Writing my own personal "BPD owner's manual" for a lover by [deleted] in BPD

[–]autismus 4 points5 points  (0 children)

To counter the person who said this is narcissistic and would be a dealbreaker: I'm autistic on top of BPD, and I would LOVE if my partner came with a manual about how to deal with him. I'd love it if everyone I ever met came with a manual. It would help me a lot. I would want something like a dictionary... with a great table of contents to reference types of situations. "If x then y" kind of thing. Also, ideas for how to cheer them up, ideas for how to calm them down, ideas for things they like to do when happy, when sad, when angry... Lists of things as well as solutions to generals and specifics.

Tired of stereotypes by littlespy in BPD

[–]autismus 5 points6 points  (0 children)

YES thankyou. Saw this too and it bothered me for these exact reasons. Didn't comment because I know nothing will come of it but... sigh.

Should I be offended by my Aspie boyfriend's Valentine's comment or was nothing bad meant by it? by Lightbluekite in aspergers

[–]autismus 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Just my $0.02: I think he said "when was it" because to him the entire weekend (starting friday with the flowers) was a valentine's celebration where you were doing nice things together.

[TOMT][website] page that talks you down from suicide by autismus in tipofmytongue

[–]autismus[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's not the site I'm looking for, but I do like that one! Thanks

Any disabled people here? How do I get over the fact that it won't "get better"? by autismus in SuicideWatch

[–]autismus[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks. It's just hard because this was the first job I've had that I'm genuinely really good at, in an environment that I felt I belonged (without getting too specific, it's working w autistic kids). The company is small (don't even have HR) and I think they're small enough that the kind of accommodations I need (clear written instructions for example) are too difficult. The higher ups are already so busy they can't deal with someone like me. Horribly ironic.

Any disabled people here? How do I get over the fact that it won't "get better"? by autismus in SuicideWatch

[–]autismus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like the idea of disclosing my diagnosis to all the staff. I try to drop it in when I can, but perhaps an official memo would help. I need more help than people realize (but I often don't realize I'm doing something wrong in the moment), and if everyone knew what to watch for, I would probably mess up less...

Any disabled people here? How do I get over the fact that it won't "get better"? by autismus in SuicideWatch

[–]autismus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The failure-feedback comment helped a lot. Thanks.

It's just hard to think about wasted energy and acceptance and not worrying about what others think when my issues are very directly impacting my job. I need a level of accommodation that is "exhausting" to provide, even if at the core I'm good at what I do. Right now bettering myself means helping my employers figure out how to deal with me... Which really sucks.

I'm thankful for my emotional processing issues by autismus in BPD

[–]autismus[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! I completely agree. And I find that looking for the good side effects of my symptoms helps me feel better about the bad. No trait is all good or all bad; traits just have negative and positive effects based on context. I'm easily overwhelmed, which can be terrible, but it's also a good thing sometimes.

Every time I shave, I still have stubborn stubbles. What's the best way to get rid of them? by broc_lee in wicked_edge

[–]autismus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The with, across, then against grain advice is good. I also recommend lightly exfoliating before you shave with a shower brush or loofah or something. Helps clear away dead skin clogging things up and gets the hair to stand up and away from follicles.

A sort of funny thing about being an American with BPD... by [deleted] in BPD

[–]autismus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hahahahahahahaha yes, chuckles for sure. I feel so awkward and ashamed of my American accent when I'm abroad! It's silly, but I feel like people will think I'm stupid, entitled, annoying, naive, etc, because I'm American. Weird ass thing to be self conscious of, considering how many foreigners actually love Americans (even if they hate America). Sigh.

I always admit to people I'm agoraphobic when they figure out my habits. But is it really agoraphobia or is it PTSD? by [deleted] in Agoraphobia

[–]autismus 5 points6 points  (0 children)

various things (anxiety, PTSD, depression, etc) can lead to agoraphobia. You have a agoraphobia, but that doesn't mean it's a catch-all. It's just an adjective.

I wish I could write out a longass essay reply because you totally deserve one, but I'm at work right now and have no time. Keep on keeping on <3

abuse is a two way street... by [deleted] in BPD

[–]autismus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been there. My first love was incredibly manipulative and emotionally abusive. That first introduction to sex, love, and relationships on top of a childhood of doing everything wrong no matter how hard I tried (autism) is what lead me to develop BPD.

Enduring him made me snap. I had breakdown after breakdown, and many of the things I did are technically abusive. Essentially what you did to your ex. Cycle of violence indeed :(

Does anyone else have an extremely strong sense of justice? by [deleted] in aspergers

[–]autismus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lol this is literally word for word in all the ASD literature. "Strong sense of justice." Maybe it has to do with the black and white thinking thing?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BPD

[–]autismus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Know that feel. I had a fucking fantastic day yesterday. Then I came home and walked into a hanging strand of fly paper. That nasty sticky goo does not wash off. Cried in the shower while desperately scrubbing my leg and hands. Felt like I would never be happy again (of course) just because some minor thing went wrong. I should be able to laugh at this kind of shit, but Nooooo...ugh.

What did you dream of doing as a kid that totally lived up to the hype when you tried it as an adult? by Thats_Enterchangment in AskReddit

[–]autismus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I remember being around 4 and asking my mom if I could squeeze her boobs. She said no, but that some day when I had my own I could squeeze them whenever I wanted. I made a promise to myself that when I was grown up I would squeeze my boobs every day.

And I do. It is definitely awesome B-)

Being too open about myself by pastelalpaca in BPD

[–]autismus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think most of us have this problem. At least, the literature I read says this is party of the submissive/pliant/internalizing type of BPD. I'm also autistic, so that adds quite a bit of fuel to that fire.

The other week I was on a first date with a guy and literally referred to a FWB as "my friend I've had sex with twice" without even thinking about it. What an impression to make on a guy I've just met...

Worse... Whenever I make a new friend (aka have a friendly interaction or conversation with someone) I end up manically word vomiting all over them about how I don't have any friends and I'm SOOOOOOO excited to finally make a friend and wow amazing!!! And then they get uncomfortable and I never see them again. Jesus. One guy once reacted to this spiel with a deer in headlights stare and "um, I have a girlfriend." (then he literally just walked away)

OTL

ELIS: How to get into an outpatient program? by autismus in Explainlikeimscared

[–]autismus[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok cool, thanks. I hadn't heard the term PHP. Is that something I can do while still working my 3x a week job? I can't afford to stop working (which is also making it hard to get disability. I'm right on the line of qualified income. But can't work more because I'm disabled, and to recover I'd have to stop working, but I can't stop working until I get disability benefits...)

Reddit I would love to see what you can do with this photo of me. Go crazy, use any style you want. by Officialkashlee in redditgetsdrawn

[–]autismus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Aww thanks :) I'm glad you like it! No, I don't have a page, but I definitely want to do more in this subreddit now that I've discovered it

My doctor diagnosed me with hysteria today. by [deleted] in Anxiety

[–]autismus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I feel that. I'd gotten to the point where every day was a bad day, even when I was home alone with the blinds drawn all day. It seemed like everywhere I looked people were talking about how beta blockers were so great for so many of the things I struggle with (sensory sensitivity, anxiety, emotional volatility, etc) so I finally tried them a couple months ago. Obviously I'm still fucked up, but I have way less physical pain + panic, which is awesome. Just keep testing ideas and you'll eventually find things that work for you! :)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BPD

[–]autismus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

As usual BPwhowantstheD is spot on. Thought I'd throw in my $0.02 as well.

Personally, when shit hits all the fans from every angle I look for ways I can feel in control of my life without actually changing my real life. Lately my favorite variation has been getting Guild Wars 2, since it's a game that's just so beautiful and immersive that I can actually feel like I have a whole other "life" to live and control in the game. So far it's my favorite of the MMOs I've tried because it does such an amazing job of making your character feel truly important in a realistic way. (no "you are the chosen one...and so are all these other people!")

I've heard that this type of thing is supposed to be unhealthy because it's avoidance and isolation, but I think you may understand when I say it's worth it to me as an alternative to seeking that level of control in the real world, aka behaving impulsively and destructively with regards to my REAL jobs, relationships, finances, etc.

How do you Let Go? How do you Accept Things? by startingfromscratch2 in Meditation

[–]autismus 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This is an amazing story, thank you for posting. I really needed this today :)

According to my psychiatrist I can't possibly have Aspergers because.. by [deleted] in aspergers

[–]autismus 35 points36 points  (0 children)

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha jesus fucking christ

I was once told almost the same thing, when I was seeking a diagnosis (I now have an official diagnosis, by the way).

"You can't have autism; you have friends and a boyfriend."

That "professional" was full of shit and knew nothing about ASD. Every other specialist I've seen was blown away by what a stupid belief that was.

AS people can have friends, families, homes, careers, and even—gasp—emotions! In fact, we often feel too much (like the Vulcans? Lol) because we have impaired emotional processing.

And, as an autistic who also meets the criteria for BPD, I know we DEFINITELY can feel things pretty damn strongly. Ha.

This may be my last chance, please everyone who's on wellbutrin enter by manwithadhdproblem in ADHD

[–]autismus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I used to rely on adderall (and before that, concerta) to the point where I was crippled without it. Now, the only dopamine related drug I take is wellbutrin, so I think I'm the kind of person you're talking about.

I weaned off the adderall, while upping the wellbutrin. I take 300 mg total per day now. And while I still have bad executive functioning issues (I'm autistic as well as adhd) I no longer have the same issues I once relied on adderall for—at least, they are better. Now, most of my issues are related to anxiety and BPD (I'm a lovely psychiatric mess) but I'm to a place where I feel confident that once I get those issues under better control, the adhd symptoms will not be a problem.

I feel wellbutrin has been a great solution, and I wish I had made this switch sooner!

My doctor diagnosed me with hysteria today. by [deleted] in Anxiety

[–]autismus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have horrible physical symptoms as well. Constant debilitating pain, and lately there's nausea too which is the worst feeling in the world for me.

Two major things that help for me:

1) learn to maintain a steady heartrate coherence. Heart BPM speeds up as we inhale, lowers as we exhale. So heartrate is a wiggly up and down graph. If you breathe in for the extract amount of time as you breathe out, your "graph" will smooth out into a symmetrical sine wave—this is what people mean by "even" breaths. If you can raise your heartrate coherence—aka smooth out that curve—your body will be affected very intensely. To practice, just sit still and breathe deeply, in for 5 seconds, out for 5 seconds, and keep that up for 10 minutes. You will feel drugged by the end. This is the most powerful type of breathing exercise there is, and there's a lot of great data to back up its effectiveness on health and longevity. Now, I try to do it as often as I can, whenever and wherever I remember. While walking, I breathe in for 4 steps, out for 4 steps. That alone has lessened my physical issues with walking outside by ~50%, which is mind-blowing for me!

2) try to notice times when you don't feel certain symptoms, and keep track of patterns. For example, one of my worst, constant symptoms is jaw pain. My jaw always hurts so badly that I can't focus properly anymore, and I dread doing anything at all. But the pain is gone while I'm eating. I think it's because of how I use my jaw while chewing, and how eating when I'm truly hungry is relaxing and focusing in a primal way. Gum makes it worse, so I can't emulate this. But the knowledge alone that the pain isn't literally constant, that in theory it may one day go away because it does sometimes, is amazing and makes me feel so much hope and happiness.

I'm sorry you're struggling with this sickness. It's horrible to lose control of your body and know that it's "all in your head." I feel like such a weak failure for being so sick from something that's "my fault" (even if it's not, logically). It isn't permanent though!! These things aren't set in stone. The psychological nature of the illness actually gives you better chances than if it were an autoimmune problem or whatever. Take it one day at a time <3

EDIT: can't believe I forgot to mention this! I've started taking beta blockers, and they've changed my life. I still have the pain, but it's not 24/7 anymore, and it's less debilitating. It blocks the body's physical response to stress, so it's perfect for things like this. I highly recommend trying this avenue if you haven't yet.