I Want to Write About Someone with DID in an Informed, Ethical Way. How Should I Do That as Someone Who is Not a System?

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You’re not going to like this answer, but don’t. While it may be okay to write about a character with DID if they happen to be in your story, their having DID should not be the focus of the story. That is not your story to tell.

To put this in perspective, let’s say a white writer decides he wants to write about the experience of being black in America. They want to do it as ethically as possible, and they ask a lot of questions to make sure they’re doing it right. Is that okay? No. As a white person, you should not be writing about someone else’s experience like that. You’ll never fully understand what it means to be black in America.

But would it be wrong for them to include a black character in their story? Of course not. Could there be moments where issues of race come up where you consult people to make sure you’re handling it ethically? Yes. But the whole point of the book shouldn’t be to tell someone else’s story.

If we replace that example with DID, it makes more sense, right? DID is fascinating to a lot of people and they want to write about it. Their hearts are in the right place – they see the media misrepresenting us and want to get it right. But it’s not their story to tell. Many systems are capable of writing and creating their own art. Elevate our voices and support our projects, but don’t try to be our voice. Sure, you can write a character who happens to have DID, but please DO NOT write about someone’s lived experience with DID. Unless you have the disorder, you’ll never fully understand it. Recognizing that is the mark of a true ally.

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