RAMCOA

Some Info from Mila

Hello, it’s Mila, and I am handling today’s post mainly because I think there are some things people need to know about DID, but also because Alex is much better at the emotion-filled stuff, and sometimes she needs a break. So, anyway, I want to talk about what can potentially cause DID and the specific term that Alex used in our last post, RAMCOA. While I will not be sharing particular experiences, this information could be triggering for some people, so take care of yourself.

Primary Cause

DID, Dissociative Identity Disorder, is most often caused by severe childhood trauma. According to Google, this is when young children experience extreme and repeated physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. The brain develops coping mechanisms to protect itself from overwhelming trauma, which can lead to separations (alters/parts/others/personalities).

Other Causes

Newborn medical trauma can also be a contributing factor to some cases of DID, though this is usually part of a larger chronic pattern.

Genetics can increase susceptibility to developing DID. This is not to say it runs in families, but it can with other contributing factors.

Brain abnormalities have been shown in some studies to show some differences in brain structure and function in individuals with DID. There still needs to be more research to confirm if this is true for all with DID or just a possibility that adds to the chance of developing DID.

Dissociation is, of course, a contributing factor for DID. Dissociation is a natural coping mechanism where a person detaches from reality or their own experiences. We all do this on some level, like daydreaming or driving a familiar road without really realizing how far we have gone.

Stressful life events that are ongoing or significant stress outside of childhood trauma can also contribute to the development of DID. This means a stressful home that is not necessarily abusive, potentially just neglectful in some ways, could lead to DID.

Finally, substance abuse can exacerbate the symptoms of DID. This does not mean addiction causes DID, but it can make the symptoms worse. Addiction is quite common in dissociative disorders, which we are already starting to write about.

RAMCOA Explained

Before I delve into RAMCOA (pronounced Ram–Coa), I want to remind our readers that a single event typically does not cause DID, and it is not a choice. It is a complex condition that is often found in those with high levels of intelligence, who have chronic trauma with an early onset, do not have or form safe attachments, and have a strong ability to dissociate. People who develop DID are also much more likely to have comorbid disorders like depression, suicidal tendencies, anxiety, addiction, memory problems, headaches, eating disorders, and disorientation, among others. On a personal note, we struggle with many of these issues or have in the past.

Now, on to the topic of this post, RAMCOA. RAMCOA stands for Ritual Abuse, Mind Control, and Organized Abuse. I will admit that when we first heard this term, our first thought was “that sounds like people in cults.” The truth is, it does apply to those who grew up in cults or religious sects that are super strict and abusive. However, it applies to much more. To break it down, let’s take it a bit at a time.

Ritual Abuse (RA) tends to refer to a planned or repeated form of abuse that is designed to control a victim’s behavior and thoughts through cues and conditioning. Think about those who have been abused paired with symbols, ceremonies, or group activities. The goal is to instill fear and intimidation. This may be abuse that is disguised as a ‘game’ or only happens when someone is wearing a specific mask or outfit. Just the sight, sound, or setting can ultimately cause a trauma response after repeated pairings. Think about it in very simple terms. If every time you walked into a specific room, someone threw something at your face that would cause pain, you would either start avoiding the room or act differently when you entered by protecting your face.

Mind Control (MC) is the manipulation and psychological coercion aimed at altering an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. The most common form of this is telling a child that bad things will happen to their family or someone they love if they tell. This is a dangerous thing. In fact, perpetrators of RAMCOA may use mind control to deliberately torture victims to induce DID and then train alters to perform specific roles or tasks. This can help build an internal world that serves the abuser’s agenda.

Organized Abuse (OA) is when multiple abusers work together in a coordinated manner to inflict repeated and planned abuse on victims to manipulate them into a specific goal. The people in ‘power’ collectively engage in the abuse. This can be seen in religious settings or trafficking rings, most often, but can also be on a smaller scale.

Getting Personal

Our system, at least parts of our system, is a victim of RAMCOA. We experienced ritual abuse very young, which included some mind control. We were also part of organized abuse that we did not even recognize until very recently. In fact, we still very much take the blame for the majority of what happened, especially as we got older. I am not comfortable sharing that, though. Maybe Alex will at some point.

We were abused with relative consistency for decades. Again, I will not go into detail, mostly because I was not the one who experienced much of that abuse. We were also part of a sex trafficking ring with someone we really thought loved us. We were young and pretty much brainwashed into thinking we were worthless unless it was for sex long before we met him, so it was easy to walk right into the situation. We were also already using drugs and alcohol with regularity, as well as struggling with our mental health, which made things more difficult and confusing. Still, we are survivors, even if we sometimes wish we were not.

Thank you for reading and for learning some new terms and information. I am sure I will be allowed to write more at some point, but Alex will be taking back over for our next post. Feel free to ask questions if something is unclear or if there is more you want to know. I love sharing facts and figures.