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 Post subject: New to BPDR
PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 1:11 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2008 5:37 pm
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Location: New Jersey
I've been registered for a week or so, and I like it here so far.

I'm shy, but I expect to eventually be an active participant on the forum here.

I haven't officially been diagnosed with BPD yet (what does it take to get one of these doctors to diagnose me before throwing a pile of drugs at me?), but I fit 9 out of 9 of the DSM-IV criteria, though some traits are a bit more pronounced than others. I *have* been diagnosed with Bipolar I, but I'm fairly sure it was either a lie or a misdiagnosis.

I'm currently doing CBT once a week, and I'm taking an online DBT class (can't afford in-person DBT at this time). I'm trying to make recovering from BPD my main priority. My life is so much better when I am functioning well and 'staying present'.


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 Post subject: Re: New to BPDR
PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 3:52 pm 
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Hi zorgin, and welcome. I'm glad you found us, and that you like it here. Don't worry about being shy -- it's perfectly OK to just hang out and read -- but whenever you feel like it, don't hesitate to jump into a conversation.

Bipolar and BPD are often both diagnosed in an individual person, though I think it's more often Bipolar II, where the manic phase is less pronounced. No doubt they *can* occur together, but I think sometimes Bipolar is diagnosed erroneously, with the mood swings of BPD, which tend to be rapid and erratic, confused with the swing from depression to mania and back with Bipolar. Sometimes the clue to the puzzle can be found in treatment -- a person with true Bipolar who takes an anti-depressant can suddenly develop a severe mania, which pretty much confirms Bipolar, or if they're put on lithium or another mood stabilizer, they may see their mood swings stabilize. Generally speaking BPD doesn't respond directly to medication, though antidepressants and mood-stabilizers can help and make it easier to do the work of therapy.

Have you or do you take medication for the Bipolar? -- just curious.

It's possible to beat BPD without a formal diagnosis and without medication, if your depression isn't too severe or your moods so all over the place that you can't function at all. It sounds like you're on a good track with your CBT and the online DBT course. Check out our "Tools" (in the box on the left) if you haven't -- a lot of us have found them really helpful.

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I made some studies, and reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it.
I can take it in small doses, but as a lifestyle I found it too confining. -- Jane Wagner


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 Post subject: Re: New to BPDR
PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:15 pm 
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Welcome Zorgin! I am also in the on-line DBT class and it's helped me immensely! I have learned a lot from it and it has changed my life. I also have learned a lot from this site (BPDR). Read as much as you can. Look at the Tools at the left. Glad you're here!

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 Post subject: Re: New to BPDR
PostPosted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 8:09 pm 
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Thanks Sari and Bordergirl.

I am currently on Lamictal, and I've found it to work quite well for me. I plan to stay on my meds for a while to give me breathing room to do the work I need to do. I have had mixed experiences with various antidepressants in the past, some just didn't work, and some seemed to induce hypomania.

I've been reading all I can on this site. I have found the tools to be very useful - most of the information online that I've found regarding BPD has been about 'how hard it is'. I know how hard it is, which is all the more reason for me to keep moving forward and getting better in mind.


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 Post subject: Re: New to BPDR
PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 7:22 am 
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Yup, it IS hard, but it's doable. We're just retraining our brains -- our patterns of thinking and behaving. It's definitely difficult to erase those old tapes, whatever they might be (I'm worthless, I hate you don't leave me, I can't be alone, nobody will ever love me, etc.), and replace them with healthier ones. But we can do it if we work hard enough, long enough.

So keep up the good fight!

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I made some studies, and reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it.
I can take it in small doses, but as a lifestyle I found it too confining. -- Jane Wagner


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 Post subject: Re: New to BPDR
PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 9:49 am 
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:welcome


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 Post subject: Re: New to BPDR
PostPosted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 6:22 pm 
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Sounds like you are coming in with a good attitude, that is a great start. Welcome.

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It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars. - Garrison Keillor


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