M-  memory loss  One of the frustrating things about being a multiple is the gaps of memory that each personality experiences, especially when there has not been sufficient healing to increase internal communication.

U-  unfamiliar  Prior to diagnosis, it was a common experience to suddenly become aware that my surroundings were unfamiliar to me, even though I was sure they ought to be. When a personality hasn’t been out for a long time, they can be unfamiliar with normal routines, location of things in their own home, and people who are friends or acquaintances of other personalities.

L-  loosing time  It is very common for multiples to struggle with time loss. It could be anything ranging from a few minutes to years; and it’s very frustrating.

T-  triggers  Triggers can be anything from a sound to a color to a billboard. Switches of personalities can be triggered, or memories can be triggered.

I-  integration  Total integration of all personalities used to be considered the goal of therapy; but after many years of therapists coming up with ways to force or manipulate integration to happen, it was realized that integration would happen naturally when personalities were given the individual therapy they needed to heal from their emotional and psychological injuries, and interpersonal communication was encouraged.

P-  plural references to self  Even multiples who have never been diagnosed frequently refer to themselves in the plural sense. They will often say, “We feel…..” or “If it was left up to us….” when they are speaking of themselves. We have taken the liberty of combining plural and singular senses because for us it best expresses who we are referring to. We might say, ” Ourself”, for example.

L-living/survival  At the core of multiplicity is the drive to survive. It’s all about living the healthiest life possible, especially for the birth personality.

E- emotional swings  Multiples are often misdiagnosed as having manic depression because the separate personalities may be in very different emotional states so if there is a switch between a personality who is very happy and a personality who is very depressed, the affect that is witnessed by an outsider appears to have changed drastically for no apparent reason.

S- switching  When a personality who was out goes in and a different personality comes out, that is called switching. Multiples can switch very spontaneously quite frequently or very infrequently. In our case, we tend to switch personalities within the same group frequently, as in several times a day; but in the past year or more we have tended to have one primary personality out for a period of weeks to months at a time.