Why Some Alters Oppose Healing in Dissociative Systems
(Summary) When people decide they want to heal from trauma, it’s often the adult parts handling daily life who reach that conclusion. These parts usually have the most information about the present and the clearest sense of what recovery might offer. Other parts of a dissociative system, however, may be in very different emotional or developmental places. For them, healing can feel frightening, premature, or even wrong. This article explores several reasons alters may oppose recovery — not as sabotage or resistance, but as meaningful responses shaped by trauma, attachment, and survival.
Recently, I talked about why protector alters might oppose efforts to heal from trauma. Today, I want to talk about a few reasons why other parts of a dissociative system might also be against the idea of recovery.
The idea of healing often makes the most sense to the alters who handle everyday life. These are usually adult parts with more experience, broader perspective, and a better understanding of the system’s current circumstances. Other parts may be in very different places.
For example, young alters may feel pressured by the idea of healing. They may worry that healing means having to grow up too quickly, or they may fear losing their relationships with caregivers if things change.
Some parts are still stuck in trauma time. They don’t yet understand that the system has grown up or that life is different now. From their perspective, the changes healing would bring can feel reckless or dangerous, because they are still responding to past conditions that were unsafe.
For other alters, healing can feel like a kind of betrayal. Some may believe that ongoing suffering is a way of honoring what the system went through. It may seem that trauma is erased or invalidated if healing relieves suffering. Others may worry that if the system stops suffering, it somehow lets the abusers off the hook or excuses what happened.
These are very different reasons parts of a system might be scared of healing or opposed to recovery. But none of them are trivial. Each one makes sense from the perspective of the alter experiencing it.
While the adult parts handling everyday life may have decided that the benefits of healing outweigh the risks, those risks feel very real to the others. Understanding those fears is often essential for being able to move forward with healing in a way that the whole system can tolerate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some alters oppose healing when others want recovery?
Different parts of a dissociative system hold different experiences, ages, and beliefs. What feels beneficial to adult parts may feel dangerous or confusing to others.
Why might young alters feel pressured by the idea of healing?
Healing can feel like being forced to grow up too quickly or losing familiar relationships. Young parts may associate change with loss rather than safety.
What does it mean when parts are “stuck in trauma time”?
Some alters still perceive the world as unsafe because they are responding to past conditions. From their perspective, healing-related change can feel reckless or dangerous.
Why might healing feel like a betrayal to some parts?
Some parts believe ongoing suffering honors what happened or keeps the trauma visible. Healing may feel like erasing pain, excusing harm, or letting abusers “win.”
Does opposition to healing mean parts don’t want the system to be okay?
No. Opposition usually reflects fear, loyalty, or protective beliefs — not a desire for harm. These responses often made sense in earlier circumstances.
How can understanding these fears help with recovery?
When the system understands why parts are afraid, healing can move forward more slowly and safely, reducing internal conflict and overwhelm.