For a long time, I thought the voice in my head was just my intuition. So, when my therapist and I discovered that I had dissociative identity disorder (DID), I was shocked and upset. I had heard about muliptle personality disorders, and they were scary–the stuff of horror movies. How could that be me?

This is my story: the story of a child who survived trauma and loss, and of the woman who found her way to love and acceptance. It is a story of triumph and strength. And most of all, it is a story of acceptance, love, and the path to finding that for yourself.

I created this as a handbook for understanding DID, and the tools used for living with it. I wanted to share my personal experience with using the tools, as well as to provide strategies about what to do when the tools don't seem to work.

I wanted to show you that–even through all the pain–there is a promise for a new day. You will see the light again.

Wether you are living with DID or know someone who is, it is my hope this book gives you some insight into a condition that is often misunderstood. Even if you are not a fragmented system like me, all of us are the sum of our parts. So learn to love all of your parts as I do mine. You are worth it.

A note from the author: My therapist once asked me what I would tell someone if they were in such deep pain, it kept them from seeing the light. This was the type of pain that had consumed me as well. I had no answer for her at that time. I still can't promise this is the right one, but it's the one to which my heart always seems to return. I have so much compassion for your hurt, your pain, and for what you might be going through. I validate how hard things have been for you, and how hard this is. I stand beside you with no judgement, offering you my heart as a friend and teammate on the same playing field.

Now get up and fight! This is your chance! You didn't have a choice before, but you do now. Yes this is the fight for your life, the life you want, the life you deserve, and the life you can have.