About Me

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I sometimes talk about mental illness in my blog posts because I want to help others who feel or experience similar things as I do. I also want to help break the stigma regarding mental illness by sharing my POV and experiences. I’ve been diagnosed with PTSD, Major Depressive Disorder, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

I was diagnosed with BPD in June 2020. BPD is one of the most misunderstood mental illnesses by both the psychological and non-psychological communities. Having BPD meant my emotions are more extreme than the general population. I can go from feeling euphoric to feeling the lowest I’ve ever felt all within a matter of minutes or hours. People with BPD are often misdiagnosed with Bipolar Disorder II. However, the ups and downs with Bipolar Disorder II last longer, usually weeks at a time, whereas the ups and downs with BPD only last hours and sometimes days.

Without the proper tools, it was very hard for me to regulate my emotions. Fortunately, I found a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) trained psychologist in March 2021. For over a year, I attended weekly group and individual therapy sessions, learning skills to help me tolerate distress, regulate my emotions, learn more effective interpersonal communication, and practice mindfulness.

Learning these skills saved my life. When I’m not actively engaging in short-term pleasant events and taking action steps toward my values (goals that help me build a life worth living), I’m less able to regulate my emotions and abstain from acting on ineffective urges (e.g. self-harm, rage quitting a desired activity, damaging a positive relationship).

I graduated from group therapy in May 2022 and then did DBT Prolonged Exposure (PE) for about three and a half months to work through my PTSD. I’m currently in remission from BPD and PTSD. Having most of my BPD behaviors under control, I now only attend individual therapy when I need to.