Lived Experience Forum

[FluffyFox]

Hi,

Only diagnosed a couple months ago. Actually my psychiatrist had suggested it over the last 3 yrs and I had been like oh no no no... believing only the bad you hear of BPD. Then I looked at the symptoms properly, and thought.. this is me 20yrs ago before I did counselling work etc. A lot of symptoms still are, of course. 

This follows on from a year of trying to figure out how much of my life is ruled by cPTSD and found way too much. I'd always blamed my bad ADHD previously. Then I realised a lot is trauma response.

I'm aching to talk to someone about it, a therapist, and to try to work things out in my head but I've been denied NDIS twice and the mental health care plan is kind of a joke where they reimburse up to 100 but most psychologists with any BPD /PTSD knowledge charge about $250/session. For 10 sessions. I'm on the Disability Pension. Yay. It feels a bit hopeless.

Found here and wondered if I might find some answers. 

[wellwellwellnez]

I really like your self-reflection power-levels. Particularly the way it came through in the first paragraph. Right out of the gate. You've made an ally of yourself....you're giving me pause with how brilliant that is when for so much of us, knowing who and how to trust is where the psychological action is at. I really really like it.

There usually is a fair amount of BPD traffic going on. @BPDSurvivor is always one that quickly comes to mind, but there's many more. We get regular new seekers as well. It's nice. I'm a big fan of how we get to compare attachment dynamics from our different experiences, perspectives and all that and so on.

[tyme]

Hi @FluffyFox ,

I’ve had many years experience with BPD.

Have you heard of the Australian BPD Foundation? I’d encourage you to go to their site. In their monthly bulletin, they share supports in each state to support people with BPD. For example, Project Air was running an online course (free of charge) for people with BPD.

There are definitely services out there you can access.

SA also has BPD specific services, as well as Victoria.

There’s also art therapy courses for people with BPD. They are pretty good because they allow you to connect with others with BPD.

I’ll be able to talk you through some of these services in more detail when I access the forums again tomorrow (from my computer rather than phone).

Speak Soon,

tyme

[EternalFlower]

Hi @FluffyFox u sound really open and honest with urself, good qualities,..I don't have bpd but I have cptsd and a complex personality, and I flinch whenever my Dr says those words. Ignorance about pds and bpd is so prevalent.

Have you considered seeing a psych? They can be a bit cheaper with the Medicare rebate, and some specialise in bpd. Agree it's so crazy how much more psychologists charge beyond the subsidised mhcp.

It helps, but if they charge 250 dollars that's still so much out of one's pocket

I wish there was more accessible support out there for ppl with personality disorders as u rightly point out therr are so many blocked access points...so many obstacles...

[Talzy_T]

I'm sorry you feel that way, I'm also trying to get NDIS and disability support pension and its abit of climb to get there. I'm actually am a muslim and I despise and hate the religion because no one realises mental health is such a huge mental struggle and they think by praying and submitting yourself to god will cure your disorder or problems.

I have a schizoaffective disorder and have been struggling with it for more than 5 years. I'm sick of it, also the slowness of how things get done from my supports is frustrating. They are helpful but I need get away from my family as I live with them because my happiness is being affected from their expectations that I need to live by but I dont want to follow them, I want to live my own live with my own rules. I do want to live on my own and I have before but the fear of being lonely and leading down a dark path where I would end up suiciding which has happened before by living alone.