Splitting

Splitting
Coiner	Unknown
Related Term(s)	Fusion, Integration
Community	Psychiatric and later plural community

This article is about splitting as it relates to plurality. If you are looking for information about idealization and devaluation, that can be found on the Borderline Personality Disorder page.

⚠️ TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️

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This page discusses potentially triggering topics. This can include discussions related to trauma, abuse, mature themes, or bigotry. If you are not in a good mindset, please do not read this page.

Abuse (non-specific discussion)

Splitting, in plurality terms, is the opposite of fusion. It is the process whereby a new alter forms in a dissociative identity disorder or other dissociative system. It is a psychiatric term. It is a survival skill, and can become a maladaptive coping mechanism, even if it is initially necessary to survive trauma. The popular movie "Split" is not an accurate depiction of splitting, or of dissociative disorders in general. In the case of ritual abuse, splits may be purposely engineered by the abuser(s). The term "splitting" is also used in the broader plural community, typically with less of a medical lens and merely to describe a new system member coming into existence, although it does not apply to thoughtforms or soulbonds.

Contrary to a belief that many singlets (people who do not have systems) hold, splits can occur in adulthood, and there is no particular age limit for splitting once an individual has become capable of dissociating in this matter. Splitting can be painful for a system, or they can be unaware of it.

Splits in systems can have a wide variety of roles, and can be based off an external figure. Counterintuitively, despite being created by trauma, splits can be unaware of the trauma the system experienced, as this is frequently necessary for survival. This does not inherently mean that the system is mixed-origin.