Learning to Love Ourselves Through BPD Identity Issues (ft. Mel)

Do you want to learn how to cultivate self-love while navigating negative thoughts, age regression, sexual repulsion and social anxiety? This is your episode.

I connected with Mel through Instagram. I was struck by how she used her large social media platform to spread a positive and hopeful message about BPD recovery and knew I had to have her on the podcast. After being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder ten years ago, Mel is currently pursuing a degree that will allow her to practice as a therapist and open a center for others suffering from BPD. The conversation you'll hear in this episode was the first time we've ever met. By the end of our talk, I knew I'd found a lifelong friend. I'm honored to be able to share this discussion with each of you.

**To connect with me directly, join the community on Instagram and support the podcast to keep it ad-free, visit www.backfromtheborderline.com **

Below is a breakdown of the subjects Mel and I cover on this episode:

• DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) and the concepts of "willful versus willingness"

• Feedback loops that keep us stuck

• Understanding the spectrum of borderline personality disorder (high-functioning vs low functioning)

• How meditation can be scary when we first try it

• Talking to our "BPD monsters" and battling negative self talk

• Sexual repulsion, aversion, and hyper-sexuality in individuals with borderline personality disorder

• Age regression and BPD

• Identity disturbance issues with BPD

• Developing TRUE self-love and self-compassion and what that means for recovery

• Discussing the movie "The Joker" - becoming a victim/statistic of the mental health system

• When to tell people in your life that you have BPD

• Navigating BPD and extreme social anxiety

• Creating an individualized approach to BPD recovery

• "Cleaning the BPD wound" - how to attack the underlying issues that prevent us from seeing progress in recovery

Links to resources mentioned in today's episode:

Book | "I Hate You, Don't Leave Me" by Jerold J. Kreisman & Hal Straus

Book | "Unf*ck Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life" by Gary Bishop John

Book | "Loving What Is: The Four Questions That Can Change Your Life" by Byron Katie

TedTalk | "The Power of Vulnerability" by Brene Brown

Book | "Building a Life Worth Living: A Memoir" by Marsha Linehan

Connect with Melanie:

Mel's IG | @mindovermelanie

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