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Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and relationships can pose some unique challenges. The constant fear of rejection looms around every corner, making it difficult to fully embrace the positive moments that relationships bring. Even when surrounded by love and support, the fear of impending abandonment can act as a barrier, preventing the full enjoyment of the positive aspects of a relationship. This struggle underscores the complexity of managing BPD within the context of interpersonal connections.
As my year writing for HealthyPlace ends, it presents the perfect opportunity to reflect on the past 12 months and prepare for what lies ahead. Before I leave, I would like to share what I have learned about myself while writing this blog and how it has reinforced my motivation to keep moving forward.
Sharing gambling addiction recovery stories really matters. As much as we discuss gambling and addiction, the picture that’s painted is that of hopelessness. Granted, the thrill and hope of a big win have a dangerous grip that leads people down the path of compulsive gambling, but it is the stories of hope and triumph that give people with addiction the hope they need to overcome the struggle.
With verbal abuse, avoidance may be present with the abuser, the target, or both, depending on the situation. This tactic has two sides that can be helpful or harmful based on the contributing factors. Avoidance in verbal abuse is common.
Happy Thanksgiving! It’s that time of year again, and I’ve found that this is a good time of year to not only say thanks but actively practice gratitude for the purpose of managing anxiety. I’ve learned that gratitude can be a very powerful emotion, and can actually help reduce stress and lessen symptoms of anxiety that I experience.
Some people with bipolar seem like they're so angry. Sometimes, I'm one of those people. I don't take this feeling out on other people, but that doesn't mean I don't feel the anger intensely. Let's discuss why bipolar makes me so angry.
There are a lot of new words and concepts out there to describe one's gender identity or sexual orientation, and one of them is bigender. As our community continues to expand and evolve, we develop new language to describe our experiences and identities. You might not have heard of the term bigender before, and trust me, even as a queer person, it can be hard for me to keep up with all the identity words. Today, I want to talk about what bigender means. As a bigender person, I hope you find this helpful.
Survivor's guilt is real. Nowadays, when I open the Instagram app on my phone, I usually see content of a similar nature: graphic images and videos of dead or seriously injured Palestinians. Often, the people in these posts are babies and children, and it is heartbreaking to see the plight of these innocent, young souls. This post is not about siding with Palestine or Israel, but it is about the survivor's guilt that many of us around the world are experiencing today. Let's take a look.
Journaling can be an exceptional tool for managing mental health, and I've found creative journaling tips that have helped me reframe what it means to journal. When hearing the word "journaling," I used to think of "dear diary" entries, but now I believe there are many journaling tactics that are useful in combatting anxiety, depression, and guilt and gauging mental illness recovery progress. I'm excited to share some creative ways I've used journaling tips to assist in managing my mental health.
My eating disorder lessons actually make me feel grateful. Gratitude is a recurring theme that defines the entire holiday season. In fact, this value is thrown around so often in the frenetic build-up to each new year that it's easy to overlook just how powerful gratitude is. When I strip away all those cliché axioms and intentionally reflect on what it means to be thankful, I'm humbled by the sheer amount of blessings in my life. But then, as I lean deeper into self-reflection, I feel a curious swell of gratitude in an area I would normally least expect. This year, I am grateful for the lessons of my eating disorder.
A few months later, I knew that I had a problem. So, I decided to take care of my mental health myself a looked-up ways to cope and help me get better. A couple of months, IT DID!! I wasn't completely healed but tactics like the Box Breathing method and the Name 5 Things you can smell (or something like that) kind of helped me stay grounded. But because I never received the treatment that I needed it never went away.
My first panic attack was scary, I kept on sobbing rocking back and fourth. I tried to stay quiet, so that my parents wouldn't find out. But to keep myself quiet I would bite, scratch myself, or repeatedly tell myself to shut up. And then I would get suicidal thoughts and find out ways to try to kill myself. But during all of this, there would be a part of me terrified that I might just kill myself.
I don't really get a lot of these types of panic attacks. But they are mostly cause by a verbal fight between my parents sending my thoughts to spiral out of control. I do plan on getting help from a professional when I move out, which won't be for a while. But for the mean time, I just really want answers from someone who can help me that won't charge money and can keep it from my parents. I honestly don't know what to do! I'm just a kid trying to fix the mess she's in!
Sorry if it's a lot to take in, it is for me too ':)
Thank you for reaching out. I am so sorry to hear that you are in such distress. I know it can be difficult, but please consider seek out a mental health resource that can assist you. HealthyPlace's list of hotline numbers is a useful place to start. Here's a link to find the contact information: https://www.healthyplace.com/other-info/resources/mental-health-hotline-numbers-and-referral-resources.
Sincerely,
Mary-Elizabeth Schurrer
HealthyPlace Comment Moderator