About Me
Hi! I’m Jenni Elyse, but you can call me Jenni. I’m wife to Corey and cat mom to Izzy, Luci, and six angel kitties. I’m queer and my pronouns are she/her.
I’m an eclectic reader. I mostly read fiction and I favor fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, mystery, thrillers, and romance. The more kissing in a book the better!
I’m a seeker of all things purple. I love animals especially cats and llamas. I’m an unapologetic fan of Harry Potter, Twilight, How to Train Your Dragon, Futurama, Star Wars, LEGO, and Zelda. I reading in a warm bubble bath, drinking herbal tea or hot chocolate, drawing on my iPad, playing my Switch, watching movies, dyeing my hair, crocheting, knitting, and listening to music.
More About Me
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 Quiet Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).
I was diagnosed with BPD in June 2020 and is one of the most misunderstood mental illnesses by both the psychological community and non-psychological community. Having BPD means 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 for hours and sometimes days.
Without the proper tools, it’s 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. I graduated from group therapy in May 2022 and I now only attend individual therapy when I need to.
Because of DBT, I learned that 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). The things I enjoy doing that help me stay in a good headspace are reading, taking bubble baths, drinking herbal tea or hot chocolate, drawing on my iPad, playing my Switch, watching movies, dying my hair, crafting (mostly in the form of crocheting and knitting), listening to music, and spending time with Corey, Izzy, and my friends.
