Host (psychology)

In psychology and mental health, a host is the most important (to therapeutic goals) mental entity in someone who has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID, formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder or MPD). Often this is thought to be the root of the person's psyche, or at least a key figure for completion of therapy, whether or not it has integration as a goal. This definition of host is in direct contrast to how it is sometimes used by some multiples, most notably otherkin multiples, who believe the host is the entirety of the body and all of its residents. Thus one is an "otherkin host" and this only denotes that the singular physical entity in question has many internal mental residents, and no importance to one entity over the rest is included in this usage. Due to the symbiotic nature of the otherkin host relationship, host is simultaneously in alignment with both definitions of host defined above. See also http://www.kinhost.org/ for more information.