of the dissociative boundaries around the distinct states literally encapsulate these states. The dissociative boundaries keep the states from experiencing the effects of the other states, both distinct and less than distinct, which exist in the individual's personality system. This is why an individual with dissociative identity disorder would rarely ever complain about "triggers". They are not highly affected by them, unlike individuals with other specified dissociative disorder who are highly sensitive to triggers. The mental disorder, dissociative identity disorder will always have, as a minimum, two distinct states and two less than distinct states. The amnesia requirement in the DSM-5 is identified when a switch is made between two distinct states. Distinct states are the parts of the personality that attend to daily life activities, and so what would be seen is a state switch between two states that attend to daily life activities. It's very unlikely this switch would ever involve a child-like state.

Distinct states in this disorder have two ways of being; one realm is the inner world and the other is the face of the individual. The inner world is directed by innate and primal fear which divides states and keeps them at arms length, so to say. Once fear is reduced to an "acceptable level" then "memory sharing" can take place. In the inner world there are both distinct and "less than distinct states," and each state is fearful to one extent or the other. This fear directs their very behavior and shapes who they are. Communication comes first, followed by memory sharing and finally "unification," which is the normal way the personality presents after a "safe" childhood.

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