A Model to Help You Better Understand Your System
(Summary) If you’re early in DID or OSDD recovery, it can feel overwhelming to make sense of your system. The Structural Dissociation model offers a simple starting point: every alter falls into one of two categories. By learning the difference between everyday life alters (who handle daily tasks) and emotional parts (who hold trauma defenses), you can begin to understand your system’s structure and roles with more clarity and less confusion.
If you’re early in your recovery journey you might be confused by your system and feel overwhelmed by the other parts. You can use the Structural Dissociation model to help you start to figure out your system. The Structural Dissociation model is one of the best ways we can explain and understand DID. I plan to talk about this model at some point in the future but, right now, I want to focus on how it can help you better understand your system.
In this model, all alters or parts belong in one of two categories. By sorting your alters into these two categories, you begin to have more understanding of your system and its structure. It can also help you have a better understanding of the main roles or functions of various headmates in your system.
Everyday Life Alters
The originators of this model used a term for the first categories or alters or parts that I don’t like: Apparently Normal Parts. I prefer to call these alters “normal life alters.” This is because these are the alters who are tasked with handling everyday life. They are the ones that get the kids to school, do the grocery shopping, go to work, and so forth. A host alter is most likely a normal life alter.
Trauma Holding or Emotional Alters
The other category of alters are called EPs, short for “emotional parts.” These alters tend to be focused on defenses and these defenses have a huge emotional component. For example, a fight part that defends the system through fighting is often angry. A flight part, which defends the system by fleeing, is usually fearful. And so on.
If you are fairly new to your system and trying to have it make sense, one way to do this is to determine as best you can, based on what you currently know, whether a particular part or alter seems to be a normal life part or an emotional part focused on defense. There are, of course, other ways to categorize alters and I plan to talk about them, but for now I hope this video helps you to start making sense of your system. Leave a comment and let me know if this was helpful!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Structural Dissociation model?
It’s a framework for understanding DID and OSDD. It explains that all alters fall into two broad categories—everyday life parts and emotional parts—based on their roles.
What are “everyday life” alters?
These are the parts who manage daily tasks like work, childcare, errands, and social interactions. They help the system function in ordinary life.
What are “emotional parts” or EPs?
Emotional parts hold trauma defenses. They carry strong emotional responses like anger, fear, or shame and often activate in situations that feel threatening.
Why not use the original term “Apparently Normal Parts”?
Some survivors find that term invalidating. “Normal life alters” is a clearer, kinder way to describe parts who handle everyday life without suggesting other parts are abnormal.
How can this model help me if I’m new to DID?
Sorting alters into these two categories gives you a simple framework to start understanding your system’s structure. It’s a first step toward reducing confusion.
Are there other ways to categorize alters?
Yes. This is just one approach. You can also group alters by defense style, role in the system, or other traits. Many survivors use multiple models over time.