gonna try this again...

hello.

I posted a huge long introductory post a few days ago and didn't get any response... was it something I said? lol.

anyhow, I'm going to swallow my pride and try again.

I have had two therapists suggest that I was borderline. I don't know if they were "official" diagnoses, but it's something I've considered for a while.

I'm not sure what else to say. I wrote so much in my other post that I don't want to repeat myself. I just hope that I can become a member of this community.

Does anyone else on here experience dissociative symptoms? Like depersonalization, derealization, fogginess, stuff like that? just curious.

I'm not so good at reaching out. i guess I have protective barriers built up. Well I'm going to stop writing cause i don't know what else to say.

Welcome Willow32,

I read you original post the day you wrote it but being new to the forum myself i didn't post a reply. Sorry for that but i was not sure what to say in response and figured another member from the forum would respond with a more insightful answer. I understand the difficulty of reaching out very well. So i don't want you to feel it was for naught. I cant give much insight into your original post as i myself am still exploring and researching BPD.(Sorry not much help am I ). What i can do is answer your question from this post .
I have experienced these symptoms, the most prominent one being dissociation. Or at least the most prominent i can recall at this moment(Forgive me its late lol).

I replied to your other post just now......


Willow is a nice name though. Is that your actual name? (rhetorical)

I have a lot of problems with dissociation. One thing that has helped me get out of that is grounding exercises. I can't use grounding exercises when I'm really, really upset (which happens more often than I'd like :/ ), but I do use them when I'm feeling OK to keep myself attached to reality.

Most of it is just me noticing my connections to whatever I'm sitting on. So I'll focus on how it feels for my arm to be resting on an arm rest or how my back feels against the chair. Sometimes I'll scan my body from my toes to my head.

Or while walking down a path, I'll analyze leaves while I walk over them, paying attention to the colors and shapes and stuff.

I think the more one practices this, the more effective it is in bringing you back to the present for longer periods of time.

Hi Willow, welcome to the forum sorry to hear that you didn't get any replies until just now to your other post. I havent been on in a while so didn't see it.

I also dissociate a lot. I have DID, but I also deal with depersonalisation and derealisation. I do similar to atomicuniverse to try and deal with it.

Good on you for reaching out a second time. You'll find that generally people are very much open and welcoming. It may simply have been that the people who were around when you posted your first introduction weren't sure what to say So good on you for trying again.

Hi, Willow, I am new here too.

I am 29 and have been struggling with BPD since my teens. I feel like I have gotten a lot better since then (with limited exceptions, I no longer self-injure, I have been in a demanding job for 4 years, and generally "get by"). But I still struggle with severe mood swings, abandonment fears, dissociation, overconsumption of alcohol, and other various BPD attributes. A few months ago I went back to therapy after a long hiatus (hadn't been since 2007) and it's worsened my symptoms.

Just figured I'd say hello and let you know there is at least one other newbie around. Hang in there.

Hi,

Welcome to the forum!!

Sorry no one replied to your earlier post...