February 23rd each year, marks System Pride Day. This is a day that celebrates those with DID, OSDD and other dissociative/trauma disorders, for surviving their past trauma and being brave enough to continue life as a multiple or part of the community. This day is important for those with these disorders because of the stigma surrounding them. Many people with DID/OSDD are scared and ashamed of their symptom and the disorder itself because of the stigma and its not right to make people feel ashamed or embarrassed of something they can't change.
How did the start?
Well it comes back to this video from The Entropy System! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p2khQLlGIM
Like other Pride related things (gay, lesbian, bi, pan, trans, etc), System Pride has a flag that represents it. The colours are Black, Orange and White. Black represents those who don't currently know that they are part of a system or have little communication between alters. Orange represents those with functional multiplicity, which basically means that alters are working together and not integrated. White represents those who have integrated but still wish to be a part of the community.
Why is it important to have this celebration?
Stigma is the main reason that people avoid treating or diagnosing DID/OSDD. The main stigmas around DID are:
- Its dangerous
- It doesn't exist
- It is too rare
- Those who have it are just crazy
- It is easy to fake having
- The same as schizophrenia
- It must be obvious
- If you have DID you are more likely to cheat
- A violent disorder
- Something to be scared of
- A form of psychosis
- Its impossible to have DID
- You aren't traumatised 'enough'
-Demonic Possession
-"Just like the movies"
Obviously these stigmas are all incorrect, but that doesn't change the fact that uneducated people will believe them. DID is like any other mental illness in that its sufferers are more likely to harm themselves over others. This disorder isn't scary, violent or impossible. It is valid and recognised in the DSM-5.
While having DID (or any disorder), isn't easy or fun by any means, its also not something that can be controlled. This is why having pride in your alters and your system is important. Much like someone being proud of their body, hair, eyes, personality, achievements, etc; those with DID can be proud of the fact that not only did they survive trauma but they also live everyday with a disorder that can be very challenging.
When we celebrate System Pride, we celebrate the following:
-We survived our past
-Everyday is a challenge with switches, amnesia, dissociation, etc
-We keep fighting no matter what
-Our mind found a way to protect us
-We can work together as a team
-Each DID/OSDD system is unique
-Your alters are there for you no matter what
-We make the best out of a bad situation
-By being proud we are ending stigma
-We can heal and recover
-Just because we are 'disordered' doesn't mean we are broken
-No one in the world is like us
-We have our own strengths
-We are part of an amazing community
-Our alters have gotten us through so much
-We are resilient
Living with DID is hard. You don't know what each day will bring and yet, we keep going. I can confidently say that everyone who has DID/OSDD is an inspiration because we all go through hell to be alive today and its difficult to say the least but look at us. We are surviving, no, we are living!
Just to finish of I would like to leave you some links to resources that helped make the post happen:
Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have had an amazing day.
Keep smiling :)
Jen xx
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