All About Switching!

[@Stellar_Lake_sys]

the "feeling like you're still in control until you notice you're not" thing happens for us too, but we'd never seen anyone talk about that bit before, so hearing it talked about was actually very reassuring

[@camocat2038]

Yes! Thank you so much, I'm still not sure about system hood, but I'm constantly feeling like, am I really here right now or can I just see what's happening? I've never watched myself do something completely antithetical (other than some serious gender confusion) but I feel a lot of push back sometimes? Still very confusing.

[@yoyoyoyo-lq4jb]

@@camocat2038 I know what you mean. Also not sure if I'm part of a system but I had a very weird experience just yesterday and like. Yeah. It felt like "this has to be 'me'" right up until I realized...kinda seems like it wasn't.

[@theinksystem1045]

Yo, I feel you, Claudia. Switching isn't supposed to be a spectacle. Like it's great that some systems do so that singlets, like, know what it looks like for some people, but not me. I want nothing to do with switching live on camera. My hosts might, and they're in charge of the channel, so that's fine if they want to show themselves. But I will not. I feel you. -Eddie (The Ink System, haven't changed our name here yet)

[@nicnaknoc]

I love how sarcastic Claudia is on "oh wow live switch caught on camera - wooHo" :D

[@zolabluebell5765]

I watch switching videos because I feel self conscious about my own.. the variety of switches I find in videos is comforting and it’s really brave to post this personal aspect of DID. I believe I have osdd but I’m not diagnosed yet..

[@WeAreAlexandra]

🦇 Hey, Claudia here. That's completely understandable. As another system, I totally get that feeling and you are entitled to watch any fucking switching videos you want, and I encourage you to. I just get frustrated that these are the only thing that takes off with singlets and that if it's not a dramatic switch it's not viewed as real, you know? I just needed to say my peace about that whole thing, cause I feel like sometimes singlets need to be told off

[@zolabluebell5765]

The Alexandrite System it’s often all about the wow factor these days unfortunately... ‘Lovin the fire! Whoo! Give em hell’ -Alice

[@innominativecompany4231]

@@WeAreAlexandra I think it's really good that you said all that, there are definitely some people that needed to hear it, especially with how plurality is treated by the media

[@wendit2193]

Claudia was so funny pointing out the switch caught . . . trope! Can't wait for "Our husband did our make-up!"

[@thepatchworksystem2467]

Thank you for the shoutout! :) Also we get Claudia's feels over the "live switching" thing...it's why we haven't yet tried a forced switch on camera yet, because some people are not okay with that sort of "spectacle". But at the same time, we get the curiousity part and why people wanna see it. - Raynia

[@BreadyBread111]

I was forced out and thought things were gonna go wrong, luckily it was quite okay.. we had some help to calm down after a little bit of a panic attack, but just trust that you guys will be able to work everything out if something happens

[@katrosestarling5708]

Describing the surreal-ness of simply trying to get the ice cream flavor you want was hilarious in that, "I totally get what you're talking about!", kind of way.

[@kyrabytes563]

Omg we were hearing this ans the part "why did I do that?" Made us laugh like hell (say we, because some of my headmates are co-con)

[@FidgetyFrolic]

Hah, well now I feel defensive about being curious ^_^ It's interesting and sometimes validating to see how other OSDD-style systems experience this stuff.

[@WeAreAlexandra]

🦄 Yeahhh, Claudia can be a little... Intensely Opinionated? We totally get that curiosity, and I also personally feel that it's interesting and validating to see other systems switching and stuff. This is why I tried to grab Susan lol

[@FidgetyFrolic]

It makes sense ^.^ I'm glad that there were chances for more than one opinion to be expressed here!

[@ynntari2775]

my switches are unique to each alter I'm switching with, and they are very different, and you described some of them so perfectly, better than I always did.

[@WeAreAlexandra]

I'm glad!

[@quirkyblackenby]

This explains so much about our switches

[@paninthedada]

Now that you've talked about it, since finding out that "I" was a system just this year, I realise daily that we soft switch quite a lot. Our gatekeeper seems to understand the nature of switches in our system -- which is exactly the volume knobs as you've talked about. That's how I met two of my alters in the system that were former hosts, and they tend to be out quite a lot whenever we are at training at "school" (which is an institute). They tend to also be very extroverted, while I'm the only host personality who's so introverted that too much socialisation can cause a meltdown. Whenever I get home, I'm so tired that I can't even do a single thing, and then I realise..."oh...I'm not fronting anymore...". Sucks in times like these where you have to work on a big project too! Also, it's quite awesome that you talk that you never really know who's out or who's switched in, due to 90% of the time, I realise that I as the host am not doing host things, which is to funnel all my energy and work on stuff, while I spend it instead on talking to people and making memes and branching out for no real reason. I've just switched in fully today after long periods of being done with my system for the week so I can get to work. So as you can see, I like to do the dirty work...and work in general. -- Wyn (Host) EDIT: To be honest -- Wyn...ish? I don't know, our host dissociated halfway throughout the comment. EDIT 2: Wonderful, there was a soft switch. We switched. Our emotional protector/former host is here now. Ugh.

[@WeAreAlexandra]

I'm so glad that you saw so much of yourselves in this! I hope things got a bit more stable after that switch ❤️

[@missundies]

This is the first switching video I really can relate too, thank you!

[@gracelove2774]

Claudia is so smart! Love her!

[@WeAreAlexandra]

In this house we love Claudia!!

[@theSurvivorNetwork]

I think i was brave of you to switch on camera. We don't feel comfortable being on camera in the slightest. Most of our alters are camera shy

[@WeAreAlexandra]

🦄 Thank you! I guess I hadn't really considered it a brave thing, but it is something that puts you in a very vulnerable position

[@ynntari2775]

most of our alters are outside-world-shy, imagine camera-shy, being outside can really be very distressing when everything you only got from this world is pain. And on top of that, there's their privacy, I'd love being a youtuber, but my alters wouldn't, they are more normal (non-youtuber) people, it's not that comfortable for regular people to expose themselves to the world and its critics like that.

[@thembofriendsimp]

This is really helpful to understand bc not having anything like typical did switching or amnesiac gaps in memory makes it hard to know whether what we are experiencing is actually evidence of being a system. Still trying to figure it out if we are or not.

[@AB-xy4bc]

Omg it's so helpful/such a relief to finally hear someone describe it like this....!

[@jirachi4765]

I've always found that I can switch in a few seconds, even if sometimes it gives the body a headache. It's interesting to see the different speeds and ways it happens though.

[@WeAreAlexandra]

🦄 Usually we can too! Forcing it can take a bit longer though and I guess we wanted to show off :P

[@ynntari2775]

our switches are always very fast, and it's normal for our brain so it doesn't affect us in any negative way. I'm pretty sure it was extremely necessary in our life for we to switch in a fraction of a microsecond and to have perfect mental capacities when the danger came like a trainwreck out of no·where without giving any warning. Some of our switches are gradual, still fast, but with that transition thing, some of them are hard switches, normally negative triggers cause hard switches and calmer, safe situations bring soft, gradual switches.

[@ynntari2775]

I have an alter who is negatively triggered by loud and quick noises that come without warning, but when this alter is brought, the noise is gone and the situation around him is a situation that triggers me back, so he comes in and 1 second later he goes back, and then the noise kicks in again without a predictable time delay, and he comes back in, and back out, and in, and out, and in, and out, and it's extremely distressing for him, he gets really really angry, and I can feel his urge to absolutely anihilate the existence of the source of the noise.

[@user-wi3yx3gy2o]

I totally know everything you are saying about the two (first) types of switches, but I could probably never explain it this well or concisely.

[@CaylaHardwicke]

I know that the switches aren't supposed to be a big deal, and that why Claudia wasn't thrilled, but as a system who is still trying to be used to the idea and to be okay with our own switches it helps so much to see how normal it is, thank you ❤️❤️

[@WeAreAlexandra]

I'm glad it helps ❤️

[@Roxanaa-vq3tp]

i just want to thank you for this video. you may or may not know the impact you have on this community but its big🤍. Thank you for helping us realize that we are valid for our experiences. Thank you.

[@WeAreAlexandra]

I'm so glad we can help! Thank you for your kind comment!

[@Scroteydada]

I'm early into suspecting I have some kind of depersonalisation and still getting my head around the idea. Sometimes I'll dream as a completely different person and when I wake up in like "oh yeah I'm this guy". I get the feeling rarely when I'm awake.

[@dorieorinix]

Im 3 minutes in and this already has really helped thank you. This was really a huge relief and we really related to this thank you, and thank you Claudia too.

[@WeAreAlexandra]

🦄 I'm glad it helped! This was a video we wanted to make since we started the channel so I'm always happy when it does what I hoped it would :)

[@Lala-jl7mi]

Thank god you described it that way “volumes blending and then one is turned all the way up and the other is now all the way down” because it is my 3rd/4th time taking over the body and it is so tiring. Thank you for describing it thoroughly and showing us! Oddly enough it makes me feel more real, and I really needed that. -Eden🌙

[@elizabethafton5126]

I’m so happy you feel comfortable sharing this with us

[@vampirepossum8544]

We mostly soft switch we're we kinda *fade* in and out of fronting and with hard switches are normally from negative triggers and we can feel the pressure of someone coming to front in our head

[@marcaniusaugustus]

Sometimes we switch without being aware that we're switching. For instance Erika might front and then suddenly Kolya is the one fronting. it can be overwhelming and stressful for some of us because switching is sometimes out of our control and sometimes Elisabeth, our protector and gatekeeper, is the one controlling the switching. but we manage to get the hang of it :D -Mariam

[@BusterAnimations]

Thank you for sharing this. Now, I dont think of this as a spectacle, but I did find it educational. Watching these videos is helping me understand myself, well,, I guess now ourself?? I don't know. But I do thank you.💜💚❤💛

[@lilme7052]

This is such a good description, hard and soft switches. I cant control the hard switches, they are triggered by bad things I guess. Soft ones I can feel alters 'turning up' in my head and joining me and they are OK. And Claudia I'm not here to see the switch. I have this myself. I'm just interested in other people's experiences of what I have x

[@LiEnby]

the amount of times you said something and i was like "YES THAT-" like feeling that your mind needs time to kinda 'catch up' with the fact someone else is in now, switching being actually gradual. being able to remeber what just happened-ish but no actual details on it, even the way you look when you switch; the way you talk about just being able to *do it* on command also is something ive had and felt like 'well i dont need to use triggers so .. is this even real?' (i definitely HAVE triggers though..) and the best part is like half of this is just stuff that i noticed after i thought i have DID/OSDD and had no idea were how a switch is "supposed" to be. its just how it went also i feel you over not wanting switches to be a spectacle. i dont even want people to see them generally.

[@frustraceann]

what you described felt so very validating

[@visualsno]

It’s kinda scary because I think I had my first switch I was conscious of and it was exactly like the soft switch. I also had a hard switch where I think ‘Cindy’ was fronting and then suddenly I snapped back in and I started crying and was terrified, then I was pushed back again. It was so scary. I knew how I got there and where I was, but “I” didn’t go there.

[@WeAreAlexandra]

Yes! That's common for OSDD systems. I think OSDD systems generally have switches more aligned with "turning into a different person" rather than switching places with someone. I'm sorry it was so stressful ❤️

[@visualsno]

@@WeAreAlexandra thank you! Your videos have helped so much. It makes me feel less alone 💖

[@ynntari2775]

@@WeAreAlexandra yes, that's exactly how it feels. At least for me who am frontlocked. Edit: which means I'm always aware of what's happening in the outside world, and not that I'm always controling the body

[@thembofriendsimp]

@@ynntari2775 ooh front locked, that's a good term, I feel like if we are a system (currently questioning and soon will be asking psychiatrist) then the host (me I think???) is front locked, and their (my??) experience is more like changing into different people and not understanding themselves (myself??) more than trading places, though I do remember having a more out of body loss of control experience once

[@jazminefitzgerald2593]

Im here because one of my partners is a system, and helping me to understand and educate me.

[@Jamestownsys]

The switching caught on camera videos just don’t make sense to me. It can look like absolutely nothing if we do it quick. Or it can look like a boring few minutes of sitting or lying down with eyes closed. I wouldn’t think it would be entertaining. - Gio

[@WeAreAlexandra]

Same, but singlets are fascinated by it

[@gothboithick]

i don’t think people find it entertaining in the typical sense, but switching is one of the few physically visible aspects of did/osdd, i think thats why singlets are so curious about it.

[@thompsontilly1]

Switching was apparently a major trigger for the main protector of our system and it was the main reason our host didn't know about us for the longest time. He came out during our assessment because she (our host) convinced herself and very nearly the therapist we were speaking to that she couldn't possibly have a dissociative disorder. He spoke up because he felt like she (the therapist) was waiting for a switch and his first communication was we are not preforming monkeys. It scared McKenzie to death, but it also opened the door to the rest of us "coming out" as it were. He still doesn't like the "being a spectacle" idea either so you explained that seriously well. The one problem this causes us though, on a side note, is that he is very particular and controlling about who can front so we are finding communication and cooperation very challenging and it means everyone is very unsettled and constantly vying for control. Any ideas/tips about how to improve this?

[@BevChoy]

Had our first hard switch a few weeks ago… I was gone and a new alter took over. He had the sensation of something being ripped from behind, from the back of the skull to the middle of our back…. Very confusing.

[@NaviWolf9]

Triggers make us switch really fast. Im leaning towards OSDD because if I focus I can get "downloads" from my other alters and talk with them? God i feel vulnerable typing this lol

[@NaviWolf9]

But people tell me I behave like other people all the time and when I call out to my protector he just appears. Its so weird

[@NaviWolf9]

And it does feel like a parlor trick and makes us feel insecure. Hdjsjwjsj