by Ana Montana 

If you experience BPD you might feel like every day is a struggle against yourself, but the good news is that there are a lot of things you can do to help yourself. With time, you will learn to cope with BPD better, take it from me, I’ve been living with BPD for many years and I’m glad to be able to say that I seem to get stronger and better every year.

So, how can you cope with difficult emotions day to day? How can you balance your extreme thinking? If you’re constantly feeling overwhelmed, it might help to focus on ONE FEELING AT A TIME. And try to remember: Uncomfortable feelings are OK.

IF YOU’RE FEELING ANGRY, FRUSTRATED OR RESTLESS, TRY…

• Ripping up newspaper
• Hitting a pillow
• Throwing ice cubes into the bath and watch them smash

IF YOU’RE FEELING SAD, DEPRESSED OR LONELY, TRY…

• Wrapping yourself in a blanket and watching your favorite movie or TV Show
• Massaging your hands with a nice-smelling moisturiser
• Listening to a song or piece of music you find uplifting
• Writing or drawing all your negative feelings on a piece of paper and tear it up

IF YOU’RE FEELING ANXIOUS, PANICKY OR TENSE, TRY…

• Making yourself a hot drink and drinking it slowly paying attention to the smell and taste, the shape of the mug and its weight in your hand
• Taking deep breaths –counting each one out loud–
• Doing a reality checklist writing everything you can think of about: where you are right now, what time is it, date, color of the walls, all the furniture in the room, etc.
• Taking a warm bath or shower, this can help your mood by creating a soothing atmosphere and a distracting physical sensation

IF YOU’RE FEELING DISSOCIATIVE OR SPACED OUT, TRY…

• Chewing a piece of ginger or chili
• Drinking a glass of ice cold water
• Clapping your hands noticing the stinging sensation

  IF YOU FEEL LIKE WANTING TO SELF-HARM, TRY…

• Rubbing an ice cube where you want to hurt yourself
• Taking a cold bath
• Sticking tape or a plaster on your skin and peeling it off

When I am in a really irritating and triggering situation, which I can´t get out of or change, I just TRY to take it five minutes at a time… Most of the time, breaking it into bite-size pieces makes it possible and easier to cope with. I know that these tips might not work the same way for all people os they work for me, but, it’s worth da try 🙂

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* Do you have a friend or family member with BPD? Do you want to share your story with us? Remember you can write us here. We’re here, contact us! 🙂