How do you cope?

elle321 wrote:

Augusto wrote:Well, I didn't read all messages, even why I don't get enough time for that. Thus, my answer is based in the first message, mainly. I don't know exact how are the forms of medical treatment there, but here it's based mostly in medicines and therapy (currently I am applied in Gestalt therapy, which seems to be useful to me). So, I 'cope' with BPD by using the proper medicines for the symptoms I feel. For example, if I am in a time of severe anxiety then I take pills for that (clonazepam lately). If I show psychotic symptoms then I rely on antipsychotic drugs (always the atypical ones) and so on. That is, when I need I make use of medicines while I treat the 'psychological' side of the problems and symptoms in the therapy sessions. Particularly, with respect to other opinions, I don't believe very much in that 'self-help' stuff, at least not the 'self-help' alone. I think the medical and psychological support is always important and necessary. Sometimes a single pill can take me out of a critical situation.

thank you for your response, Augusto.

first of all i was wondering what you meant by what's written in your signature because i used to have a roommate from Brazil and she spoke in English as often as she did in Portuguese. aren't you guys all like that in Brazil?

anyway, thank you for your advice on my concerns, although i have changed since i initially posted this thread.

like you suggested, i have been seeing both a psychiatrist and a therapist (counselor) regularly. i do not depend solely on self-help books, but they are currently only complemental to my treatment. i can't read books anyway.

i have never been on an anti-psychotic drug. does BPD make you delusional? has BPD made me delusional? i am sorry kevin but stop being a d flat.

Hi elle

I think we aren't all like that here. Although English is teached in almost all public schools, only the people who study in such a 'private English school' know how to deal better with English.

BPD doesn't make me exactly delusional, but it makes me suicidal often as well as it makes me to have desires of self-injury, mostly to cut myself. Besides, I become paranoid and 'away from the reality' sometimes, without delusions however. These are psychotic symptoms, aren't they? Thus, the anti-psychotics seem to produce benefic effects on these symptoms. In fact I have became much less suicidal and so after starting taking Quetiapine. Formely I have tried Olanzapine, but it almost made me to get diabetes (!).

I got what you mean about the self-help books. Actually I didn't mean that you lean only on them and I think they can be useful, since we don't give up the pscychiatrist and the therapist. By the way, the current book of self-help I am reading is "Stop walking on eggshells". This book is primarily directed to people who live together with BPD patients, but it also has useful information for 'borderline people'.

You told me you can't read books anyway. Why you can't? (if you don't mind to answer it, of course)