Stigma and BPD

I HAVE A MENTAL ILLNESS AND I AM PROUD TO BE ME!!!

  

DON 'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ ON THE INTERNET!!!!  Have you ever heard that line before?  I wish I would have realized that when I was first diagnosed.  I was so scared after I started researching about BPD on the Internet due to all the negativity that is out there surrounding

this illness that I avoided it and put it out of my head for over a year!! It also didn't help that I found out about my diagnosis when I received copies of my records to send in for my Social Security Disability case.  My psychiatrist and therapist rarely ever brought it up, they never explained to me what it was or talked to me about it or anything!!! I had to ask them WTH it was!!!

Then there was the stigma of telling people what I do for a living, which is I am on Disability for Depression.  Talk about feeling worthless!! I personally don't think that there is anything wrong for someone to be on Disability for ANYTHING, except for me.  I felt/feel like I have no purpose in life anymore.  I have never been married, I have no children, I have no pets, I have no car, I have no assets, I have nothing, thus I believed that I was nothing.  THIS IS NOT TRUE!!!! 

 

It took me many years to finally get to the point I am at today where I am NOT ASHAMED of being mentally ill, where I am NOT ASHAMED to tell people I have BPD and PTSD and Recurrent, Severe, Major Depressive Disorder.  I still fight with myself all of the time as far as feeling worthless or useless (that is a work in progress 😁), but I am not ashamed to admit it anymore. 

I am strong, I am persistent and I have persevered through so much in my life (molestation, repeated rapes, physical abuse, mental abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, death(s), chronic physical illnesses, numerous mental illnesses, etc.), but I am NOT "STIGMATIZED" by my diagnoses anymore.  The problem is, many other people still are.

I am not ashamed to put it all out there anymore (thus this blog, lol) because I have come to realize that I AM NOT ALONE!!! (On-line support groups have been a MAJOR help with this).  I tell myself everyday, no matter how great or hard a day has been, that I AM WORTH THE FIGHT!!! And just remember this, SO ARE YOU!!! Stigma is not going to go away anytime soon, we just need to keep reminding ourselves that we are worth the fight, we are not "crazy", we are human like every other person, we are flawed like every other person, but not matter what our flaws are:

WE ARE WORTH THE FIGHT!!!!

• EDUCATE!!  Educate yourself and have your loved one's educate themselves about your illness.  I am nowhere near "cured", but the more knowledge I am, the more tools I have in my arsenal to make life easier and happier along the way. 
• LISTEN!!!! We just want someone to truly listen to us so we feel validated (no cell phones, no TV, no other conversations, NO DISTRACTIONS!!!)
• VALIDATE!!!  You don't necessarily have to totally understand how we are feeling, but we need those feelings validated ALL OF THE TIME!!! Learning about validation and invalidation truly are keys to diffusing MANY situations of someone with BPD. (My boyfriend will attest to that one 😀)

Every individual is unique as is every individual's illness.  There are criteria you have to meet to be

diagnosed with BPD, however, you only need to meet 5 of those listed to be diagnosed with BPD, thus each person's BPD is different.  Therefore, DON"T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ ON THE INTERNET!!! Not everything you read about  BPD pertains to myself, just like not everything you read about will pertain to your loved one.  Also, SEEK HELP!! Whether it be a therapist, psychiatrist, self-help (research, books, workbooks, etc.), support groups (live and/or on the Internet) the person with BPD will need help and support so the more educated you and your loved ones are, the more capable everyone will be to help navigate through this seemingly never-ending rollercoaster. I personally went through many support groups online regarding BPD and/or Mental Illness in General and it might take weeding through some to find the ones you are most comfortable with, but they are out there!!! The support groups have helped me IMMENSELY as far as the feeling of NOT feeling like I am alone in this. 

But please, STOP THE STIGMA!!! We are all human beings just like everyone else and we have problems just like everyone else, ours may be a bit more complicated than some, but that is no reason to shame or stigmatize those that are already suffering!!!

I HAVE A MENTAL ILLNESS AND I AM PROUD TO BE ME!!!