Welcome to the Friends, Family and Carers Forum! Introduce yourself here 🙂

[OutofIdeas]

Hi Joonbug that sounds pretty frightening. What exactly are the symptoms and did they just present or was there always some telling signs? I think you need as much information and support as he does and its great that youve joined this group. Hopefully someone with the same issue will reach out and give you some cues. Best of luck.

[balance37]

Hi @Howtomakegravy 

Person diagnosed with DID here.!

Your step daughter definitely needs a formal diagnosis, as it could be an array of things including factitious disorder, Borderline personality disorder or even schizoaffective or schizophrenia.

I'm no expert, but I am aware that there is a current underground "trend" online amongst younger people who self diagnose with DID and then present these symptoms. I am by no means saying that this is the case for her, only that she needs to be evaluated.

My DID diagnosis took approximately 3 years, and I wasn't even aware I had it at the time!

If she does have DID, then unfortunately it also means she will have experienced significant and ongoing trauma throughout her childhood as well. And that is a long recovery journey to heal from, but definitely worth it (still on that journey myself). Take care of yourself and all the best!

[frangipani8]

Hello everyone,

I'm so grateful to find this community, I am here because my 19 year old daughter was recently diagnosed with BPD. Not going to deny that I am terrified and heartbroken for her journey ahead. The silver lining with her official diagnosis, is that we now have a better understanding of her behaviour and we can now take steps on how to help her.

There are no drug/alcohol addiction signs that I can see, but she is engaging in promiscuous behaviour, often juggling multiple partners at any one time and we are deeply concerned for her safety. She struggles forming friendships and connecting with others and I feel this may be the reason why.

We’re starting a 22-week DBT program soon, in which she’s agreed to attend, but we can only hope she sticks with it. Her father, her sister, and I feel powerless - like bystanders watching helplessly as she self-destructs. Every day is filled with anxiety, wondering what she’ll do next.

My heart breaks reading your stories, and wish everyone strength in this journey.

[Ru-bee]

Hello and welcome @frangipani8 

Thank you for sharing some of your story here, I'm so glad that you've found this space to connect with peers. 

I am hearing that is a scary time, but what also stands out to me is the huge steps that have been taken by receiving a diagnosis, and enrolling in a DBT program. While there may still be a long road ahead for all of you, these sound to be definite steps in the right direction.

I know that often when we're caring for others we can sometimes forget that we need support ourselves, do you have supports that you can lean on when the anxiety and worry becomes overwhelming?

[frangipani8]

Thank you for the warm welcome @Ru-bee, I truly appreciate it.

Your reply made me stop and reflect for a moment there and realise that I can't say I have much support.  While I have a great husband, his anxiety has increased and I find myself trying to best support him too. I do feel that I may be going through depression, I've had it in the past and know the signs. I have been unemnployed for the past 6 weeks, and I enjoy working it's always been a good distraction so not working hasn't helped in my state of mind either.

Therapy isn't an option for me at the moment, between therapy costs for my 19 year old (BPD) and my 17 year old (ADHD), I can't say I can afford any therapy costs for myself.
I need to get myself back to the gym, because that has always helped in the past.

I'm trying to keep it all together for my family, but your comment made me realise that I need to take steps to look after me in order to do that. Thank you for bringing that to my attention.

[Jynx]

Hey @frangipani8 just a lil tip, if you want other members to be notified that you've responded, you can tag them - use the @ symbol and a drop down will appear, and you can choose their name. If their name isn't there, you can type it out and it should then appear for you to select, then it will show up in blue, like this: @Ru-bee 

More How-to guides here 😉

[frangipani8]

Thank you @Jynx 

[TC131]

Hi, new to the forum and so glad to have found it as live in country NSW and no support groups nearby. I'm tired and exhausted and constantly feel like my family is fighting this battle on our own. So looking forward to hearing other people's stories and realising that we aren't in this alone. As well as getting tips from other families/ carers. x

[tyme]

Hey @TC131 ,

Welcome to the forums! We're so glad you are about to connect with us irrespective of where you are in Australia!

We'd love to journey with you as you navigate the challenges of life.

I know you mentioned you feel like you are alone in your battles, but do you have people you can call and speak to? Or do you know about SANE's Guided Recovery? You can check you eligibility here if you want: https://www.sane.org/referral

We look forward to staying connected! What are some of your hobbies? What are things you do to stay well?

[Ru-bee]

Welcome @TC131 we're so glad that you've found this space too

You certainly aren't alone, and I hope that connecting here is the first step towards gaining a sense of community with others who have been there too