I suppose an introduction of some sort is in order.

[Why Did You Grow a Beard?]

I'm always really bad at these.

I'm Stephanie. I turned eighteen in June and as soon as that happened my treatment team seemed to jump upon the opportunity to diagnose me with Borderline Personality Disorder after being treated as a bipolar II patient since age fifteen.

I was living with a good friend of mine and her family, but she turned out to not be such a good friend and when I got upset one night she and her mother lied to the police and told them I was "suicidal every day I was living with her," "violent," "psychotic," when none of that was true. ER staff listened to hearsay rather than the "mental patient" and landed me five days in psychiatric intensive care for no reason other than to be counterproductive, because I was doing pretty good and this caused me to be discharged from my DBT group. I live back with my parents now, which can be triggering of my anger at times but I have to learn to deal with it I suppose.

I've been hospitalized maybe eleven times if my count is correct. If this count is right, nine of them were in pediatric psychiatric crisis wards. My first hospitalization had nothing to do with mood disorder/suicidal threats like the parade that followed; I was fourteen and washing my hands violently to the point of the skin being stripped, cracked, and bloody because I had developed a fear of contamination.

I have nothing good to do with my life when I'm not working at the cafe I just started working at so maybe I'll become active here.

hi.

c:

[The Emperor]

Welcome to CB!

[Stickler]

Um...Why can't you be both bipolar and borderline anyway?

This may sound like a dumb question...but they don't strike me as mutually exclusive.

One is more chemical in nature...the other is based on how you relate to people and your emotions. You can have purely chemical problems, purely relational problems, or a house blend of your own tasty craziness...

I'm really asking anyone, I guess...but I don't get that you would magically stop being bipolar and become borderline. Will gray-file that for the time being.

At any rate, DBT helps a lot of people...and as soon as my wife gets a jerb I'll get my butt back to DBT group myself.

Welcome...and why did you grow a beard?

[Why Did You Grow a Beard?]

Um...Why can't you be both bipolar and borderline anyway?

This may sound like a dumb question...but they don't strike me as mutually exclusive.

One is more chemical in nature...the other is based on how you relate to people and your emotions. You can have purely chemical problems, purely relational problems, or a house blend of your own tasty craziness...

I'm really asking anyone, I guess...but I don't get that you would magically stop being bipolar and become borderline. Will gray-file that for the time being.

At any rate, DBT helps a lot of people...and as soon as my wife gets a jerb I'll get my butt back to DBT group myself.

Welcome...and why did you grow a beard?

Thank you. I always get mixed answers as to whether or not BPD and bipolar disorder can be comorbid. I guess you basically answered my wondering because that was a pretty excellent explanation, that one is chemical and one is relational. A lot of my emotional dysregulation, however, seems to be mainly triggered by other people rather than cycling.

Haha, my user name is from a silly song by my favorite band.

welcome to CB stephanie

youve been on one hell of a ride. so im glad you found us. people here are amazingly supportive. and as you can see ^above^ me, they are also amazingly informational. i hope you stick around this place. and keep comfortable, sit back and relax and enjoy the view.

Thank you! I need all the support I can get so I'm glad I found you guys too.