Less than distinct states

A brief history and where we are today

A "less than distinct state" was first reported by Charles Samuel Charles Myers who used the term "emotional part." ^[1] Janet is given credit for the intellectual thought that went far beyond the recognition of the two parts of a traumatized personality called the apparently normal part (ANP) and the emotional partAn state that holds trauma memory. A term used in structural dissociation. {{Rp|38-39}} (EP). ^[1] Around the same time Pierre Marie Félix Janet, (born May 30, 1859, Paris, France and died February 24, 1947, Paris) understood through observation that the "mentally state" would sometimes exhibit a state of distinction and other times a state that is traumatized. ^[1] The state that is traumatized is what is referred to as a "less than distinct state," and "emotional part of the personality," (EP) ^[1] or as the DSM-5 puts it, "discontinuities in sense of selfNormal sense of self is experienced as alterations in consciousness, but the sense of self remains stable and consistent. In individuals with a Dissociative disorder the sense of self alternates and is inconsistent across time and experience. {{Rp|160}} There is no unified sense of self. and agency." Janet in length developed a theory that the world should have paid attention to, but sadly, for the most part he was ignored. ^[1] A couple of the world's top researchers today have exhumed the teaching of Janet and have added modern neurology, physiologic and intellectual reasoning. These two men, along with Kathy Steele, introduced a modern day theory, and in 2006 wrote the which described in detail what a "less than distinct state is" and used the terminology "emotional part," a term provided by Charles Samuel Myers: "emotional part" (EP). ^[1] More recently other researchers, who may not use the term "emotional part" (EP), do understand and support the proposal. Many concepts presented in the have been advanced by the original authors, and other researchers have added to the theory of Structural Dissociation of the PersonalityEvery individual has a personality that is composed of many diverse, fragmentary and generally illusory images of [[Personality|self]]. (see multiples) The DSM-IV uses the term identity in its definition of dissociation. (see identity) {{Rp|127}}. In addition, neurologists, biologists and other scientists have been doing their own research and have come to the same conclusions that Myers and Janet did in their lifetime. ^{[2]:243-493 [3]}

In "image B", this fMRI scan shows a distinct state switching with an other distinct state, which is only possible in DID, because this is the only disorder with two or more distinct states. "Image A" shows three "less than distinct states" which are the parts that manage "unprocessed trauma," and react to it with vehement emotion. This is obviously an fMRI scan of DID since it shows there are two distinct states and three less than distinct states. In OSDD fMRI scans reveal only one distinct state is possible, and it switches with less than distinct states randomly, and the distinct state also switches in response to a "trigger." In contrast to DID, every single state can literally be conscious (lit up) at one time, but in response to a trigger, all but one state will leave consciousness, which is again in contrast with DID. In PTSD there is only one less than distinct state and one distinct state, and both stay conscious until a trigger causes the less than distinct state to respond, (flashback, fear, anxiety or other like symptom) and when it does the distinct state leaves consciousness. In the complex version of PTSD there are always two less than distinct states, and one distinct state. The less than distinct states are polarized, staying together, with both always conscious at the same time, but otherwise behave the same as simple PTSD. BPD involves one distinct state and it's always conscious until the individual is in distress, and then two less than distinct states show up together, but unlike C-PTSD these less than distinct states do not take over consciousness. The distinct state always remains with them. There are no flashbacks or other symptoms caused from unprocessed trauma events in BPD like there are in all the other disorders mentioned so far, but there are other dissociative symptoms. ^{[4] [1]}

Separate self-states can be complex emotional states based in truncated defense responses and have relatively independent interpretive loops through the brainstem, the body, the spinothalamic tracts, and the cortex. At the other extreme are separate body states that have circuits through the brainstem and body with little involvement even of thalamic structures. They resemble what van der Hart et al. refer to as EP's. Other self-states are stored in cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical loops that have little affective or defensive loading. These different states resemble what van der Hart et al. (2006) describe as ANP's. These self-states are more likely separated at a subcortical level-thalamocortical loops through the basal ganglia. - U. Lanius, S. Paulsen, F. Corrigan ^[2]:21

A less than distinct state holds unprocessed trauma events

A less than distinct state is one that has been separated from the parts of the personalty system that it depends on to be complete. ^[1] The other side of the equation, the distinct state, goes about daily life, as well as it can, without being influenced by the individuals unprocessed unprocessed trauma events. ^[1] A distinct state is "stricken with" (using Janet's terms) an inability to know who they are. In the Haunted Self, the less than distinct states are referred to as the emotional parts of the personality (EP), and the authors of that landmark book go into great detail to explain how and why these parts exist, and then proceed to report how the parts can integrate and ultimately unify. Trauma processing is a huge part of what these states must endure on the path to healing and obtaining what the individual should have had if they were trauma free, and that is an integrated personality. ^[1]

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References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Vanderhart, Onno (2006) (coauthors: Nijenhuis, Ellert; Steele, Kathy). . New York:Norton. 13: 978-0393704013.
2. ^ a b Lanius, Ulrich (2014) (coauthors: Sandra L. Paulsen, Frank M. Corrigan). . New York:Springer Publishing Company. 10: 0826106315.
3. ^ Nijenhuis, Ellert R. S.; van der Hart, Onno (2011b). Defining Dissociation in Trauma. Trauma & Dissociation, volume 12, issue 4, page 469-473. (doi:10.1080/152999)
4. ^ Schlumpf, YR; Reinders, AATS, Nijenhuis, ERS, Luechinger, R, van Osch, MJP, et al. (2014). Dissociative Part-Dependent Resting-State Activity in Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Controlled fMRI Perfusion Study. PLoS ONE, volume 9, issue 6, 2014. (doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0098795)