New to the site- Jobs and DBT Training question

Hi,

My name is Lori. I am 29 years old. I was diagnosed about 3 years ago with BPD. I also have fibro & arthritis from a bad car accident that I was lucky to be alive from ( I have three discs in my back and one in my neck out of alignment). I am a die hard athlete - gym, yoga, weights- cardio which is how i deal with my pain and how I cope.

Due to my illness I had to resign from my full time career in business. I am now a licensed yoga instructor and it has been one year since my resignation. I am working one to two shifts a week at a local gym in reception and I have been volunteering to teach yoga for experience. I am in therapy and have a great psychiatrist.

Does anyone else find it hard to even volunteer sometimes? I find when things get too much I just shut down, I cancel all my plans for the week and just workout and read. Does this happen to anyone else? I am in therapy but hesitant on dbt as I have been this way for life. I live at home, I am single and my parents control many aspects of my life as they pay for things. Do any of you think life can get any better for me if I learn more? Dating has been a challenge and at this age is hard online.

Has anyone been through this? Or any of this?

Thank you for reading.

Lori

i'm currently unable to work, so i can relate to how you're feeling. i had to quit my last job and drop out of uni because of how badly i was doing. for me, it's not about the type of activity, it's the energy involved. so even if volunteering is (in theory) less pressure than paid work, it still involves similar levels of energy expenditure. the sheer amount of fatigue that i deal with on a daily basis, and the constant problems with dissociation (which make it very hard to interact with people, go outside, remember things, etc) makes anything beyond basic self-care very hard, and i barely manage self-care sometimes.

i'm in long-term treatment (psychotherapy) and it's been slow-going. it can be really frustrating not being able to do much, but time out is needed when it's that bad. taking time to not do a lot and take care of yourself when you need it is important. if you work on therapy while practicing healthy coping mechanisms and doing lots of self-care, the hope is that eventually you get back up on your feet.

i've not tried dbt before (it's not available in my area of the country) but i've heard good things about it. there are workbooks online if that would be easier. all i can recommend is trial-and-error therapy styles and see what keeps you the most stable. also having a good therapist in general helps.

good luck, i hope things get better for you.