This is my first time on any forums or reaching out online for this type of community support. This week I was diagnosed with BPD, and although I am grateful for the diagnosis as it's given me some answers to a lot of my behavioural traits and knowing what i'm dealing with, i am still struggling to come to terms with my diagnosis and am unsure where to start on my recovery journey. I have been referred to do DBT therapy, but would love to hear from anyone here about the steps they first took when they first got their diagnosis, or any reading or books/ podcasts that helped educate you about the condition. I'm feeling scared of the recovery journey ahead of me and could use some advice/ a BDP community.
Welcome to the forums! I'm also a BPD-er. It's certainly an amazing journey. I've learnt so much from my BPD experiences. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my BPD. These forums were a godsend to me. It allowed me to connect with others and sharing my experiences.
I completed months of MBT treatment. It made a huge difference in teaching me more helpful ways of thinking and behaving.
It's totally understandable that a BPD diagnosis can bring about mixed feelings. It's great that you've been able to identify how this new diagnosis has made you feel and that you've taken the step of reaching out for support at this time.
I see that you have mentioned DBT - many people, myself included, have found DBT helpful in managing their BPD, so I hope it can prove useful for you too.
In terms of first steps or resources when you're at the start of your journey, I've got a couple of suggestions from personal experience, but, as always, you are the expert on what might be a good fit for yourself.
- I've seen 'The Borderline Personality Disorder Workbook' by Daniel J. Fox recommended, and I got a copy for myself but am not far enough into yet to give a definitive review. You can preview about 50 pages of it online if you did want to check it out to see if you might be interested in it.
- One of the first resources I found useful was instagram pages dedicated to BPD. One that I think is particularly informative is catherinelcsw, but there are also others like holistic.bpd.cptsd.recovery, bpdcantbreakme, and wrongsideoftheborderline that post interesting content.
- Hearing about other people's experiences of BPD was beneficial for me, and I found these through blogs, YouTube videos, and online communities. Just be conscious that you are seeking out content created by/with those with lived experience (as some of what is out there comes from those who don't have a proper understanding of BPD and can present quite a skewed perspective), and be mindful of anything that might trigger you.
It's okay to feel nervous about what lies ahead, and I hope that some of the resources and communities out there help you to feel supported, educated, and reassured on your journey 🙂
I also got this diagnosis at the start of the year, and am still feeling pretty mixed about it too. I'm kind of at the stage of using it to help understand some of my traits and behaviours, but not defining myself by it.
I did a DBT skills group over the first half of this year, and it was great. I got so much out of it, even in the areas that haven't typically been a big problem for me, like interpersonal effectiveness. Just such good tools that I kind of feel like everyone could benefit from. Meeting people who are managing similar things was such a wonderful and supportive place to go each week too.
I listen to a few podcasts here and there just by doing a search in the app, and some have been helpful, and some not so much. I've found "The Skillful Podcast" to be quite a good companion to DBT. And just watching videos on YouTube, but as puzzlindino said, be mindful of subjectivity, and also keep in mind that BPD traits can combine in so many different ways, so your experience could be quite different to the next person's.
Thanks @puzzlingdino too for those insta recommendations! I will definitely check them out.
All the best navigating the new diagnosis, and take care too. It can be pretty draining learning all this new information, and remember it doesn't change you.
Thank you so much for your reply. I'll definitely check out those instagram pages. I really appreciate your response, definitely makes this journey less scary knowing others are going through similar experiences. Thank you 🙂
Thank you so much. I found this so helpful, thank you for sharing your experiences with me and for your warm wishes, it really helps to feel like there's a community I can be a part of in terms of BPD. thank you!
I actually don't recommend any BPD videos. Why? Because they seem to all emphasis how 'wrong' borderlines are, or all the traits of BPD.
Rather, what I found most helpful in recovery was Russ Harris' You Tube clips. This is not BPD-specific, but the concepts help so much. eg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kv6HkipQcfA
However @Sunny54 , I need to ask, are you looking to find out more about BPD? Or are you wanting to look at recovery? There's a difference there.
The Australian BPD Foundation also has a lot of supports.
Project Air is running a free group for people with BPD. They will be starting their group soon if you are interested. I can email you the brochure. The group is run by a clinician and a peer worker.
Did you know the human mind has evolved in such a way that it naturally creates psychological suffering? Find out more in this exclusive clip from Dr. Russ Harris's Happiness Trap 8-week online program! www.thehappinesstrap.com
