The online community: DID and plurality

One significant gap in the professional literature is the online community of “Plurals”, united through support groups for Dissociative Identity Disorder. These have evolved over the years into a more organized state both linguistically and politically – making Plurality its own culture. There are three primary clinical issues with the online community which are discussed in this article. One is simply understanding the culture of the online community, so as to practice competently and with cultural humility when working with those patients who identify as part of that culture. This includes understanding various terminology often utilized, which may be different than historical dissociative language with which the therapist is already familiar. Second is simply whether or not to recommend these resources to client, and, if so, when to do so and within what parameters. Third is to understand the impact of the online community culture on treatment itself.