January BPDChat

 BPD Chat

Every Sunday on Twitter I take part in a #BPDChat . This chat helps me connect with people with the same diagnosis as me, and also teaches me the skills that I need to use in situations in my life.

I enjoy this group tremendously for several reasons.

1. They GET me.
2. They understand the incredible struggle it is to use these skills.
3. They encourage me to use them.
4. They never let me forget that I MUST use these skills in order to function.

January 1, 2017 - "We Survived the Holidays": Talking about how we did it & about our plans for the new year.

How DID I survive the holidays? Just barely. I had to remind myself that Christmas is not all about money. It's about family. As I had an Aunt that was passing away, that became very relevant. I had my family. We were not all together on Christmas Day. But I had my family. We were all healthy, and coping in our lives.

My goals for 2017? I have a lot. Hoping to get healthy physically and mentally again. Use my Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills more often, learn how to manage my newly diagnosis of celiac disease, and learn who my true friends are, and weed out the ones who are not. Focus on people who are IN my life, not people who are online.
January 8, 2017 - Self management
Ha! Self management. I'm not so good at this yet. I still need people to tell me what to do, and how to do it. What is one thing I do to take care of myself? Take a bath.

January 15, 2017 - What Do You Wish Mental Health Professionals Knew?

I could literally write a book on this one. But the Number 1 thing I wish they knew, is that I know my own body. I know what works for me, and what doesn't. I know when I'm suffering from the effects of Borderline Personality Disorder, or if I've fallen into a depression.

January 22, 2017 - "Self-Care -The PLEASE skill - 'Physical Self-Care: Ways to Reduce Emotional Vulnerability'

Ha, PLEASE. Got to love this acronym!

PL: treat PhysicaL illness:

E:   balance Eating:

A:  Avoid mood-altering drugs:

S:   balance Sleep:

E:  get Exercise:

These are all constant battles for me. I'm in constant pain so treating physical illness is a delicate balance. Eating is challenging, more so now that I have the diagnosis of celiac disease and have to watch carefully what I eat. Avoiding mood-altering drugs is not so much of a challenge for me. When I drink though, I drink hard. And I do have to watch the amount of alcohol intake that I take. Sleep is another challenge, as I have sleep apnea and very rarely go into REM sleep. Exercise is a challenge, as I have constant knee pain, and I have to watch the exercise I do as it will aggravate it and leave me in more physical pain.

January 29, 2017 - Feeling Like an Outsider & The Importance of Connection

Ah, well. Here's where I need to connect again. With my friends, and my neighbors. As I have felt like an outsider lately in my community, and I am not enjoying this feeling.

These skills have been taught specifically for people with Borderline Personality Disorder. But can honestly be helpful for everyone. With or without the diagnosis. If you'd like to follow or take part, it takes place at 2 p.m. every Sunday, MST. Go to Twitter here: https://twitter.com/OfficialBPDChat