BPDRecovery.com: Forums

Hi I'm nameless....

I want to recover completely asap. Should we have a contest? Just kidding. Like BPD version of Survivor... Is it as simple as a decision? It seems I am a slave to my emotions. Anyway, I will be around here lurking, reading... looking for evidence of recovery to inspire me.

Nameless

Hey nameless, welcome.

I wish it were as easy as a decision or competing on Survivor -- not that that's easy, since I prefer to live with basic creature comforts like flush toilets, refrigeration, air conditioning and grocery stores. Maybe more like The Biggest Loser or something. Hard work but at least you have a bed to sleep in after a long day's effort.

Actually, though, recovery starts with a decision, and that's a commitment to doing the work it takes to get better. BPD is all about learned maladaptive coping mechanisms, and it is treated not by pharmaceuticals (though they can be useful if you have depression or anxiety or something like that) but by figuring out, though therapy and self-examination, what those dysfunctional thinking patterns are, and then developing new healthier ones. It's work, don't kid yourself otherwise. But it's doable. A long, frustrating slog sometimes, but doable. So there's no need to be a slave to your emotions forever if you don't want to.

Lurk away. Feel free to comment or ask questions whenever. We have some Tools (in the box on the left) that can be very helpful.

I think it CAN be as simple as making a decision. It's actually a series of decision-making processes that make up recovery to my way of seeing things. That's basically the foundation of CBT - thinking about our options and making rational choices rather than lashing out in emotional reaction mode.


Welcome aboard, Nameless!

I don't think it's as simple as making *a* decision. You have to keep making that decision over and over again, and sometimes, it's not obvious what the best way forward is, so you have to be prepared to make mistakes and learn from them.

You can definitely say that each individual step in the recovery process is as simple as making a decision. Mind you, they're not always easy decisions to make.

In my experience, recovery is not simple but it's very achievable if you take it one step at a time and never give up on yourself, no matter what.

Lirael