Introduction To My Blog Series: Living Successfully With Borderline Personality Disorder & Histrionic Personality Disorder

I was 27 years old when I entered into the realization that there was something wrong with me and one of the original diagnosis was Borderline Personality Disorder, BPD. 

I say something wrong with me because I was just not able to manage my life on my own and somehow knew there was something wrong with my mind.

Back then, not a lot was known about this horribly stigmatized disorder because BPD patients were considered impossible to treat or wrongly diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. 

Along with BPD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (DDNOS) were also added to my diagnostic mix.

ADHD was quickly debunked and over the past two decades most professionals leaned towards my having PTSD or a Dissociative Disorder – but something about these disorders never seemed to fit.

Add menopause to the mix and the confusion became even more confusing.

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Anxiety

Here are past blogs I’ve written about my struggles with anxiety and what felt like PTSD or DDNOS:

• Managing Anxiety -The Space of No Mind
• Managing Anxiety and the Mind of Choice
• Anxiety – The Antithesis of Personal Connection
• Anxiety & Cannabidiol (CBD) & Exercise
• Trauma, Flashbacks and Dissociative Disorders
• AM I: In a Panic Attack or Trauma Response or Dissociation or Menopause? How Do I Tell The Difference?

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My Struggles With Alcoholism

• Mystic Order – Reiki Level IIIA – 21 Day Cleanse – A Miracle Has Happened
• Spiritual Discipline – My Alcohol Addiction – My Story Now
• Personal Development – Cutting the Ties That Bind – Saying Goodbye to Alcohol
• Is Too Much a Choice or Addiction?
• Personal Development – A Wild Woman’s Journey With Drinking and Hedonism While Walking the Spiritual Path
• Personal Development – A Wild Woman’s Slow Transformation Towards Her Best Self
• Reiki Principle For Today – I Will Not Worry
• OYNB – One Year No Beer – This Wild Woman’s Successful Journey of the 28 Day Challenge and Beyond!
• Personal Development – A Wild Woman Walking the Spiritual Path – A Wild Woman Redefined? Absolutely!
• Personal Development – Living Alcohol Free – Musings During Day 78
• Reiki Principle For Today – I Will Do My Work Honestly
• Personal Development – Living An Alcohol Free Life – Year One
• Another Layer
• 365 Days of Sobriety: My Journey and Triggers
• I’m No Longer Ashamed Of Being An Alcoholic
• A Bountiful Bevy Of Sagacious Skills
• A Life Of Sobriety Allows Me Deeper Connection With Family & Friends
• From Domes To Sunflowers – Dogs & Sobriety – While Becoming A Better Self
• The Man Who Reminds Me I Cannot Have Just One Drink
• This Joyful Alcoholic Has Lost Interest In Bar Hopping & Any Type Of Partying
• The Consequences Of Drinking And Driving
• My Favourite People To Be Around
• Proper Mental Health Diagnoses. Feeling Safe. Accepting I Am An Alcoholic.
• Overthinking & The Joys Of Living My Twenty-Four Hour AA Program
• Accepting I Am An Alcoholic
• From Anxiety To Sobriety: My Life Journey From 52 – 56

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Present Day

On February 9th, 2022, I had a thorough psychological assessment by a seasoned psychiatrist. At long last, at 52 years old, I was finally properly diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and Histrionic Personality Disorder.

This blog series called Owning and Unraveling Borderline Personality Disorder & Histrionic Personality Disorder is my way of processing and understanding these complex personality disorders and how they manifest, interfere with and enhance my life.

Perhaps, as it has been said to me from friends who have family members with Borderline Personality Disorder, I can help dispel misconceptions and stigmas associated with these mental illnesses.

And hopefully I can shed some light and more personal information on what living with Histrionic Personality Disorder is like as I review each symptom and diagnostic criteria and how they show up (past or present) in my life.

With hope,

Stephanie, 🩵🌻

That Inner Critic

Everyone has an Inner Critic.

What does my Inner Critic say?

She says things like:

People are mad at you.

People do not like you.

I am in trouble.

I have done something wrong.

Other people are right and I am wrong – I must defer.

I must defer to those who have more power than me.

Everyone has more power than me.

This voice is my frightened inner child.

Dr. Jennifer May

I am a huge fan of Dr. Jennifer May.

Her YouTube channel, in my humble opinion, is free therapy for anyone on a healing path.

For those with BPD her channel specifically offers everything DBT – Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

The below quote is from Dr. May’s About Page on her YouTube Channel:

Jennifer May, Ph.D., is a NY state licensed clinical psychologist who has been practicing Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) since 2001. She is currently the DBT Coordinator at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in West Brentwood, NY where she provides DBT treatment to inpatient adults and trains and supervises psychology interns in DBT. She also has past experience providing DBT to adults and adolescents in outpatient clinics and private practice settings. Dr. May considers herself an eclectic and integrative therapist, using techniques not only from DBT but from CBT, Radically Open DBT, attachment theory, internal family systems, sensorimotor psychotherapy, and spirituality. She is passionate about offering quality information on YouTube to people who are working on their recovery and to therapists looking to expand their skill set. Contact her to book Zoom presentations, podcasts, or YouTube interviews/collaborations.

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Coping With Your Inner Critic

I’ve watched this video by Dr. May numerous times. It’s so helpful.

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Comforting My Frightened Inner Child

One of the DBT skills I am focusing on is using mindfulness to support my frightened Inner Child.

How do I do this?

With mindfulness, I recognize I am in Emotional Mind because I am flooded with fear.

I then give myself space around these thoughts by “popping out” of them and observe them.

I notice the age of the voice and why she is flooding me with fear.

I ask this part of me what she needs.

It is typically to feel safe.

It is then in my Wise Mind that I discover solutions to comfort my frightened Inner Child.

Easier said than done, and this takes practice.

So much awareness and practice.

The workplace is one the most difficult arenas for me because I am surrounded by so many people.

So many women – who are the most challenging for me.

I am triggered on a daily basis.

Sometimes I notice and can catch it.

Sometimes not.

But, again with awareness and practice, hopefully this skill set grows.

S, 🌻

Quick Links To The Blogs In This Series Living Successfully With BPD & HPD:

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Borderline Personality Disorder

Forget Everything I’ve Said – I’ve Borderline Personality Disorder & Histrionic Personality Disorder

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – Introduction to Symptoms & Causes

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder & Histrionic Personality Disorder – Rambling Through Confusion Towards Clarity

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – Bits On Biosocial Theory & Learning To Ride Out Intense Emotions Rather Than Focusing On Why I Am Having Them

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – Strong Opinions & Identity Crisis

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – Not PTSD – It’s Emotions – Borderline Style

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – Empathic Abilities & Intentional Interventions

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – Overlapping Symptoms & What Type Of & How BPD Am I?

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – DBT’s Mindful Breathing & Participating With Awareness – Grounding Words

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder & Histrionic Personality Disorder – The Stigma & Social Pariah Of Personality Disorders

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – Is This Effective & Willing Hands Half Smile & The Middle Path

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – Starting EMDR – Creating New Pathways To Calm

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – The Pros and Cons of Medical THC & CBD

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder & HistrionicPersonality Disorder – Amber Heard VS Johnny Depp

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – Gratitude For A Wild & Crazy Life

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – Anxious – Ambivalent (Preoccupied) Attachment Style & Fear of Abandonment

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – Behind My Mona Lisa Smile – What BPD Feels Like For Me

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – The Hulk Uses Dialectical Behaviour Therapy

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – DBT Skills Need Time & Everyday Practice To Become A Part Of Me

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – Coping With The Inner Critic

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – Unstable & Fragile Identities

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – Highlights Of DBT’s Mindfulness & Distress Tolerance Skills

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – Highlights Of DBT’s Emotional Regulation Skills

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – My Ability To Self-Validate Grows When I Live In Alignment With My Values

Living With Borderline Personality Disorder – Highlights Of DBT’s Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills

Living With Borderline Personally Disorder – DBT – Skills Thermometer – A DBT Skills Anchor Chart

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Histrionic Personality Disorder

Living With Histrionic Personality Disorder – Introduction & Symptoms & Diagnostic Criteria

Living With Histrionic Personality Disorder – Shallow, Changeable Emotions

Living With Histrionic Personality Disorder – Assumed Intimacy With Others

Living With Histrionic Personality Disorder – Hypersensitivity To Criticism 

Living With Histrionic Personality Disorder – Manipulative Behaviour

Living With Histrionic Personality Disorder – Sexually Provocative Behaviour

Living With Histrionic Personality Disorder – A Compulsive Desire For Attention

Living With Histrionic Personality Disorder – Preoccupation With Appearance

Living With Histrionic Personality Disorder – Suggestible & Easily Influenced

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© Stephanie Wells – Joyful Stephanie – Living an Authentic Life – 2014-2026. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

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