When you think about a cage, you probably muse the idea of the box keeping things in, or even keeping the items you placed in it -- safe. Some cages have bad connotations attached to them, but whatever your idea of a cage is, I think we can agree that cages keep things inside of them, rather than let them escape into the world.

So let me back up for a quick minute before I start.

I was diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder last Spring, and if you have ever seen the television show United States of Tara, then you know how challenging it can get, having D.I.D. and/or dealing with someone who has it. It can be mild, or it can be rather severe. But I'm not here to talk about that TV show (which by the way, is phenomenal)... I'm here to talk about me. What a big surprise right? Anyway, I'm about to tell you a few things that could help if you know me in person, or if you know someone who lives with D.I.D. and what you can do to make your life, and their life a little easier.

Before I Truly Begin

I want to explain D.I.D. as best as I can. According to the Mayo Clinic, D.I.D. is described as

"This disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder, is characterized by 'switching' to alternate identities."

For every person that suffers from it, their D.I.D. will vary as well. It can be completely mild (like autopilot), or it can be as severe as Tara on that tv show I mentioned. Which by reference, Tara the main character, actually completely takes on the persona of her alters. By dressing up like them, taking up a new voice, and completely shutting her Host personality out, she becomes her alters.

I've Been Blessed Though

My Alters are not that strong, yet they still make a small appearance every once and awhile. For me, the first sign of my Dissociation would be walking around aimlessly. Sometimes I don't talk, and I just stare into the void. Weird, right? But the clear mark of my Alter(s) taking over is me not knowing where I am, or who I am.

Last Spring, I suffered a trauma. And trauma plus stress, are my main triggers. So my brain decided to take over, and switch to a perfectly capable Alter, but I have no recollection of it. By the end of the semester, I had finished my classes, but dropped out all but two of them. I finished with a 2.1 GPA, and a crap load of empty memories. Bits and pieces come back to me, but last Spring, is almost completely a blank page for me. My therapist told me I had another alter.

The "Alter"

I was aware of the Alter (with a capital 'A', because it's my first Alter), which takes over when I'm under stress or pressure, but the new alter was something (or someone) pretty new to me. The second alter was mean. And thus enters: The Cage.

I could see in my brain an illustration of my Alter taking over (or my alter). My Host personality, which is the one writing to you now, would be violently shoved into a metaphorical cage, and I would try my very hardest to get out, but I was locked in for days at a time. Thus again, the paradox. My Host personality may have been contained, but everything around me was falling apart, in every which way.

Here's an example: If you've ever seen Supernatural almost always after a person has been possessed by a demon (or whatever), they tell their story... Which is almost always that they can see what is happening, feel it too, and for whatever reason, they have no control over it. They could see the damage being done, but they couldn't fix it. They were trapped.

And that's how it feels.

So I'm here to give you 5 tips to try and help your life be a little easier.

** DISCLAIMER: This advice is advice I've contrived from my own experiences, and in no way is this advice applicable to every person who suffers from D.I.D. or who knows someone who has it. Whatever works for you, I want to not change. These are just things I have learned **

1. Be Patient

Patience is a virtue! Or so, they say. Let me tell you right now, living with D.I.D. or living with someone with it, is not easy. Patience will not be easy to come by, believe me. You'll want to rip their hair out, rip your own hair out, and then leave in the dead of night. But, with all the bad days, and all the days that you won't remember, patience will be the very thing that gets you through the night, when everything around you is telling you to quit. Be patient with yourself. Be patient with those around you. It'll be worth it. Just be patient.

2. Be Thankful

For the days that you are coherent enough to talk about your day at the end of the night with your friends, be thankful for those. It is going to be THOSE memories that will make you the happiest. It'll be THOSE memories that keep you sane. When you're in your own version of 'The Cage' it'll be the happy, coherent memories that will keep you fighting. Don't take the coherent days for granted. I'm 100% certain that you'll be much happier that way. It's not a permanent solution, but a temporary one is just as good when you live with D.I.D. or know someone with it.

3. Be Thorough

That sounds weird, but it's true. With D.I.D. it's imperative you're thorough with the details in your life, or the details in your life on a regular Tuesday. Write things down you know you'll forget later, or write the things down you want to remember, just in case there is a chance of your alter(s) coming out that night. Write down your triggers, and work on them. Talk about them with your friends, so that they are aware of them as well. Be thorough on what sets your D.I.D. off and what maybe can 'snap you out of it.' It'll help you, I promise.

4. Be Aware

As stated above, you should know what your triggers are, or at least know what things can trigger even the slightest switch in you. Get to some professional help, so you don't have to sequester yourself in your room, but that way, you can work through your triggers and be aware of them. You don't want to spend your life in your room, but it is important that you're aware of all your alters, and what makes them come to life.

5. Be You

When you're living with D.I.D., its easy to lose yourself in your alters, or just even if you're on autopilot. It's easy to just relinquish control when you're overwhelmed, and to let your alter take over, believe me. But no matter what anyone tells you (or what your alters tell you), you are what matters most in any given situation. Don't forget how wonderful you are, when your alters are telling you how terrible you are. Don't forget about the very things that make up you at your core, because your soul is the one thing that will never lie to you. Write down the things you love the most, and cherish them, because they're special to you. I like colorful sunsets. They make me feel human again, not just some flesh vessel for my fears to take over when I'm scared. I like One Direction, and listening to the Broadway channel on my Pandora account. All these small things that make me who I am, are things I don't want to forget no matter how foggy it gets. Don't lose yourself to the moment, when you have your whole life ahead of you.

You are amazing. And I hope whoever reads this learns that D.I.D. is scary yes, but it is also something that everyone can benefit from. You'll learn to cherish the coherent moments more than ever before. Life is about special moments. Make it yours. And don't let any type of cage contain what your soul has to offer this world.