Posted by Free on November 18, 2010, at 20:37:44
In reply to Borderline treatment, posted by ralphrost2 on November 9, 2010, at 17:08:22
Hi Ralph,
I can't tell from reading your thread whether you've been diagnosed as having BPD or you think you might have it because you can relate to some of the symptomatic features of BPD.
Have you been diagnosed by your therapist/psychiatrist with Borderline Personality Disorder?
>
> I wonder if you might say what kind of medication treatment could be helpful for this condition. I tried SSRIs in the past and they just don't seem the answer. They really blunt emotions, making me quite flat.
> Any experiences/ideas
> Much appreciated
> Ralph
>I am completely off meds now, but before then, the meds made my condition much worse. I was constantly vacillating between "too checked out to function" or "too manic to make sound choices". And the worst was I laughed less. For me, the overwhelming emptiness and pain were not lessened by meds. The hopelessness was always there.
As a last resort, I signed up for DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy). I've found that it's definitely not a miracle cure for everyone with BPD, but dbt has helped me more than anything else. It's given me a more productive way of understanding how and why this disorder affects me the way it does. And the skills I have learned in DBT have allowed me to better tolerate distress and regulate my intense emotions.
Although my life is still nowhere near ideal, my emotions and thoughts feel less out of control now. I quit smoking and rarely drink, and resort to less negative behaviors. I have long ways to go in reaching how I would like to see my life, but it's miles better than what it was. I recommend DBT if you've been diagnosed with BPD. It's worth a try.
>
> Thanks for your replies. On tuesday I went to the psychiatrist and he simply said to me: "I don't think medication would help with your condition. Suffering is part of life and self growth, so that's it".
>At first, I thought this was a funny if not an odd thing to say for a psychiatrist (because it's not expected), but like Sigismund said, it is true. I wonder if your psychiatrist is a Buddhist.
Acceptance of suffering is true in both Buddhism and DBT: Suffering exists; it has a cause; it has an end; and it has a cause to bring about its end. I find strength and comfort in this.
poster:Free
thread:969444
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20101115/msgs/970716.html