Tag Archive for: mental illness

Work / Employment History and Borderline Personality Disorder (Sue Sibbald)

Please welcome back again, all the way from the UK, our guest blogger, Sue Sibbald as she writes about the challenge of work and a fragmented work/employment history while coping with Borderline Personality Disorder. My Multiple Careers I have worked for most of my life, various jobs from shop and bar work, selling space in […]

PMS, PMDD, and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

I have been asked by a number of my female readers to share my experience with BPD in terms of how it becomes complicated during the week to ten days before my period, or PMS (premenstrual syndrome). My description will actually take it up a notch, as I am also diagnosed with PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric […]

Triggered by Tragedy in Connecticut

*** Trigger Warning: This post’s topic includes details of a triggering news story that occurred in the USA today.*** I went against my better judgment today.  After hearing the tragic news of yet another shooting, this time at an elementary school in Connecticut, instead of processing through my feelings after hearing the coverage on the […]

Coping With The Pain of Having Your Mental Illness Diagnosis Invalidated

I think that perhaps one of the most painful and frustrating aspects of having a mental illness is when loved ones do not validate our experience. Many of us have heard things like: It’s all in your head. You’re imagining it all. It’s a made up diagnosis. There’s no such thing as [insert your diagnosis] […]

5 Ways to Not Act Like a Mental Patient

I love this quote by Dr. Linehan. When I’ve posted it on Facebook and Twitter in the past, it’s gotten lots of “likes,” “favorites,” and comments.  It came to mind this morning, and it made me think: What does it mean to “act” like a mental patient, and how can we change such behaviors if […]

Goodbye Norma Jean | Did Marilyn Monroe have Borderline Personality Disorder?

  Goodbye Norma Jean | Did Marilyn Monroe have Borderline Personality Disorder?*Trigger Warning: This post contains frank discussion about the nature of American actress Marilyn Monroe’s passing and her psychiatric suffering.  The post does come around to an encouraging end, but please use discretion and take care of yourself and your well-being.* I have always adored […]

Getting Through The Darkest Days of Mental Illness | Borderline Personality Disorder

How do you get through the darkest days that come due to mental illness?  In this video, I discuss my own personal experience around: Coping with and getting through the darkest days that we encounter as a part of suffering from and living with mental illness Tolerating the distress of miserable emotions The power of […]

Getting off of SSD Social Security When You Have Mental Illness

I remember the appointment with my therapist at the time.  I met with him to discuss the paperwork that Social Security had sent me.  He needed to fill out the evaluation so that the Social Security Disability department could determine if I was still disabled and therefore eligible for ongoing benefits. I had been on […]