Give me all you communication & emotional regulation tips! Please π
Hi all,
I'm not "officially" diagnosed, but am strongly suspecting BPD. About a year ago I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder "resulting from other condition". My psych agrees that BPD is definitely a possibility but since bipolar and borderline (and ADHD) all have so many overlapping symptoms she's not ready to make that call yet and wants me to see a therapist to try DBT to see if it has a significant improvement in my symptoms.
I am 100% on the same page as her and was finally able to track down a therapist in my area that both takes my insurance and is taking on new patients. Unfortunately, my first appointment isn't for another few weeks, and as many know, the first couple or few sessions are usually more "getting to know you".
In the meantime, I'm really hoping for some advice/tips on how to manage my emotions and improve my communication by myself since they are causing SIGNIFICANT issues in my personal life (and have been over the last few months I'm now realizing). The impairments are enough that I really just can't justify sitting and waiting for my therapy appointment & getting to know you phase of therapy.
TIA for any help you can give!! πππ
@oliveThinker2918
Hello π I'm really happy for you for finding a therapist, good luck on your first appointment with them! It's awesome that you're looking for resources to support yourself in the mean time as well. I understand scheduled appointments can feel limiting when we need immediate improvements.
Here are links of resources that I think could help with communication and emotion regulation:
-
DBTuesday masterpost (exploring skills and concepts from DBT)
https://www.7cups.com/forum/PersonalityDisordersSupport_81/DBTuesday_2147/DBTuesdayMasterpost_274756/
-
Thoughtful Thursday masterpost (reflection and discussion of various issues associated with personality disorders)
https://www.7cups.com/forum/PersonalityDisordersSupport_81/ThoughtfulThursday_2294/ThoughtfulThursdayMasterpost_277323/
- 7 Cups self-help guide on managing emotions
https://www.7cups.com/help-managing-emotions/ - YouTube channel of Dr. Daniel J. Fox (psychologist who specialises in personality disorders, especially BPD)
https://www.youtube.com/c/DrDanielFox
- YouTube playlist of BorderlinerNotes's interview with Dr. Marsha M. Linehan (creator of DBT)
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_L7KEOxOeQ_gwUQX8ExtaIt3jSm8XYbK
- more resources for BPD in this thread
https://www.7cups.com/forum/PersonalityDisordersSupport_81/BorderlinePersonalityDisorder_326/ResourcesforBPD_268269/
All the best and I hope the appointments are helpful for you π
@SilverSeastar
Thank you so much for these resources!