Topic Tuesday Tonight starting at 7pm AEST - BPD: Debunking the myths

[Raven]

@BlueButterfly50
Exhausting.. That's it so very exhausting I get called things like cyclone and whirlwind by those close to me and I can experience everything in one day .. It is minute by minute ... No one seems to understand that in my life

[Angel]

@-karma-We are particularly not allowed to form friendships while in the group...and yes I pretty much don't have any friends...they all turned their back on me after a suicide attempt

[CherryBomb]

@Jacques raises a good point about some treatment in hopsitals. I've heard some people refer to behvaviors associated with BPD as 'attention seeking'. But it's so much more than that. Perhaps at @BlueButterfly50 can provide some more info here, when she gets a chance.

[Crazy_Bug_Lady]

Ahhh... That makes sense @BlueButterfly50

[PeppiPatty]

@Raven

Can you write of what happened for you to become rightly (???) diagnosed?

[BlueButterfly50]

@CherryBomb

I replied to your question and my reply disappeared so I'll do it again 🙂

BPD does not come out of the blue.  There are biological/temperament/genetic factors for sure.  People who have BPD are very sensitive to external stimuli like relationships, judgement, criticism.  But sensitive people do not always end up with BPD.  Sometimes environmental facts, such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, chronic neglect, school bullying, an invalidating home, attachment disorders with main caregive can also contribute.  So its both nature and nurture and if you look back on your childhood there could be some markers such as unable to get on with the other kids, very low tolerance to frustration etc.  In adolescence these markers are more pronounced with eating disorders, bin*ge drinking/taking drugs, anything to relieve that intense emoitonal pressure cooker inside your head.  As well risky behaviour, not having a full sense of identity, who you are, feeling chronically bored and empty and unable to self-soothe. Teens with this behaviour will not necessarily go onto have BPD. As an adult if you have had difficult relationships, loss of many jobs (I have lost count of how many jobs I have lost, gotten the sack from, walked out of) so when I was diagnosed, in hindsight, I saw all the markers.  That was ten years ago.

[Whyohwhy]

I think communications is the key here. My partner has BPD - he rarely tells me me how he feels so I have no idea. So I read to educate myself.

[PeppiPatty]

Dear @Angel,
I tried very hard to stay friends with someone with BPD....but they both dumped me because I had some boundaries down. It was very upsetting and I miss them.

[Raven]

@PeppiPatty
I have had issues with my mental health ever since I was a kid and believe now that BPD started then
But over the years psychologists and doctors have jumped to all other conclusions
It took the right psychiatrist to put things together after I'd spent 1.5 years in weekly psychologists visits so it took a long time and it also took for that psychiatrist to say ok this is what it is and this is what we do now
Mind u my psychologist doesn't agree with her diagnosis neither does my GP

[Whyohwhy]

Youtube has some really good videos on BPD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=967Ckat7f98