You and Me and BPD artwork

You and Me and BPD

68 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 months ago -

You and Me and BPD is hosted by Stef, a person living with Borderline Personality Disorder as well as being on the Autism spectrum. If you have BPD, are interested in hearing some experiences of what it is like to live with this disorder, or if you love someone with BPD then you might learn something by listening to these episodes. I am one person and these are my experiences, but if they relate to you feel free to suggest episode ideas or reach out on my Instagram @journey.bound.

Mental Health Health & Fitness
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Episodes

End of Season Four

November 30, 2023 22:42 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MB

Thank you for every bit of support and love that you have shown me and this podcast. I hope that my experiences and sharing has helped you to feel less alone and find more self compassion on this healing path. This episode is an end to Season Four and encapsulates some of the lessons I've been learning throughout this year. I truly never expected this podcast to be something that I would continue to create past the first season so to get to the end of season four is truly remarkable to me. As...

Advice for 'Young' People

October 10, 2023 20:50 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MB

Today, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day. I decided to record this episode to share some things I've learned about living with BPD, mainly targeted towards those who are just beginning to explore their own mental health, i.e teens/early 20s folks, and might need some encouragement. I asked people on my Instagram stories @journey.bound for things they'd want to tell their younger self and formed this episode out of those replies. If you walk away with anything from this talk, I hope it ...

Unpacking Religious Trauma

September 18, 2023 22:15 - 40 minutes - 37.9 MB

*TRIGGER WARNING : Talk of Religious Ideology & Childhood Religious Teachings* In today's episode, I sat down with Becca to discuss the way that religious ideologies - specifically from a Christian perspective - can impact our mental health journeys. This topic was requested from a listener of the podcast and although it is not specifically related to BPD, the religious trauma that many of us live with can impact the way we heal and understand the role of mental health in our lives. Religious...

Love Me (More)

September 10, 2023 21:41 - 29 minutes - 27.6 MB

This episode is heavily inspired by the discography of Mitski, specifically the songs Love Me More, Nobody, and Should've Been Me. I decided to record this episode because romantic love is something that many of us crave or struggle to find, and I often get messages from listeners who are looking for advice on how to navigate their own relationships. In my personal life, the feeling of wanting to be loved pops up every once in a while and sometimes I feel ashamed or embarrassed that I crave s...

Childhood Emotional Neglect

August 16, 2023 21:50 - 32 minutes - 29.9 MB

*Trigger Warning : Discussion of Childhood Emotional Neglect* In this episode, we discuss the correlation between childhood neglect/abuse and the development of BPD. It is estimated that 30-90% of people with BPD have trauma relating to their childhood experiences so it is super important to be able to speak about our early memories as we begin to unpack our mental health. I will be drawing information about childhood development from my own background in the world of Early Childhood Educatio...

JDM Psychology with Carly

August 05, 2023 14:45 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MB

In this episode, I sat down with Carly Krespan to talk about JDM Psychology and how it relates to Executive Dysfunction. Carly is a JDM specialist living with BPD and other comorbidities working as a health coach and career development advisor. Our conversation focused around explaining heuristics and how they function in our everyday life, as well as some of the ways that BPD has affected Carly in her past and present. Carly reached out to me over instagram and I really appreciate her willin...

Executive Dysfunction

July 23, 2023 19:19 - 25 minutes - 24 MB

In this episode, I try to provide an overview of what Executive Dysfunction is and some of the ways that it impacts our ability to function in our daily lives. To be honest, I struggled to make this episode because I found myself wondering how I could explain something that I personally struggle to accept within myself but I hope that presenting my thoughts has enabled you to feel more seen and validated in your own struggles for acceptance. Executive Dysfunction is sometimes labeled as "lazi...

Opening Up: Looking for Therapy

June 30, 2023 20:36 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MB

In this very rambly episode, the conversation is focused on two important aspects of what it means to look for therapy 1. An explanation of different types of therapies that have been proven to be effective for the treatment of BPD and 2. Tips from my own personal experiences with therapy of what to look for in a good therapist. In the middle of this episode I mention the website I have used to find my own therapists, psychologytoday.com , but of course there are many other places you can fin...

Opening Up : Beginning to talk about your Mental Health

June 09, 2023 21:32 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MB

In this episode, I speak about some tips to keep in mind as we begin to have conversations around our mental health struggles. So many of the messages I get about this podcast are from people who don't know how to explain their mental health to others so I figured it might be worthwhile to share some tips on things to keep in mind when you are wanting to begin talking about your own mental health. Here's a quick summary of some of the key points - 1. Find connections with other people who spe...

Can BPD be "Cured"?

April 10, 2023 22:18 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MB

In this episode, I talk about the recovery process for BPD and how remission is possible over a long period of time. Do I think that BPD can be "Cured"? No. But I hope that this episode allows you to see how we can better understand the process of healing from this disorder and know that we are not alone in our struggles. Here are the links to the research papers I reference: 2015 Paper about Life Experiences with BPD https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epdf/10.1177/070674371506000702 2019 Paper...

A Convo with Sorcha

March 25, 2023 18:48 - 47 minutes - 44.4 MB

In today's episode, I sat down with Sorcha - @sorchaminc on instagram - to speak about her diagnosis journey and how she understands BPD in her every day life. We touched on a variety of different topics ranging from her experiences with talk therapy to how we can better have compassion for ourselves when we experience tough emotions like anger or anxiety. I hope that you can listen to our conversation and find some pockets of wisdom in what we both share. As always, I appreciate you for bein...

Welcome Back to Season Four!

March 03, 2023 22:54 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MB

Hello! Welcome Back to Season Four šŸ˜ today's episode is a short introduction to some of the things I have planned for the next season of the podcast. I am super excited to record episodes again and also to announce that the Collective Stories Gallery is now live! It is best formatted to view on a laptop/computer as some of the pictures get cropped on mobile - collectivestoriesgallery.carrd.co - I want to extend a huge THANK YOU to those who submitted their pieces for this gallery and am so ex...

Your Story Matters (End of Season Three)

November 30, 2022 23:01 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MB

Hello! This is the end of Season Three!!! Thank you so much for supporting this journey and being with me as we unpack mental health issues and learn to find some more compassion for ourselves. I am so grateful for the growth that this year has brought the podcast and for each of you who took the time to listen to these episodes. As I mention in this episode, there is still time to contribute to the Online Gallery I will be creating in the new year (the jotform can be found on my instagram Li...

Bonus Episode - Deep Relaxation Meditation

November 22, 2022 19:52 - 28 minutes - 14 MB

I am leading a Yin Yoga + Deep Relaxation class for my Buddhist group so I decided to record a Deep Relaxation Meditation for the podcast aswell. This meditation is focused on relaxing the body and creating more awareness of our internal feelings and sensations; it is typically done in a lying down position and can be a great practice to utilize when we are experiencing stress or anxiety. The actual meditation begins at the 4minute mark. Thank you for letting me share this beautiful practice ...

Convo with Elyse

November 14, 2022 22:01 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MB

In today's episode, I sat down with Elyse Brouhard (@elyse_brouhard on Instagram) to talk about her zine, Handle with Care: Living and Coping with Borderline Personality Disorder. I reached out to Elyse over DM and I am so happy we got to have this conversation about her creative process and daily life living with BPD. If you want to check out the zine, it can be found on the Microcosm Publishing website https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/zines/14497 where you can purchase a physical cop...

Call for Submission! (CLOSED)

November 03, 2022 17:57 - 6 minutes - 5.72 MB

SUBMISSIONS ARE CLOSED!!! Hiya! This bonus episode is to let you know about the online gallery I am hoping to create called You and Me and BPD: Collective Stories. If you have any digital art, poems, short stories, or mixed media pieces associated with your experiences with BPD, I would be honoured if you submitted them using this form https://form.jotform.com/222973735144258 or go to the Linktree in my Bio on Instagram (@journey.bound ). There is a pinned post on my instagram profile for mo...

Call for Submission!

November 03, 2022 17:57 - 6 minutes - 5.72 MB

Hiya! This bonus episode is to let you know about the online gallery I am hoping to create called You and Me and BPD: Collective Stories. If you have any digital art, poems, short stories, or mixed media pieces associated with your experiences with BPD, I would be honoured if you submitted them using this form https://form.jotform.com/222973735144258 or go to the Linktree in my Bio on Instagram (@journey.bound ). There is a pinned post on my instagram profile for more information, but also fe...

Searching for Love

October 18, 2022 18:40 - 39 minutes - 36.8 MB

This episode is all about love, specifically focusing on some of the issues that people with BPD face when they are trying to find romantic relationships. This topic is often spoken about from a very bias opinion, painting a picture of toxic relationships that are a direct result of BPD but I think it's important to note that many times, people with mental illnesses can be the victims of abusers and those who try to take advantage of our negative mental states. Obviously it's impossible to co...

Conceptualizing Self Harm

October 05, 2022 22:02 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MB

In this episode, Jay joins me to discuss what Self Harm is and why people engage with this type of activity. This episode might be triggering to those who are not ready for this type of honest discussion so please be safe and feel free to skip this episode if you find at any point you are feeling overwhelmed šŸ’— We will be discussing some statistics that can be found in the Self Harm Toolkit https://www.suicideinfo.ca/local_resource/self-harm-and-suicide/ and talk about our own experiences with...

Disability in the Workplace

September 23, 2022 19:54 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MB

*Please forgive my bad editing skills at the beginning* In this episode, I speak about my struggle to find meaningful work and how working can be hard for those with mental health disabilities. I haven't worked since mid-2020 and not working causes me a lot of anxiety, but trying to find a job that works for my physical and mental limitations is incredibly hard for me to find. A lot of people have a lot of opinions about why people choose not to work, but I honestly think working just doesn't...

Suicidal Ideation

September 07, 2022 18:18 - 32 minutes - 30.3 MB

Here are some helplines if you feel triggered by this episode ā€¢TALK SUICIDE CANADA #1-833-456-4566 (45645 for text) ā€¢SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE in America #988 to connect with a local Suicide prevention helpline ā€¢UK SUICIDE PREVENTION PHONE LINE #0800-689-5652. In this episode, we talk about the differences between Passive suicidal ideation and Active suicidal thoughts. We discuss some of the reasons people might choose to commit suicide, as well as how prevalent sui...

Spiraling & BPD Episodes

August 20, 2022 21:41 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MB

In this episode, I try to contextualize the idea of Spiraling and how it can lead to what some people call a 'BPD Episode.' Spiraling, to me, is kind of like falling down the rabbit hole; it usually begins when I experience some negative self talk and can lead to feelings of existential dread or overwhelming sadness. For many people, Spiraling leads to 'Episodes;' times where we might lash out against others or experience rage because we have been triggered and don't know how to engage in saf...

Convo w/ Alicen - Favourite Person Continued

July 29, 2022 13:46 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MB

In this episode, I sit down with Alicen - @alicenricard on instagram - who is one of the co-hosts of the Not Enough Spoons podcast. Alicen wrote an article called "To Those Who Don't Understand My Favourite Person Relationship (2020)" which I found when I was researching my Favourite Person episode from a while ago. I reached out to Alicen in May and asked her to be a part of the podcast so we could further discuss what a Favourite Person is and how to navigate this often intense relationship...

Identity Disturbance

July 06, 2022 21:22 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MB

In this episode, I speak about the topic of Identity Disturbance; a clinical term used to describe the chronic symptom of unstable identity. Many people with BPD struggle with feelings of Identity Disturbance; they might feel like they don't understand who or why they are the way they are, and thus might start to self identify with things or people around them as they morph into a different version of their 'self'. I've struggled with this for most of my life; constantly trying to find someth...

Comorbid Diagnosis + My Autism Journey

June 13, 2022 14:47 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MB

In this episode, I touch on the topic of Comorbid Diagnosis before telling you a bit about my own journey to getting diagnosed as Autistic. Research estimates that 50-96% of people with BPD are living with a comorbid mental health condition, whether that is depression or anxiety, other mood disorders, or even substance abuse issues (to name a few). Understanding how to treat these comorbid diagnosis can be integral to our understanding of what BPD means for us, as we can get the treatment we ...

Ways to Support Someone with BPD

May 18, 2022 16:02 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MB

In this episode, I offer 5 tips on how we can support someone on their mental health journey. The majority of messages I get from people who listen to this podcast ask how they can support their partner, loved-one, or friend who has BPD. Offering support is such a beautiful thing to do but it can also leave people feeling confused or afraid of saying the wrong thing. The 5 tips I gave are : 1. Do your Research 2. Develop Open Communication 3. Practice Empathy 4. See the individual in the diag...

Feeling Low

April 27, 2022 16:23 - 28 minutes - 26.7 MB

Today's episode is a bit of a ramble; I'm not feeling the greatest and I decided to just talk about the reality of how mental illness can affect my daily life. I've been feeling this sense of impending sadness over the past few days - not being able to concentrate, feeling more pain than usual, feeling restless and distracted - and when I woke up, I knew it was going to be a hard day. Some days are like this; it can last for a few minutes to a few hours to the whole day, but as I've learned h...

Favourite Person Phenomenon

April 19, 2022 18:04 - 33 minutes - 31.4 MB

In this episode, I try to breakdown the 'Favourite Person' phenomenon that seems to have become synonymous with BPD due to the rise of social media forums which speak about this topic. A 'Favourite Person' is more than a best friend or intense romantic partner; they seem to represent some type of innate need that someone is looking for i.e they provide stability or affection or help someone to feel more secure in themselves. Sometimes, this dynamic can result in possessiveness and jealousy, o...

Bonus - Guided Meditation

April 14, 2022 14:23 - 13 minutes - 6.6 MB

In this bonus episode, I decided to record a Guided Meditation to encourage you to find some sense of stillness and mindfulness in your every day life. The actual meditation starts around the 2min mark, with a short introduction before we begin. I meditate to work on my emotional resiliency during times of stress and to allow myself the space to work through my emotions. This was recorded in my backyard so I hope hearing the bird sounds won't be too distracting; I actually find that they help...

Psychosis and Hallucinations

March 22, 2022 15:54 - 33 minutes - 31.2 MB

This episode was inspired by a poll on my Instagram where I asked people if they would be interested in learning more about psychosis and hallucinations, especially within a BPD context. I start by providing some definitions and examples of what psychosis is, then I talk about my own experiences and how I've come to terms with understanding my own hallucinations. 3 in every 100 people will experience a psychotic episode in their life so it is extremely important for us to destigmatize this in...

The Basics Revisited

March 11, 2022 16:44 - 31 minutes - 29.5 MB

In this episode, I decided to go back to the basics of what BPD is. I talk about the history of this mental illness, the 9 symptoms that are associated with getting a diagnosis, and some of the critiques or controversies around this often misunderstood disorder. I wanted to revisit the format of my first episode, The Basics, as I felt like my understanding of this mental illness has changed and shifted with the more research I have done and what I've learned from other therapists and people w...

Season Three Intro

March 03, 2022 16:59 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MB

Hello! Welcome back to Season Three of You and Me and BPD. I am so excited to be making new episodes again and to continue to get to connect with people who live with BPD and/or autism. As I mentioned in this episode, I was re-diagnosed with BPD at the end of August, along with the new diagnosis of being on the autism spectrum so this season will be slightly different from previous seasons because I have a different understanding of my mental health and overall well-being. This is just the be...

End of Season Two

November 29, 2021 18:47 - 25 minutes - 23.5 MB

This is a little rambly episode where I sign off for the winter season. Winter, to me, is a time of deep introspection and rest so like last season, this podcast will be on hiatus until the spring (or summer, depends on how I feel). Thank you so much for listening and messaging and being a part of this little corner of the internet; I never expected anyone to listen to this podcast and I am continuously surprised that you enjoy what I have to say. This was my first time talking about being di...

A Conversation with Cordelia

October 28, 2021 16:29 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MB

In today's episode, Cordelia and I spoke about her journey to diagnosis, what BPD is like in her daily life, and some of the ways that she makes sure that she is taking care of herself. Cordelia reached out to me on my Instagram to be a part of this podcast and I am so happy I got to interview her today and see some of the similarities and differences between how we both experience this often misunderstood disorder. My hope for this podcast was to be able to find a community of people who are...

Depression

October 21, 2021 18:34 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MB

This episode is all about depression; what the symptoms are, some of the ways I've experienced depressive states, and how important it is to allow ourselves to feel our emotions in a safe way. There is some talk about suicide and self harm, so if you are not in the best mindset to hear about these topics please keep yourself safe and skip this episode. I tried to give some tangible tips of how we can learn to process our depression by 1. Naming what we feel (even if it's many feelings at once...

Family Matters - A Convo with My Mother

October 02, 2021 21:53 - 45 minutes - 42 MB

In this episode, I sat down with my Mother and had a conversation about my childhood, trauma, setting boundaries, and how we have managed to navigate our relationship while living with mental health issues. We talk about how important it is to have open forms of communication, as well as how generational teachings factor in to parent-child relationships when it comes to talking about and understanding mental health. Our relationship had not always been as open as it is now, but we have learne...

Feeling Lonely

September 15, 2021 14:58 - 29 minutes - 27 MB

In this episode, I talk about how I experience loneliness. The feeling of loneliness is one of the most human feelings we can experience, but I know that it can be hard to explain and hard to vocalize why we feel the way we do. I touch on the topic of 'spiraling' - when one emotion or thought leads to another and it feels like you are falling into a bottomless pit - as well as some of the ways that loneliness can contribute to an overwhelming sense of emptiness if we are not honest about how ...

How to Explain BPD to Family & Friends

September 07, 2021 16:01 - 27 minutes - 25.8 MB

In this episode, I provide a quick rundown of what BPD is and some things that I think are important to talk about when friends and family are trying to understand what this diagnosis means. Of the most important aspects to this conversation, I think the main takeaways are to have more compassion and patience for those with BPD as it is a hard condition to live with and our triggers can exist in manifest in many different ways. There are a lot of negative stereotypes and ideas on the internet...

Substance Abuse & Addiction

June 04, 2021 19:06 - 31 minutes - 29 MB

2/3rds of people with BPD will struggle with Substance Abuse & Addiction issues. With the warmer weather and people starting to get excited for lockdowns to end, many of us will be put in situations where we can't hide our addictions any longer. This episode is to encourage you, spread awareness about the connection between BPD and addiction, and hopefully let you know that you are not alone in your struggles. From being addicted to food, self harm, or alcohol/drugs, addiction touches so many...

Meditation Practice Using the Breath

May 27, 2021 23:50 - 20 minutes - 10 MB

This is a short meditation practice using the breath. The actual practice starts around 12mins. These are the 4 statements we will be repeating to ourselves :::: A) Breathing in, I am aware of the in breath + Breathing out, I am aware of the out breath B) Breathing in, I am aware of the breath in my body + Breathing out, I am aware of the breath leaving my body C) Breathing in, I am calm + Breathing out, I am relaxed D) Breathing in, I am alive + Breathing out, I am here. šŸ–¤ feel free to use a...

Stress Management, Mindfulness & Meditation

May 27, 2021 23:20 - 32 minutes - 30.5 MB

Hello! Thank you a thousand times over for a year of this podcast. I am so thankful to every one of you who have given me a space to talk and connect and feel supported by this amazing online community we have created. Today's episode is about stress management, specifically how to make sure we are taking care of ourselves before things become so overwhelming we can't handle our emotions anymore. Personally, I struggle a lot with anger issues and trying to make sure I'm not taking out my nega...

Self Doubt

May 14, 2021 02:02 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MB

In today's episode, I decided to talk about some of the self doubt I struggle with on a near constant basis. I talk a bit about Imposter Syndrome and how it relates to BPD, as well as many of my daily experiences when it comes to formulating my idea of 'self' and how I try to handle self doubt when it comes into my life. One suggestion I have for those of you who are struggling with self doubt is to take the time to really figure out who you are, not who you want to be, but what things make y...

Some Silver Linings

April 21, 2021 17:52 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MB

In this episode, I talk about the aspect of 'reframing a situation' as it pertains to how we look at and understand what it means to live with Borderline Personality Disorder. A lot of my podcast is about spreading awareness and advocacy for the struggles we face, but honestly, it can be hard to talk from this kind of 'suffering' perspective when in reality, there are some pretty awesome things we get from living with this condition. Deep empathy, self awareness, and our intuitive way of bein...

Accountability & Responsibility in Relationships : A Convo with my Husband

March 28, 2021 02:32 - 29 minutes - 27.7 MB

In this episode, I sit down with my partner and talk about how we handle the emotional rollercoaster of BPD in our relationship. Many of the messages I get from people who listen to the podcast are from people who are dating or married to someone with BPD so I thought a convo with my husband might provide some insight from a different perspective about what BPD means to us. We talk about apologizing and the benefits of being open with your partner, as well as how we important dialogue is when...

Personal Accountability & Responsibility

February 24, 2021 17:54 - 30 minutes - 28.5 MB

In this episode, we look into how living with BPD or mental illnesses can affect how we are in the world and how we relate to others. Chronic mental illness changes everything about your being... how you see the world, and how you see yourself, so I think it is super important to talk about ways we can continue to hold ourselves accountable to others and responsible for our actions. In my opinion, self reflection is one of the most important parts of being able to learn from our past, how it ...

Welcome to Season Two

February 18, 2021 16:02 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MB

Hey! It's been a while. This is a mini episode as an intro to season two of You, Me, and BPD. I am so thankful to all of you who have sent me messages about this podcast and how it has helped. Sometimes, talking into the abyss of the internet is scary, but I feel so seen and honoured to support you all on your journeys of understanding BPD and how it affects you. As always, don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about this podcast on my Instagram page ...

End of Season One

December 03, 2020 16:31 - 22 minutes - 21.2 MB

Hello friends. First of all, thank you for being here. For existing as you do. For being who you are. This podcast has been something so fundamentally life changing and empowering and I am so thankful you have come along for the ride. Winter, for me, is always a time to rest and dive deep into who I am and where I am going, so I will be taking a break until the new year to really recuperate and learn from the lessons of what this year has taught me. Living with a mental illness is not a easy,...

Fragmented Reality

November 05, 2020 01:40 - 25 minutes - 23.8 MB

In this episode, I explain my concept of the self through the Fragmented Reality I experience on a near daily basis. I often can't recognize who I am, what I want, or how I exist in this world so I figured that it would be good to talk this out in case any of you have felt this way before. If you experience this type of fragmentation of self, I hope you know that you are not alone and that you deserve to be here in whatever way you can be. If you have any suggestions for episodes or comments ...

Diagnosis & Next Steps

October 22, 2020 19:44 - 34 minutes - 32 MB

In this episode, I tackle the topic of receiving a diagnosis of BPD and some of the next steps you can take once you have been diagnosed. In my opinion, a diagnosis is a way to gain clarity of why you are the way you are so that you can decide what you want to work on to better yourself and your life. This suggestion was given to me by someone who listens to the podcast so I really appreciate being able to talk about my experience and give you some guidance of how you can begin to explore thi...

Social Media

September 11, 2020 23:24 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MB

In this episode, I talk about my experiences with Tik Tok and Instagram; as well as how social media can impact a person's perception of themselves and having BPD. To be completely honest, I don't like social media very much because I've struggled a lot with finding my voice and dealing with the constant regret I have after posting something to my platforms, but we are social animals and sometimes it's nice to find community online. As always, reach out on Instagram @journey.bound if you have...