Are BPD traits keeping you stuck in the circle jerk of sadness?

Navigating intimacy and relationships can be incredibly painful for someone with BPD (EUPD) traits. In this episode of the podcast, I sat down with artist, writer Courtney Cook to discuss all things sex, self-sabotage, toxic relationships and drama addition. This episode will speak to you and fill you with hope if you’ve struggled to find a grounded connection to your own sexuality and find yourself “bored” in calm or safe relationships as you navigate recovery from borderline personality disorder.This is PART TWO of my interview with Courtney. For the best experience and to gain the full context of our conversation, go back and listen to episode five first. (Part one is titled “Recovering from BPD after psychiatric hospitalization: stigma, shame, and self-hatred."Topics explored and questions answered in this episode:■ How people with BPD traits often use sex and intimacy as a form of self-harm and validation■ Why it feels like BPD relationships can never work ■ How to begin to know, understand and communicate your sexual needs■ How a fear of being alone can cause people with BPD to stay in abusive, toxic or stale relationships ■ How to stop feeling worthless through compassion and inner child work■ The impact early puberty and being sexualized at an early age has on BPD trait development■ What is the middle path and how can it help feelings of boredom and restlessness in BPD■ What is self-soothing? (And how self-soothing techniques can help splitting in BPD)■ What is wise mind and how can this DBT skill help people who identify with BPD handle intrusive and impulsive thoughts?■ How social media and meme accounts can negatively affect mental health outcomes for people with BPD traits■ Understanding dissociation in BPD and the importance of learning to reconnect deeply to your feelings ■ How to practice self-compassion in BPD recovery Learn more about Courtney and her work by visiting her website at https://courtneycook.me/. 🦋 UNLOCK PREMIUM PODCAST ACCESS AND JOIN THE BFTB COMMUNITY ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/backfromtheborderline.By becoming a patron, you’ll gain access to my private podcast, “My Stupid Walk for My Stupid Mental Health” (4 episodes released each month), and my monthly newsletter, where I share articles, YouTube videos, podcast episodes, and book recommendations. You’ll also get to interact with other listeners of the podcast.Disclaimer: information contained in this podcast episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for treatment or consultation with a licensed mental health professional. To unlock BFTB bonus content, visit https://plus.acast.com/s/back-from-the-borderline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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I don’t want to talk to your personality; I want to talk to your soul. Imagine if your most painful and debilitating mental health symptoms and self-sabotaging behaviors aren’t evidence of 'disorder' or 'dysfunction', but adaptive strategies that once kept you safe. My goal is to help you shift from asking ‘What’s wrong with me?’ to ‘What happened to me?’The word ‘borderline’ in this podcast has nothing to do with psychiatric labels. It has everything to do with coming back from the inner psychological brink we all experience. Everyone has found themselves on the edge, in that liminal space where the old self falls apart and the new Self emerges. Here, we explore what it means to undergo true emotional alchemy: that ancient and primordial process of falling apart, confronting the underworld of our psyche, and falling back together into someone stronger, wiser, and more whole.Many highly sensitive people who identify with the seemingly never-ending list of diagnostic mental health labels contained within ‘the bible of psychiatry’ (the DSM) share the same underlying sense of being irreparably broken, disconnected from their intuition, and paralyzed by life’s existential questions. I believe the resulting—and perfectly understandable—chronic feelings of emptiness and spiritual starvation are the TRUE causes of our current collective ‘mental health crisis.’Together, we’ll dive into depth psychology, mythology, human consciousness, critical psychiatry, and the impact of trauma to help you begin the process of emotional alchemy. This exploration will help you get to the root cause of your suffering and free yourself from the toxic shame, limiting beliefs, and mental programming that have kept you locked in the chains of your past.In an era where mental health and spirituality are too often commercialized, I’m not here as a guru with a quick fix to sell you. I don’t believe anyone is ever truly ‘healed’ or ‘cured.’ There is no return to some mythical state of pre-trauma purity, but rather a continuous spiral of unbecoming, unlearning, and transformation. As a fellow seeker, I will be there in your ear, walking alongside you on your path toward wholeness as a sort of parasocial big sister. That, I can promise.By integrating the concepts we explore together, you’ll begin to see that anyone—even you—can come back from the borderline.CRAVING MORE? Visit backfromtheborderline.com to dive into my universe, connect with me, access my Patreon, and discover more about my journey and work. Don’t forget to follow Back from the Borderline so new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays automatically drop into your podcast feed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.