Posted by Pfinstegg on October 13, 2002, at 15:28:52
In reply to Re: Chronic emptiness? Is HELL for a BPD, posted by ZH389 on October 13, 2002, at 1:11:23
Dear ZH389,
As one of the older posters on psychobabble, I hope I can give you some helpful perspectives on BPD. I had this diagnosis in my twenties, and I know how terrible those feelings of emptiness and terror are. It sounds like we both tried to deal with it in similiar ways- by doing lots of things for others. But I think the way to overcome it is to find a therapist who can truly give something to you. I made a lot a missteps with therapists, not knowing really what I needed or how to tell if I was going to the right person. I finally did find someone (a psychoanalyst) who knew what to do, and within two years, I felt infinitely better- that was 40 years ago, and I have been able to live a full life, and fulfill many of my dreams and goals. I know I was a bit more anxious and dysthymic than average along the way, but that seemed minor compared to the original BPD symptoms. More recently, I developed a major suicidal depression after several people in my family died within a few months of one another. I'm back in treatment after 40 years, but am making good progress- and don't have any of the original BPD symptoms this time, which makes me realize even more how valuable my early treatment was.
I think the best thing you could do would be to find a psychoanalytically-trained therapist; nowadays, these can be psychologists or social workers, not just doctors. Many of them see patients just once a week- the old idea of daily therapy is just not feasible or necessary any more. But, be very choosy and careful- interview several and be sure you find one familiar with the descriptions I'm going to give you- and, most important, one whom you feel you can connect to on a deep level. The ones who are having the most success with BPD are not trained in the old Freudian way, but rather in new ways, called by such names as self psychology, two-person psychology, attachment theory or relational therapy. I know you can get better, but finding the right therapist is vital for BPD- be a critical, careful shopper until you know you've found the right person!
I hope this has been helpful, and that you will post again in a while to let us know what has happened. Take care...
Pfinstegg (who used to have a diagnosis of BPD, but doesn't now)
poster:Pfinstegg
thread:106027
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021012/msgs/123489.html