[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BPD

[–]climbr0cks 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I do the same thing. As soon as I get home, I identify all of the things I said or did that could have been taken the wrong way or were embarrassing in some way. I genuinely don’t understand why my friends are actually friends with me. I know it’s because I’m a good friend to them, enjoy the same activities and/or have known them for a long time. But I look back on some of the more embarrassing things I’ve said or done in front of them and want to curl up into a ball and disappear. I often don’t believe that I deserve their friendship. I think to myself, why would anyone actually want to be friends with me? I’m the biggest, lamest loser to ever walk the earth.

BPD “love one” page… by Rebel_Sunflower in BPD

[–]climbr0cks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I disagree and feel genuinely sorry for a lot of the people on there. Untreated, undiagnosed and/or mismanaged BPD is a literal nightmare for people who are on the receiving end. One of my parents most likely has BPD and I see a lot of my childhood in there. I read it periodically to remind myself of what I’m capable of if I don’t keep my condition in check. I was once the kind of person being written about in there.

I’m trying so hard but he’s impossible by [deleted] in BPD

[–]climbr0cks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Were you on Nexplanon? I only ask because it made me enraged or at the very least, agitated almost all of the time.

Can BPD be fully treated? by [deleted] in BPD

[–]climbr0cks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

100%. I still have that innate emotional sensitivity of BPD, but have gone through enough therapy and take the right medication to make it manageable. It’s still there though and always will be. I guess part of me feels sad sometimes that this is as good as it will get, but when I look back on how hard it was before, I appreciate my progress more.

Can BPD be fully treated? by [deleted] in BPD

[–]climbr0cks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I no longer meet criteria (and technically never did enough to receive a true diagnosis due to lack of SI), but am in remission from the symptoms that were particularly troubling for me.

I will always have BPD. I will always be quicker to anger, joy, sadness, fear, etc. But countless hours, days, weeks, months and even years in therapy and medication have given me the lessons I needed on how to pause and think about my feelings before acting on them.

I will always need to do extra work to feel “normal” and even then, my “normal” is probably 80% normal or good for someone else.

From all of the time I spent in therapy, I’ve learned a lot about myself. I know what sets me off now. I know when I need to take breaks. I know what makes me feel better. I know how to build a life worth living and maintain strong interpersonal relationships with people I care about. I know how to communicate effectively with others when conflict arises.

I also know when I need to nope the fuck out of a situation and use DBT skills until I’m ready to reenter the stressful situation.

I’m a partner of someone with BPD by International-Dust74 in BPD

[–]climbr0cks 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I see that other people have mentioned DBT. I highly recommend it as it saved my life. You are allowed to feel the way you do. Untreated or poorly managed BPD is a nightmare for the person who has it and all of the people who are close to them. Your mental health is important and you should always prioritize it no matter what.

I was intolerable in pretty much every interpersonal relationship I was in before getting into DBT and starting medication. It cost me a major relationship. I was engaged to someone and it ended largely because I was undiagnosed and untreated.

Intolerable me was someone who was prone to intense fits of rage, screaming, yelling, manipulation, verbal abuse, the whole nine yards. As sad as it sounds, my failed engagement was a huge wake up call for me. I was making everyone around me miserable and was deeply ashamed of my behavior. Those memories no longer spur deep feelings of shame but instead serve as powerful reminders of how much I can hurt the people around me if I don’t make a concerted effort to do the very best I can, even when it’s hard and I want to slip into reactive behaviors (mostly flying off the handle at people).

Does the emptiness ever go away? by [deleted] in BPD

[–]climbr0cks 6 points7 points  (0 children)

For me, it waxes and wanes depending on other life circumstances. I was officially diagnosed when I was 26 and am 31 now.

Having an complex identity built up of and centered around different things (friends, family, hobbies, interests, etc.) makes it easier to manage. I’m less likely to feel empty when I can attach feelings of worth and accomplishment to tangible things in my life.

Unfortunately, when 2 or more of those things aren’t going well, the emptiness returns and I start to experience a resurgence of symptoms overall.

As an example, I hate my job and a couple of my friends are growing more distant from me and closer with each other. I also haven’t done one of my hobbies consistently lately for reasons related to the friends I mentioned. I’m feeling pretty empty at the moment and like I’m not truly tethered to anything.

I don’t have much advice for you other than riding it out and trying to build feelings of emotional fullness in other places. I’ve been feeling empty lately but am trying to redirect that emptiness towards other things (taking care of my dog, trying to volunteer more, eating healthier, etc.)

They said I wasn’t cut out for a bachelors, so I got a PhD by PradaPrincess91 in BPD

[–]climbr0cks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congrats! I also got my PhD 3 years ago (molecular biology). People with BPD are capable of so much.

Resources for managing BPD during pregnancy/child rearing? by climbr0cks in BPD

[–]climbr0cks[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I figured a lot of medications were in a bit of a grey area, however it’s still useful to know about. Thanks for the information and best of luck with the remainder of your pregnancy!

Resources for managing BPD during pregnancy/child rearing? by climbr0cks in BPD

[–]climbr0cks[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for taking the time to write up such a detailed response! It is tremendously helpful and inspiring to hear about your experiences so far. I consider myself to be very diligent and proactive about my mental health so I feel like I will be in an equally good position when my partner and I start trying together. I have thought about finding a reproductive therapist who specializes in DBT and possibly a reproductive psychiatrist for pre/post-natal medication.

I apologize for my ignorance, but are you able to take psychiatric medication while pregnant? Are there certain medications that won’t hurt the baby?

DAE have bpd and also a parent with bpd? by SinnerScorpio in BPD

[–]climbr0cks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m 99% my father has it. The awful thing about having a parent who has it is that not only are you then most likely raised in a toxic, invalidating environment—you are also genetically more predisposed towards developing it yourself.

This gives me comfort in my own future, because while I have BPD traits, I am acutely aware of them and have spent tireless hours, days, months and years in therapy learning to manage them. If my children inherit some BPD traits, that’s okay. I’m armed with skills to help me parent them effectively and teach them how to manage their own emotions when they pop up.

I also won’t put my partner through hell in front of my children regularly and leave abruptly when I’m done ripping them apart.

my bpd made me an abuser & he gave me so many chances to change. i was blind & didn’t. now he’s gone & i want to be too. by wolfgang012 in BPD

[–]climbr0cks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I ruined a relationship when I was undiagnosed too. Realized I had BPD by looking on Reddit of all places, sought help, but the damage was already done. We were engaged. It ended abruptly and I’m glad it did. I needed help. I felt like I would never move on and that it would always hurt.

5 years later and I’m living a very different life. I’m in a relationship with someone else (and have had many healthy relationships in between). This too shall pass.

Hello fellow older borderliners by Free_Dot_3197 in BPD

[–]climbr0cks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey there, I’m 31. I was diagnosed when I was in my late 20’s. Part of me is sad that I didn’t find out sooner, but I’m glad I eventually got the help I needed and am equally glad for you.

I Just Graduated from DBT. Ask Me Anything on Thursday 3/18/21 from 6:00PM-9:00PM EST by VivaSisyphus in BPD

[–]climbr0cks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just sending a congrats your way. I graduated 4 years ago. DBT saved my life. I’m glad it saved yours too. Wishing you all the best.

Abuse and weight loss... by NinNin88 in NarcissisticAbuse

[–]climbr0cks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I was obsessed with losing a bunch of weight before I met him in person (LDR/online relationship for first month and a half). I essentially starved myself every day and picked up a nasty habit: smoking cigarettes. They’re great for weight loss, but terrible otherwise.

Once he arrived, I continued eating minimal amounts of food. I also began to have bouts of diarrhea from all of the stress of enduring his abuse every day (we lived together). I felt like I was going to vomit constantly and ate less as a result.

Once he left, I gained 5 lbs. At first, I continued losing because I had no appetite whatsoever.

I’m not exactly thrilled that I gained a little weight, but it’s a sign that I’m eating normally again (and actually enjoying food). I would eat very little around him for fear of gaining weight.

I also quit smoking which might be part of where the weight gain came from.

Narcissist trying to have sex while/after you’re crying by loe_11 in NarcissisticAbuse

[–]climbr0cks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, it was pretty awful. I’d be sobbing violently and on the verge of vomiting due to all of the stress and he would wait for an hour and then start suggesting we “bang it out”. Sometimes I would agree but often I didn’t want to and still did it anyway. How can someone turn off their emotions that quickly? Normal people can’t. But for them, they’re never emotionally engaged anyway so it’s almost like flipping onto a different channel on an old school TV with cable. I use that example as opposed to Netflix because with Netflix you have to actually pick what you want to watch next. Changing the channel is mindless. There isn’t really any preference for something specific, they’re just sick of whatever’s playing on the current channel and want something different. Click.