#i just read an article that described imitative DID as 'a form of malingering'. so

[scaryarcade]

always offputting to me how much people (journalists, medical professionals) put focus on appearance and aesthetics when discussing things like self-diagnosed and "imitative" DID. like i feel like i see a lot of. idk. "people on tiktok who dress in colorful clothes while calling themselves systems..." "the DID patients i treat are different from those people online, who have dyed hair and do cosplays..."

& like, the validity of these ppl's claims of having DID is always in question when these traits are being brought up. it just feels like a weird attempt to create a distinction between Normal, Reasonable People and Those Attention-Seeking Liars Flaunting Their Blue Hair Online.

this permeates DID spaces too. lost track of how many times ive seen someone on r/DID lamenting how they have to share spaces with "those weirdos who use neopronouns" and how they just want to find "other NORMAL people with DID"