INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Allow them a moment of disbelief. Make it sound convincing, letting them know that you've been practicing the lost art of telekinesis for a while now. The more they doubt you, the more fun it becomes. Magic tricks are all about confidence and distraction. The more you make it "entertaining," the less they'll scrutinize your hands and the tricks you're actually employing. They'll be too busy having fun to be suspicious if you turn it into more of a show. They will, hopefully, choose the original hand, since it never opened up to deposit the coin in the other hand. If they choose the new hand, demand they explain to you how you could've possibly had the coin change hands if it weren't for your amazing telekinetic powers.

SUMMARY: Start your trick by telling your audience that you're going to magically switch a coin from one hand to the other. Ask a volunteer to say which hand the coin is in.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Involve parents if deemed appropriate. consult your state or county mental health agency, and other sites. Online research can also help. Consider checking online, using your local library or purchasing books. Courses like general psychology will introduce basic terminology and concepts, but will mainly just mention mental problems. Abnormal psychology courses may be difficult to follow if you are unschooled in general psychological terms and concepts.

SUMMARY: Seek counseling and psychological advice with psychological professionals like doctors, clinics and school counselors. Research to learn about getting help:

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Remember that your alters may take over at any time. Depending on the specific circumstances of your case, one or more of these alters may be children or may be otherwise unaware of where they should go. Be prepared. Keep a paper with your name, address, and telephone number, along with the contact information for your therapist and at least one good friend, at your home, at your workplace, and in your car. Keep important records in a single place at home, and tell loved ones where that place is. In addition, it may help you to place cue cards in your card and room with important information, including your daily schedule. If a support group for people with dissociative conditions exists in your area, consider joining. Such groups can provide valuable perspective and offer you a number of coping mechanisms and survival skills. Aside from your therapist and your support group, it may help to have some close friends and family members who understand your situation and are willing to help when necessary. They can help keep track of your medications and treatments and provide much-needed emotional support. Unconditional love and support will boost your self-esteem and strengthen your resolve to stay committed to treatment. It can be inspiring to read books about people who have successfully managed DID and worked to lead normal, fully functional lives. Your therapist may have recommendations for you. When painful memories arise or you find yourself feeling very upset, it can help to have a safe, calming space. This can be a very small space, but it should feel safe and inviting. Some ideas include: making an album or collection of good memories, which you can see and review often. decorating with calming and peaceful images. including positive messages, like "I feel safe here," and "I can do this." Stress seems to be the single biggest factor in personality switches. You try to seek refuge by unconsciously suppressing and switching to avoid stressful situations. Minimize this problem by avoiding arguments, leaving places where conflicts are likely to arise, keeping the company of people who understand and support you, and busying yourself with calming activities like reading, gardening, or watching television. Over time and with treatment, you may learn to recognize situations and symptoms that are likely to trigger one of your alters taking over. Pay attention and try to resolve these situations before that happens. In addition, write them down whenever possible, so that you can be proactive about resolving them in the future. Some common triggers for people with DID include: engaging in a conflict having flashbacks of bad memories insomnia and somatic complaints urges to harm yourself mood swings feelings of numbness, detachment, or "losing your mind" auditory hallucinations, perhaps with the voices commenting or arguing Take pleasure in doing small yet satisfying tasks for yourself, and try to help others when you are able. Practice your faith, if you have one, and try meditation and yoga. These steps will help you release stress and gain a sense of inner strength. Consumption of any drugs aside from those prescribed for your condition may make your symptoms worse.

SUMMARY: Plan for dissociation. Join a support group. Build a personal support network. Read success stories. Create a sanctuary. Avoid stress. Identify alarming situations or symptoms. Take steps to feel happy and calm. Stay away from drugs and alcohol.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Before you start flipping, pirouetting and standing on your head, you should work to reach a base level of physical conditioning. Build your muscular strength by performing calisthenics exercises such as push ups, pull ups, air squats, and crunches. Go for a jog or swim laps a couple of times a week to get in better cardiovascular shape. Begin stretching thoroughly every dayflexibility plays a critical role in gymnastics. As you progress, keep up with your strength and conditioning exercises and increase their intensity. If you have a history of serious injury or a condition that makes strenuous exercise difficult or risky, gymnastics may not be for you, but other sports are out there. Start learning all the most basic skills from the ground up. You may have performed some gymnastics moves as a kid or think you have a pretty good idea of how it's supposed to be done, but if you want to learn the right way you need to put pride aside and start from square one. Looking at each skill like it's your first time will help do away with any misconceptions you may have and orient you with the correct technique. Any expert will tell you that the most important aspect of getting good at anything is mastering the basics. Spending more time becoming confident with fundamental skills will benefit you in the long run. Some good techniques to add to your repertoire when you're first starting out are backbends, bridges, headstands, handstands, forward and backward somersaults, cartwheels and splits. Do every skill the right way or don't do it at all. Proper form and precision are the two most important components of the sport. If you learn something the wrong way, not only do you run the risk of injury but you might also establish bad habits that affect every skill that builds off that movement. Film yourself and compare it to the photo and video tutorials you're using to review your technique. Whenever you get a chance, set aside time to drill the techniques you've learned. Only work on skills that it's safe for you to do by yourself or under the supervision of an adult or someone else who can spot you. This will mostly include simple floor movementsflips and other complex skills will be too dangerous to learn on your own. Formal instruction can provide you with useful cues for learning more quickly, but the progress you're able to make depends almost entirely on how hard you're willing to study and work. Try to set aside at least three hours a week to train. Remember, practice doesn't make perfect: perfect practice makes perfect. You should always put special emphasis on the correct form when training and give it your all.

SUMMARY:
Make sure you're physically prepared. Approach each skill as a beginner. Focus on technique. Practice religiously.