In complex dissociative disorders it is a common occurence that individuals may have parts of themselves that may present and appear as, or identify with, an age different to that of their actual age. This is often referred to as alter age.
It is important to note that alter ages are a substitute belief and are not necessarily reflective of one’s capacity to do certain things. The notion of a mental age separate to one’s chronological age is one that stems from the medical field’s attempts to remove autonomy from individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. While there are certain behaviours and milestones commonly associated with different stages of life, these are not hard and fast rules, as all individuals develop at different rates to one another.
In the context of complex dissociative disorders one’s capacity to do certain things may change depending on the presenting alter and circumstances, which may be connected to a substitute belief of being a different age. One’s capacity to do certain things should however be assessed on a case by case basis, taking into consideration one’s actual abilities and the age appropriate behaviour for the chronological age of the individual, not based purely on a substitute belief of being a different age. A child alter of a person who is chronologicaly an adult may be able to do things that a child should not be doing, and an adult alter of a person who is chronologically a child should not be expected to engage in adult behaviours.