Bpd In A Positive Light,,,,

[Miko]

I am 'not so much' under A and 'fairly' to 'rather' under B, C, D and E.

I have evidently got an uncomfortable seeming amount of work to do. I think the scheme has the ring of reality about it. Interesting that it says one should tend to consider medicine along with the other strategies and I was effectively steering clear of it for 18 years through my irrational 'rationalising' until about a fortnight ago. The scheme has a note of hope surrounding it.

I wish I had absorbed this thread before I caused all that trouble to so many of you the other day.

[Promethius]

Hmm, Im most of those things, actually. Not too sure I buy this theory, tho. Ive always been a total fuckup, and I dont really see how its societies fault.

I have my own theory, that personality disorders serve a useful evolutionary purpose. For instance, paranoids are useful as a kind of high alert early warning system, scizoids are useful to do jobs that are essential but have no real human contact, like shepherds and lighthouse keepers, schizotypals are useful as mystics and wise-women, sociopaths are useful as leaders in emergency situations. I like to think that borderlins are natures' artists. We have a deep insight into the human condition, we see the highs and the lows (tho mostly the lows ). I am driven to stand up for any person or creed that is oppressed or despised, I think this is a borderline trait tho Im not sure, and this also gives me a diffrent view on how society functions.

Just a thought.

[Miko]

Did I misread the theory? I got from it the very things you are saying - the gifts. Against each part of the five part tool (A to E - all of which qualities one will have within) are issues that may go wrong and suggested remedial actions, so one has a good choice about picking one or two to start on. I think things that are somebody's fault are the fault of individuals working either within an institutional framework or as individuals, and/or our own bad choices.

[pip]

I have just worked my way through all this

I an only say one thing

OMG - I AM A GENIUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL

pip

x

[cranky_miss]

i love that piece!!

Ive been thinking dh has bpd as well because his moods swings like mine and he understands my logic. however, nobody thinks theres anything wrong with him because he's been working with electronics since he took his first vcr apart at the age of 7..and now he's a computer geek...everybody thinks he's strange and geeky..i just think he's nuts.

me, on the other hand..ive been knotting since i was 4 and crocheting since 5! our home is fully decked out with my lomographics work..

maybe the article is right..

:blink:

[Miko]

It sounds like you've got 'the right kind of person' at home with you and am glad to hear that.

I think professionals often neglect the good stuff that is around and paint a bleaker picture than is appropriate.

If it works for you, stick with it!

(gotta look up lomo whatsit now)

(people used to keep telling me to get knotted!) :lol:

[justintime]

I THINK YOU ARE WONDERFULL,,AND IF YOU WERE A MAN ID MARRY YOU..

HONESTLY, YOU ARE A TRUELY BEAUTIFUL MIND..

I READ, NOT LONG AGO A BOOK THAT DISCRIBED BPD. TO A TEE.

THE REACTIONS THE TOUGHT PROCESS, EVEN OBSESSIONS, IF YOU CHOOSE TO SEE THEM THAT WAY.

THIS BOOK EXPLAINED US, AS, DEVINE BIENGS (INTELLIGENT, GIFTED BIENG) THAT ARE MANY YEARS AHEAD OF THEIR TIME..

I NEVER IMAGINGED THAT I WOULD EVER FIND ANYONE WHO COULD EVER UNDERSTAND ME.

THAT WAS MY INTRODUCTION..

IT ALSO EXPLAINED THAT IN THE FUTURE THE CARACTORISTICS THAT DOCTORS NOW BRAND AS DISFUNCTION WILL BE COMPLETELY AVERAGE AND UNNOTICABLE..

WE ARE MERELY A TASTE OF THINGS, OR BEINGS TO COME..

THANK YOU SO MUCH...

LOTS OF LOVE..

YOUR SOUL GLOWS BEAUTIFULLY..

TRY CARL JUNG..HE MIGHT HELP YOU DEVELOPE FURTHER..

SORRY..MY SPELLING SHOCKING..THINKING FASTER THAN I CAN POINT TYPE.. HOW EVER YOU CHOOSE TO GO FORWARD, DONT EVER HATE YOURSELF, YOU ARE AS GOD INTENDS YOU TO BE..

DONT FIGHT IT, EXPLORE IT!!

LOTS OF LOVE//

[allpsychedout]

Linda, thank you for passing on the wonderful articles about Misdiagnosis of the Gifted, and Intro to Positive Disintegration! Perhaps they are only 'therories' but they DO explain a great deal of what has happened to me, throughout my life. Never had thought about the different kinds of 'giftedness' before...hmm. Have experienced them all, now cycle among them, mostly 2 or 3 only at a time, now.

Couple these things with a ton of emotional abuse, some extreme physical abuse (not often, maybe a few times per year for 9 years), and a body that fails to keep on doing what you need it to...no wonder so many of us have 'problems'!

I only discovered this subforum, 2 days ago. Now I'm gonna read everything in it! :-)

allpsychedout

[rebeccaborderline]

the 2nd theory (positive disintegration) doesn't seem testable and hence is not scientific.

also, i just don't buy it. human beings developed over millions of years with the goal of continued survival, procreation, and care of off-spring. if all personality changes have huge depressions, that's not going to help you to procreate and continue living. nice in theory, seems wrong in fact.

Not testable YET. Skepticism healthy though

good point but i think evolution does leave room for the variation from the norm, in fact thats one of its strongest assets. Almost like allows few extrodinary but very vunerable/at risk people to slip through the net for richer variety.

Am not applying "extraordinary" to myself!

rebeccaborderline

Wow this is so cool Linda thank you; a LOT resonates with me, too much to go into.

But its perfectly clear, WE ARE ALL GENIUSES! Especially me.

[slightly tongue-in-cheek...]

rebeccaborderline

[mort]

(((rebecca))) you know I think you are extraordinary

(((alphaOmega))) Thanks for this I have always said there is a fine line between genius and madness. For example why are rich people considered eccentric and not mad? Just depends who's in more powerful position I think.

tc

mort x

[SilentAlarmXIII]

the 2nd theory (positive disintegration) doesn't seem testable and hence is not scientific.

also, i just don't buy it. human beings developed over millions of years with the goal of continued survival, procreation, and care of off-spring. if all personality changes have huge depressions, that's not going to help you to procreate and continue living. nice in theory, seems wrong in fact.

Hm. Not entirely with you, undead66. Not at all actually. Depression is an unpleasant side effect of modern, rather constrained, living -- of an underchallenged, under-appreciated life. It is easy to conceive of a scenario where the most vital and vibrant personalities acquire more evolutionary success.

I could add to this by pointing out that in a typical, dumb-evolution and bizarre way, depression is a motivator. Given hope, we'll do nearly anything to escape it. Weird, I know, but it's just your mind's way of telling you could (and should) be doing things better -- even if it is stupid and self-destructive.

Oh? This doesn't happen in evolution? Rubbish, as anyone with experience of exasperating and agonising toothache will tell you. Evolution fouls up all over the shop!

(I can't wait until Human Consciousness 2.0 comes out... the current version is really buggy.)

[blue_au]

i dont feel i am gifted...but this idea and the information has helped me put a more positive face on many of the issues i've been facing and feeling..

thank you..

blue

[Ronni]

Never thought of myself as 'gifted' before, but sounds a whole lot better than 'having a personality disorder'.

I read something similar to this quite recently. I was actually first diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder because of certain traits, but a bit of digging [never let them dig] by the tdoc resulted in the diagnosis of BPD.

That was only a week ago and I have done a fair amount of reading since then, if I am honest, to prove I didn't have a personality disorder [and failed] but I found this test for emotional intelligence on a BPD site. Thinking I would fail dismisally as I had on all the self diagnosis for BPD tests I had a bash and was really surprised by the result which actually said I had above average emotional intelligence, something I wouldn't have guessed bearing in mind I have no idea how I am feeling most of the time.

Seems to me that the whole topic of BPD needs a lot more research. The label really is outdated and from what I have read just seems an excuse to lump us all into the untreatable catagory. When you think actually that in itself is oppressive, particularly if it were to turn out the reason we feel the way we do is because we are emotionally or otherwise gifted.

And I have to say I do rather wonder, as crazy as I may feel some times what it would be like if I actually wasn't so afraid to feel and be me. Isn't that how most of us got here in the first place, some sort of oppression beit emotional abuse or sexual or physical such that we almost became afraid of our feelings, tried to keep them locked in and controlled resulting in complete and utter chaos at some later date.

All I know is that if I were to tell someone I had Bipolar I am regarded as someone who is intelligent, witty and creative. If I tell them I have now been diagnosed with BPD would they react the same way? So it is good to hear someone saying something positive. It is hard to remain positive when everyone else is so keen to just write you off...

[anotherexborderline]

I wonder.....

DBT is based on Linehan's "BioSocial" theory of BPD - that BPD results from "Risk Factors" + "Stress"

I have sometimes wondered if the main Risk Factor might not be giftedness/sensitivity/alertness/perceptivity

That is - how come some people get the stress but don't get BPD? Perhaps for the same reason deaf people don't need ear-plugs

Seriously though - I wonder how many BPs are actually people that nature had all lined up to be something really special*, but then got pole-axed during childhood by a harsh environment... kind of like a ferrari who's suspension broke when it got used for hauling pallets of bricks, while the lorries around it seemed to cope fine, and no-one seems to understand what the deal is with this funny little red broken lorry. And it someone offered you the choice between a working lorry or a broken ferrari in need of a suspension overhaul, which one might actually be the more rewarding to own in the long run?

(* - note: I only mean "special" as in "well optimised for a particular thing" - I don't subscribe to one human being "superior" to another, we thoughroughly de-bunked that last century, didn't we?)

[anotherexborderline]

Sorry for the double-post, just wanted to say to Ronni

And I have to say I do rather wonder, as crazy as I may feel some times what it would be like if I actually wasn't so afraid to feel and be me. Isn't that how most of us got here in the first place, some sort of oppression beit emotional abuse or sexual or physical such that we almost became afraid of our feelings, tried to keep them locked in and controlled resulting in complete and utter chaos at some later date.

Totally agree 120%. For me - and I don't mean this would apply to anyone else or that what you feel isn't 120% different - however, for me, what Ronni said is what the core of my BPD feels like to me. Only that, rather than just being "almost afraid":

1. Where I came from, it actually *was* dangerous to let anyone see your feelings weren't what they wanted them to be - and god help you if they saw through that deception! - for example: letting a parent know they were carrying on like an idiot and it was hurting you, and you didn't respect them for it.

2. I was explicitly trained not to feel my feelings, and that they were "wrong"/"bad"/"evil" - and that was backed up with "consequences" if I didn't conform

3. The end result was my feelings morphed into a set of feelings about me that were actually quite dangerous, and I only coped by staying out of them. Only with herculean amounts of practice did I get stong enough to actually feel them but still be safe.

perhaps:

- let someone tell you what to do, and you will soon become servile

- let someone tell you what to think, and you will soon become stupid

- let someone tell you what to feel, and you will soon become crazy

Anyone else? Or is that just me????